Domestic land snails. How to care for snails. Slippery friends: what is the interest in keeping snails at home Under what conditions should domestic snails live

In recent years, people have increasingly begun to have gastropods as pets. The most popular is the giant African snail - Achatina.

Snails (gastropods)- lat. Gastropoda - a class of molluscs, divided into three subclasses: anterior gill, pulmonary and posterior gills and has about ninety thousand species, including marine, freshwater and terrestrial forms.

The head of a snail usually has tentacles and a pair of eyes. The shell reaches a height of 0.5 mm to 70 cm, has a spirally twisted appearance, some members of the class may be absent. As the snail grows, so does its shell. It becomes hard, strong and thick, dark rings appear on it - coils. Snails grow up to a year. By this time, about 4-5 rings appear on their shells. On average, gastropods live up to six years.

Most snails have a spiral shell, so in ancient times people honored the snail, as it was believed that the spiral was a symbol of life. The ancient Greeks used snails as medicine. Phoenicians from red snails received paint for fabrics, and in Africa and South America the shells of large snails replaced money.

In nature, snails live in groups of several individuals. Toward evening, or at night, when the temperature drops and it becomes cool, the snails crawl out of their daytime shelters in search of food. Due to the fact that they poor eyesight, but excellent sense of smell and touch, they search for food by touch with the help of tentacle horns, guided by smell. The diet of snails is very diverse. They eat almost everything: leaves, worms, small larvae, etc.

Snails are an excellent and accessible object of observation in captivity. They are not at all as primitive as it might seem. Despite the fact that their nervous system is quite simple, snails are capable of learning. Scientists conducted experiments with marine gastropods, as well as grape snails and land slugs, developing various conditioned reflexes in them. In addition, grape snails flew into space. In England, grape snails are used for entertainment: "snail races" are arranged there.

Maintenance and care.

An aquarium, a terrarium, a plastic house for rodents, as well as food containers and other plastic containers are suitable as a container for keeping snails (snails). On average, one snail needs about 10 liters of volume, but it is desirable to allocate at least 15-20 liters so that it can grow to its maximum size. The lid should cover the container tightly enough so that the snail does not run away and to maintain the desired humidity. To better provide the container with fresh air, several small holes can be made in the lid (smaller than the size of a snail). It is even better to close the snail net with a synthetic ironing net (you can also use gauze, but its snails can eventually make a hole in it and run away). It is better to choose a snail bed not wide, but high, since with the same volume, a low terrarium has large area bottom and, as a result, a large area of ​​moisture evaporation, which leads to rapid drying of the soil, which is unacceptable when keeping snails.

Snails do not need electric lighting, for this reason, choosing a place for a terrarium in an apartment will not be difficult. However, if the terrarium is located near a window, then it is better to cover one side of it with something opaque, as snails avoid direct sunlight.

Priming. A suitable soil for snails is ordinary soil for flowers. Also suitable is coconut substrate or ordinary sawdust, which are sold in any pet stores, bark coniferous trees or peat. Before applying the soil, it must be processed - doused with boiling water, calcined in a microwave oven or in an oven for several minutes (as for seedlings), thereby destroying Drosophyll larvae and other insects.

The soil should be loose so that the snails can easily burrow into it. It is not recommended to put stones and other hard objects into the terrarium, as if the snails fall from the lid, they can break their shell on them. Microclimate in volume for snails should be warm and humid. The ideal temperature for keeping snails ranges from +25 to +30°C. If it is cool in the room where the snail heater is located, then it is better to arrange heating near it from an ordinary light bulb. But, so that the snails do not get burned, you should not place the lamp close to the glass.

Most domesticated snails (for example, Achatina) are land snails. And they are great on dry land. But without water, they cannot live long. To maintain a certain humidity in the snail, it is very convenient to use a spray bottle for spraying flowers. It is enough to spray the terrarium and its inhabitants with warm water once or twice a day to maintain the humidity level required for them, which should be 75-90%. It is best to purchase a hygrometer (a device for measuring air humidity) in order to easily determine whether there is sufficient humidity in the snail.

Young gastropods have enough moisture on the walls of the terrarium. If the snails are more than one and a half months old, then they need to put water in some container so that they can drink or take a bath. It is necessary to measure the size of the pool with the size of the snail so that it cannot drown in it when swimming.

Snails like Achatina are very fond of swimming. They can sometimes be pampered by washing under the tap with warm water.

When creating the wrong conditions of detention (too dry or cold), the snail can hibernate, while it closes its shell with a door, and it is extremely difficult to get it out of this state. To do this, she will have to bathe in warm water until she looks out of her house.

The terrarium should be cleaned regularly. It is necessary to remove excrement, and also, as it gets dirty, wipe the walls and cover of the terrarium with a damp sponge. Once every 1-1.5 months, a general cleaning should be done: completely change the soil and rinse the terrarium well with disinfectants.

Snail feeding. The main food source for snails is plant food. In the terrarium, you can put a plastic food tray with low edges so as not to put food on the ground, as it quickly deteriorates on it. Snails are great at eating lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, apples, pears, but will not disdain dry oatmeal flakes or fish food (such as gammarus or daphnia). Snails will not refuse summer delicacies in the form of strawberries or watermelons. Bananas are especially fond of large snails, but such delicacies should be given with caution, since after them the snail can begin to act up and refuse any other food. In winter, snails are great at eating dry oats, pharmacy nettles, and even frozen vegetables from soup kits, which can be easily bought in many stores. There are cases when snails ate cottage cheese, raw eggs and even raw meat. The snail is forbidden to give food containing salt, it is deadly for her. The same effect can cause flour products, sugar and fried foods.

In order for a snail to grow a beautiful shell, it needs to add a source of calcium to its food. To do this, you can buy sepia (the so-called cuttlefish bone or cuttlefish comb) at the pet store. Natural chalk, ground eggshells, or simply crushed calcium gluconate tablets are also suitable. With an acute shortage of calcium, the shells are even translucent and the body of the snail can be seen through them. If a pet gnaws its own shell (or a neighbor's shell), then it is seriously lacking in calcium in its diet.

With the right content, snails are easily domesticated and tamed by hand. Mollusks have a long-term memory. If you treat them carefully, then they get used to you easily and quickly: somewhere from the first months they are calmly given into hands. But there are times when snails born in captivity never get used to being picked up once again.

Exotic pets are becoming more and more popular every day. One of the most unpretentious of their species are Achatina - huge snails, perhaps the largest of the mollusks. Unlike their closest relatives, Achatina snails are quite smart and smart. They may even have conditioned reflexes. These mollusks quickly get used to their owner and can distinguish him from strangers, while they do not require much attention and special food.

Initially, Achatina lived only in Africa, gradually, thanks to man, they spread to other regions. For example, in Japan they were grown on special farms and then eaten. In Southeast Asia, many African countries and even America, Achatina are considered pests. They cause considerable damage to reed crops, young trees and other plant crops die because of them. Giant snails can even eat plaster from houses to get the substance needed for shell growth. In Russia, under natural conditions, Achatina are not able to survive, because of the climate that is too harsh for them. Therefore, giant snails in our region can only be found as pets.

African snail Achatina - structural features

Among land mollusks - Achatina is the largest. Its shell in length can reach twenty-five centimeters, and the body is thirty. The snail has a heart, a kidney, eyes, a brain and a lung, by the way, in addition to it, the mollusk also breathes through the skin. She hears absolutely nothing. The eyes of Achatina are located at the ends of the tentacles, they help the snails perceive the degree of illumination and objects located at a distance of no more than a centimeter. In addition, the degree of brightness of the illumination of the snail is also perceived by light-sensitive cells located throughout the body, which is probably why they do not like blinding light.

The shell protects the molluscs from drying out and becomes their protection in case of any danger. It can have a very interesting pattern and color, which can change depending on what the snail ate. Achatina smells the skin of the entire front region of the body, as well as the tips of the tentacles. With the help of them and the sole, the snail perceives the textures and shapes of objects.

Types of Achatina

In nature, there are more than a hundred species of giant snails. It does not make sense to dwell on each in detail, since the conditions for their maintenance are practically the same. Consider the most common types of Achatina, which can be found more often than others in pet stores.

The easiest to care for, and therefore the most common of the giant snails, is the Achatina fulica species. Its representatives have a shell with a variegated color that changes color depending on the diet, and a brownish or brown soft body, with pronounced tubercles on the skin. Achatina fulika are slow and like to rest a lot in a secluded place.

The second most common type of snail for home content is Achatina reticulum. Usually its representatives have a pattern on the shell in the form of stripes and dots, the color of the soft body is black or dark brown with a light border of “legs”. Achatina reticulata are curious and mobile, often raising their heads in an attempt to see what is happening.

To keep Achatina, you do not need any special equipment. They can even be placed in an old cracked aquarium, since you do not have to fill it with water. Instead, you can even take a plastic box, only in this case it will be difficult to observe the pets due to the poor transparency of the walls. But it is better to refuse to use a cardboard box, since Achatina can gnaw through it.

For one snail, you need a “house” with a volume of at least ten liters. If you plan to have several Achatina, its volume should be at least twenty to thirty liters.

The aquarium must always be covered with a piece of plexiglass with holes or a special cover. Otherwise, you will have to look for the snail throughout the house. But you can’t close the aquarium tightly either, since the mollusk constantly needs fresh air, if the lid does not contain holes, then leave at least a small gap.

At the bottom of the aquarium, be sure to place soil for Achatina with a layer of up to ten centimeters. It should be loose, well breathable, later the snail will dig into it and lay eggs. For this, coconut substrate or potting soil, which can be found in any flower shop, is suitable. The main thing is that no fertilizers and other harmful additives are present in the soil. It is also not recommended to use sawdust and clay soil as soil. Sometimes a terrarium for Achatina is recommended to be covered with sand, walnut membranes or bark of pine needles. You can experiment and choose the most convenient option.

Whatever soil you choose, keep in mind that it should always be in a slightly damp state, but not be waterlogged. This will help maintain optimum humidity in the aquarium. You can determine the degree of humidity by the behavior of the snail. If she tries to close herself in the sink, the air is too dry; if she constantly hangs on the walls, the humidity is too high.

Since the African snail Achatina loves to swim, it does not hurt to put a shallow container of water in her "house". The container must be heavy and stable so that the mollusk cannot turn it over. It is recommended to pour water into it quite a bit so that the snail cannot choke in it. Bathing water should be changed about once a week.

Since Achatina is a native of Africa, it is quite logical that she loves warmth. For her, the most comfortable temperature is around 26 degrees. Since it is usually lower in our apartments, a dim lamp will help ensure a suitable climate for the snail. Of course, it is quite possible to do without this, but just keep in mind that Achatina, which was kept at home at temperatures below 24 degrees, will be a little lethargic and not very mobile.

The mollusk does not need special additional lighting. Ahvtiny are indifferent to the intensity of light. However, it is important for snails that the day alternates regularly with the night. At the same time, they are more active in the dark. During the day, snails prefer to hide in the ground or other secluded places. Such places can be created by placing large stones, driftwood, coconut halves, etc. in the aquarium. In addition, live plants can be planted in the aquarium, they will also become additional food for Achatina. For this, ivy or fern is best suited.

How to care for Achatina

Achatina do not need any special care. All you need to do is change the bathing water, clean the aquarium every one and a half to three months and change the soil in it. If desired, sometimes wash the snails under running slightly warm water, and, of course, feed the pet.

What do Achatinas eat

Achatina can eat almost everything, and the taste preferences of each snail are often significantly different. However, the basis of their diet is, nevertheless, plant foods. They are recommended to give apples, lettuce, cucumbers. In summer, young leaves and herbs, such as clover or dandelion, can be added to food. In addition, snails can happily eat bananas, watermelon peels, bell peppers, pumpkins, tomatoes, melons, corn, various berries, zucchini and spinach. But most snails do not like carrots and potatoes. To diversify the diet of Akhatana, sometimes give her dry unleavened cookies, bran and oatmeal. Occasionally, you can offer her meat, egg white, or poultry.

Calcium must be present in the diet of the snail. Therefore, the aquarium should always contain ground eggshells or natural chalk, limestone or mineral stones can also be placed in it.

Reproduction Achatina

Despite the fact that Achatina are hermaphrodites, living alone, they rarely lay eggs. Therefore, if you want to get offspring from a snail, it is better to plant a “friend” with it. Moreover, for the role of a female, it is worth picking up older snails; a sexually mature, but not very large mollusk can cope well with the role of a male.

At a time, Akhatana usually lays about two hundred eggs, of which, depending on the air temperature, tiny, about five millimeters, snails appear after a week or three. They reach puberty in six months, but continue to grow almost all their lives.

Advantages of the African snail Achatina

Of course, the Achatina snail is not an affectionate cat or a playful dog, but it also has its own considerable advantages. She will not require you to take daily walks, frequent feedings, will not whine at night and gnaw on slippers, while you will practically not have to spend money on her maintenance. Nevertheless, Achatina may well deliver more than one pleasant minute. The snail is very interesting to watch, especially when it bathes, crawls on glass or slowly moves along the hand. You can even try to “train” it by developing conditioned reflexes in the mollusk.

But the main advantage of the Achatina snail is that you can easily go on vacation or a business trip and leave your pet unattended. After all for a long time without receiving food and additional moisture, Achatina simply hibernate. Returning home, you just need to sprinkle water on the hibernating mollusk and it will wake up soon. Achatina snails, care and maintenance, which fully met the requirements, can live for about ten years. Therefore, they can become your faithful companions for many years.

Achatina snails in cosmetology: reviews, photos, contraindications. How to use Achatina snails in cosmetology?

It is not for nothing that snails have been associated with eternity since ancient times. Their use helps to maintain health and prolong youth. One of the most valuable species are Achatina snails. In cosmetology and medicine, their miraculous properties are widely used.

Such procedures are most popular among the beautiful half of humanity. With their help, wide range skin problems.

What are Achatina snails?

Achatina snails in cosmetology, reviews about useful properties which inspire confidence are already widely used in Holland and France.

Africa is considered the birthplace of these mollusks. From there they spread to other continents. These mollusks do not live on the territory of Russia, since the climate does not allow this. All available individuals are grown in conditions specially created for them.

Types of snails Achatina

To date, more than a hundred species of snails have been discovered, which can be classified as giant. Their mucus practically does not differ in its composition. Among them, the most popular, due to their wide prevalence and undemanding care, are:

• Achatina reticulum;
• Achatina fulica.

What is needed for growing at home?

You can keep mollusks in an aquarium with soil, while it must be constantly moistened. For swimming, you need to put a container of water in the aquarium. Comfortable temperature for snails of this species is 26 degrees Celsius.

By observing the behavior of pets, you can determine whether they are comfortable in the created conditions. If the habitat is too dry, clams will often hide in the shell.

At home, Achatina live 7-10 years.

How to use for cosmetic purposes at home?

In order to undergo massage and skin regeneration procedures with the help of snails, it is not necessary to visit a beauty salon. You can keep Achatina at home and independently, at any convenient time to carry out procedures. FAQ, which occurs when Achatina snails are mentioned: how to use them in cosmetology?

In fact, the procedure for skin rejuvenation using Achatina is quite simple:

1. Yes, it is necessary to cleanse the skin of the remnants of cosmetics.
2. Then you should wipe it with a cotton pad soaked in milk.
3. Achatina must be washed with slightly warm running water. They wash not only the abdomen, but also the clam house.
4. The snail is placed on the problem area of ​​the skin, after which it is given the opportunity to move along the surface of the skin.
5. After the procedure, which lasts 10-15 minutes, the mollusk needs rest. It needs to be moved back to the terrarium.
6. The mucus remaining after the movement of the snail is evenly distributed over the surface of the skin.
7. It is necessary to allow the mucus to absorb and dry, after which the skin is washed with warm water without the use of soap.

Achatina snails play an important role in cosmetology, as their mucus has a rich composition. Therefore, having such an unpretentious pet at home, you can maintain a healthy skin condition without visiting expensive beauty salons.

Cosmetology

Achatina snails are used in cosmetology due to their mucus, which contains a large amount of collagen, glycolic acid and elastin.

Based on the mucus of snails, ointments and creams are made that make the skin soft, like in small children.

It has been noticed that people who breed snails are less likely to suffer from hand skin diseases. They heal cuts and wounds faster. Means based on Achatina mucus help to eliminate scars and stretch marks.

Achatina snails in cosmetology, photos of which are presented in this article, have occupied their niche. Procedures that are carried out with the help of snails already have a large number of adherents.

Massage with Achatina

Achatina snails in cosmetology are used more often than other types of mollusks for daily massage.

Moving along the skin, the mollusk gently massages, while improving blood circulation, relieving spasms. These procedures are also useful for those who have varicose veins veins. Thanks to the massage of Achatina snails, blood vessels are strengthened and blood circulation is improved.

The big advantage is the delicacy with which the procedure is carried out. Slowly moving along the skin, the mollusks gently massage without causing pain.

Achatina snails in the fight against cellulite

About what Achatina snails are in cosmetology, how to use mollusks, those who want to remove fat in problem areas and get rid of cellulite usually know firsthand. Regular massage with Achatina snails in the thighs and abdomen will help make the skin smoother and eliminate the “orange peel” effect.

If you use Achatina in the fight against cellulite at least 3 times a week, then after a short period of time equal to 1-2 months, you can get rid of this problem.

Contraindications

Anyone who does not have fear or squeamish feelings towards mollusks can use such a tool as Achatina snails (in cosmetology). These creatures do not have contraindications for use for cosmetic purposes.

But before conducting a treatment or massage session, you need to make sure that you are not allergic to the components of Achatina mucus. To do this, you need to place the clam for a small amount of time on the skin of the wrist.

If after this procedure there are any side effects, then it is best to refuse skin treatment in this way until consulting a specialist doctor.

Those who decide to get Achatina for themselves must first carry out at least one cosmetic procedure of “snail therapy” in the salon. If there is an allergy to any component of the mollusk mucus, it will manifest itself. This will save you from a rash and useless purchase.

Achatina snails in cosmetology: reviews

A large number of positive feedback on various websites and blogs allows us to conclude that the use of snails for cosmetic purposes is popular.

Users note as the main advantages:

• fast appearance of the effect;
• painlessness of the procedure;
• no need to use synthetic products.

Sometimes the only reason, which causes the refusal to use snails in cosmetology, is the fear or feeling of disgust in relation to mollusks.

Experts note that snails in cosmetology are a good alternative to expensive procedures. Due to the ease of growing snails and a small list of contraindications for preparations made on the basis of their mucus, they are gaining more and more fans.

In this regard, an increasing number of cosmetology centers have "snail therapy" in their range of services.

Achatina snail in cosmetology is just a godsend for those who do not want to resort to the help of surgeons and use various injections for rejuvenation.

Regular use of Achatina snails for cosmetic purposes will help to quickly improve blood circulation, skin condition, reduce stretch marks and scars.

What are the benefits of the Achatina snail for human health ???

✿Elena m✿

IN Lately there was a fashion for other land snails - giant African snails, or Achatina. This is the largest land mollusk on Earth: its shell can reach a length of 25 cm, and its body is all 30. Achatina is home to East Africa but now they can be found in many parts of the world. For some countries with a climate favorable for giants, snails are unusually dangerous: they are voracious and multiply rapidly. So, in America there is a quarantine for Achatina, and anyone who would think of breeding them would be threatened with imprisonment. But in Europe, and in particular in Russia, Achatina do not live in the wild, so they can be kept as pets.

The beauty of these snails is not only in their huge size. Achatina are real beauties, and the owner can simulate the color scheme of the shell of his pet: if you feed the mollusk with something red, such as pepper, for some time, its shell will begin to acquire shades of red. By transferring the snail to a green diet, you will add new colors to it. The main distinguishing feature of Achatina is their mind. They very quickly develop conditioned reflexes: snails get used to their owners, distinguish them from other people, they develop a clear daily routine. But most importantly, no matter what kind of snails become the inhabitants of the house - grape or Achatina, they will undoubtedly bring great benefits to their owners: calm, meditative and even majestic snails tune their owners to the same feelings.

What is the best way to keep Achatina?

vladimir

Brief recommendations for the maintenance of Achatina
African snail Achatina fulica (Achatina fulica) belongs to the class of gastropod mollusks, order Stalk-eyed, family Helicid.
In captivity, Achatina live 5-9 years, increase in size all their lives and grow up to 15 cm long.
Terrarium. A terrarium for Achatina can be made from a simple aquarium. The minimum size is 10 liters per snail. The larger the aquarium, the larger your snail will grow. The terrarium must have a lid, because snails can crawl out of it. It is advisable to organize small holes in the lid for better gas exchange, ideally insert a metal mesh. In extreme cases, you can simply lift the lid to open a small gap. At the bottom of the aquarium, you need to put a bedding of sand, bark of coniferous trees, sawdust or peat. Each of these types of bedding has its pros and cons, but I prefer to use coniferous bark. It is easy to wash, easy to get, and the dirt on it is less noticeable. You can build a small bath with fresh water, Achatina are very fond of swimming. The main thing is that the depth of the bath does not allow the snail to choke. In general, Achatina crawl well under water, but, accidentally falling into the bath from above, a small snail can drown from fright. You also need to make sure that the bath does not turn over if the snail starts to burrow into the ground next to it, otherwise the water will spread, which is not good.
The temperature and humidity required by Achatina roughly coincide with those in an ordinary city apartment.
Soil moisture is determined empirically. If snails sit on the walls of the terrarium all the time, then there is too much water.
If they prefer to be clogged (the evidence is hidden in the sink and closed with a lid), on the contrary, it is too dry. With normal soil moisture, snails crawl on its surface at night, and often burrow into it during the day. To maintain humidity, it is enough to spray the soil and walls of the terrarium from a spray gun once a day.
To wake up a clogged snail, you can pour water on its mouth and carefully remove the cap, or simply place it in a terrarium with normal humidity. It is recommended to wash the terrarium at least once a week. The exception is a terrarium with egg-laying, which has to be cleaned without water, so as not to change the humidity and not damage the laying.
It is better to keep small snails without soil, laying cabbage or lettuce leaves on them, thereby increasing the chance of finding food by the snail and to facilitate the care of the terrarium.
Feeding. There is an opinion that Achatina can be fed once a week. Let me disagree with this. Achatina survive, grow, and even often reproduce on this diet, but often live shorter lives and grow more slowly than their normally fed relatives. It is better to feed as food is eaten and dried out and to remove leftovers.
Achatina eat vegetables, fruits and herbs, but in nature they do not refuse meat. Usually in captivity, they are fed cabbages, carrots, and cucumbers, but a more varied diet is preferable. This is necessary first of all so that at any time you can switch to another type of food available. It is known that snails have certain food addictions, including many prefer cucumbers and lettuce to other foods, and if they are fed only cucumbers from childhood, they often refuse to eat anything other than them, which can cause certain inconveniences. In particular, I had two snails that didn't take anything but bananas and newspapers. Large snails can be given whole cores, they process surprisingly quickly. food waste. Soft foods should be given for a short time, otherwise they flow and spread over the ground, causing it to become contaminated.
It is generally not recommended to give soft foods to small snails. There was a case when snails completely buried themselves in a banana and suffocated there. It is better to give very small newborn snails greens, thinly chopped carrots, and after a few days lettuce and apple

Alex

I have it in coco substrate. Soaked briquette from a flower shop. They live in an old aquarium. Necessarily a source of carbonic lime, I have crushed shells of zebra mussel, chalk. I feed vegetables. Last year there was an incredible amount of juveniles!

Radmila Mordvinkina

Alexander Ananiev

IN glass jar or a container/aquarium, coconut flakes can be poured, there must be moisture, you can sometimes bathe. DO NOT give citrus fruits, raw potatoes and small bananas

How useful are snails?

™Inextinguishable Star... ®

What are useful snails - snail snail strife.



Almost ninety thousand different species of snails are known. They are found in cities and deserts. In the Sahara, for example, snails are found in places where the temperature in the shade is 45 degrees. There are snails that live in hot spring water. At the same time, they tolerate cold well.
An experienced gardener, choosing a head of cabbage for himself in the garden, will cut off the one on which he sees a snail. He knows that this gourmet unmistakably finds the best head of cabbage.



In ancient Rome, roasted snails were considered a delicacy. This is evidenced by the famous naturalist Pliny in his book "The Life of Beasts". And in our times, connoisseurs of this dish have not disappeared. IN different countries there are special farms where grape snails are bred. They are exported. Yes, and in our country the army of lovers of tender snail meat is increasing. The fact is that it contains 20 times more vitamins than in creamy meat or an egg.



Snails serve as food not only for humans. Not the last place they occupy in the menu of fish. The autopsy of Caspian sturgeons, for example, revealed that 80 percent of their stomach contents consisted of mollusks, mainly snails.
In ancient times, a substance was extracted from the glands of sea snails, needles and scarlet, from which purple was made, used for dyeing fabrics, as well as in painting and cosmetics. Ten thousand mollusks went to one gram of purple.

On some islands Pacific Ocean shells of rare species of snails still play the role of money. They go to the production of buttons, jewelry. Since ancient times, these snails have been used by the natives of the islands of Oceania as a tool for drilling holes in wood and even stone products. It takes 20-30 hours for a snail, which is called the "oyster drill", to gnaw a hole in the shell of an oyster, mussel or some other shell.



An interesting use is found for Strophocheilus popelarianus snails in cigarette factories. The height of the shell of these snails reaches up to 14 cm. Its strength can be judged at least by the fact that they are used as an iron when smoothing tobacco leaves.
Representatives of the genus Trochus living in the Indian and Pacific Oceans have mother-of-pearl shells of extraordinary beauty, which are used in the button industry. And the shells of a smaller type of trochid Trochus adriaticus are used only for jewelry.
In nature, adults act as cesspools, eating decaying plant remains, animal excrement. However, young snails are very harmful to cultivated plants, eating banana buds, various fruits, tubers.
More about Gastropods, gastropods (lat. Gastropoda, gastro - "belly", poda - "leg"), or snails - the most numerous class in the phylum Mollusca, which includes about 60,000-75,000 species.
All the most interesting about snails
About the benefits of snails

Jenya Jenya

There are benefits from snails in any case, both from water and from land.
Benefits of aquarium snails
Snails are natural orderlies: they destroy the remains of food, dead fish, fish excrement, rotten parts of plants, film on the surface of the water, plaque on the walls of the aquarium.
Snails play an important role in maintaining the biological balance in an artificial reservoir, and the behavior of some snails (for example, melania) serves as an indicator of the purity of the soil or water, which helps the aquarist to notice and solve the problem of pollution in time.
Snails are beautiful in their own way and can serve as an element of aquarium decoration.
Among the ancient Greeks, they were considered a medicine and, indeed, helped with diseases. Another ancient people- Phoenicians - from red snails they extracted beautiful paint and dyed her clothes. And in Africa and South America, the shells of large snails were replaced not so long ago ... money. In ancient times, people honored the snail also because its shell has the shape of a spiral. And the spiral has always been considered a symbol of life.
Beetles, birds, snakes, mice feed on snails, many predators also do not disdain to eat snails ... Both beetles, and worms, and other small insects consider snail eggs to be the most delicious food and diligently seek them out. Many fish feed on water snails
Snails are considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. Snail dishes are especially popular in France. It is in France that they prepare escargot - a special dish of snails that affects a person's sexual activity.
Snails have been eaten since ancient times. So the first written mention of the use of snails as food dates back to ancient times. IN Ancient Rome a dish of snails was considered an indispensable attribute of any celebration. The snail was considered not just delicious dish but also a remedy. Decoctions from snails were prescribed as a medicine for bleeding, eye diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, as a remedy for wound healing.
There are special types of snails that are used for cooking. The most common species are grape snails (aka Helix pomatia, Burgundy snail, Roman snail). This type of snail lives in moist deciduous forests, shrubs and ravines, where there is enough moisture.
Grape snails grow quite slowly, they begin to be used as food only in the second or third year of their life. This type of snail is able to grow up to 40-45 mm.
Snail dishes are rightly called dietary. In 100 gr. The product contains 10g of protein, 32g of fat, 5g of carbohydrates, as well as vitamin B6, B12, iron, calcium, magnesium. Snail meat is soft, easy to digest and break down. So, for example, if it usually takes 4-5 hours on average to digest pork or chicken, then 2 hours is enough to digest snail meat.
Snails are especially recommended for those who have calcium imbalance in the body, pregnant and lactating women, children and people suffering from diseases such as chondrosis and collagenosis. Snail meat improves bowel function and normalizes metabolism. It is believed that due to the content of magnesium, snail meat can have a calming effect on people and help fight stress.
Before using snails for food, they are transferred to a special diet for several weeks. During the diet, snails get rid of various harmful substances, which they could absorb when they fed in the wild. In order for the snail meat to be more refined, they are fed with thyme and fennel.
The process of cooking snails looks something like this: first, the snails are thoroughly washed in water, then they are blanched, cooled, removed from the shells, boiled in a broth with spices and white wine, then put back into the shells and sent to bake in the oven. Before the shells go into the oven, they pour a little garlic oil with parsley.

So, snails occupy an important place in the food chain, they process organic residues .... But what is the use of a person is not yet clear))))

Benefit in what way?
Here in terms of cooking "On the benefits of snails" - http://efamily.ru/articles/103/1078
And here about aquariums "Snails - benefit or harm" - http://e-url.info/read10.php
Here's another "... from the narcotic poison of the pot-bellied cone, pharmacists have prepared an amazing painkiller. In its strength, it surpasses even morphine. And drugs for the treatment of epilepsy turned out to be the most effective of all known. Moreover, as it turned out, snail drugs do not cause side effects .. . "
http://www.ressina-privivka.ru/friend/gady.htm
Garden, garden In addition to harm "... Slugs and snails also perform an important sanitary function in the garden, processing plant remains that have died or are damaged by other pests ..."
http://www.gardenia.ru/pages/vribol_007.htm

Treatment with snails (snail therapy)

The giant African snail Achatina fulica is the most acceptable pet for managers and just busy people. This pet no need to walk, take to the vet and spend a lot of money on his food. He will not wake you up in the morning with loud barking and will not ruin your favorite furniture. There is no allergy to it, and it wonderfully relieves stress.

In the tradition of Slavic healers, many forces of nature were used: herbs, honey, clay, stones and animals. Many methods of treatment, having made an amazing journey, returned to us today in the form of stone therapy, honey massage and even hirudotherapy (treatment with leeches) and bee therapy.

But one of effective types treatment of a person, using the forces of wildlife, was undeservedly forgotten - treatment with snails.
It is good that the carriers of the tradition of Slavic herbalists have survived to this day, so now there is an opportunity to get acquainted with the amazing area of ​​\u200b\u200brestoring human health - treatment with snails in the tradition of Slavic herbalists.

Snails, these amazing, unhurried creatures, thanks to their unique features that nature endowed them with, will help you and your patients get rid of:

- From cellulite and "heavy fats" that are not removed by any physical exercises.
- From muscle spasms and clamps (including clamps of the collar zone), and, moreover, without pain!
- From inflammation that provokes infertility and other serious diseases.
- From stress and diseases caused by nerves (dermatitis, psoriasis).
- From vegetative-vascular dystonia.

The latest discovery in the field of medicine calls the snail a brain donor, based on the positive results of careful studies of the neurons of these snails, and in particular the fact that human neurons and snail neurons require the same ionic environment when grown in culture ...

Any woman would like to have a miraculous cream that would effectively care for the skin, moisturize it and delay aging for a long time. And it would be nice if such a cream is natural. Do not be surprised, but such a remedy exists - this is the mucus of medicinal snails. Disdain?

Still, after all, not every woman can afford to try procedures using snails. And what is there, such a service is not very common with us. But those who dare and allow gastropods to roam their bodies get the same effect as mentioned above. This miraculous cream is the mucus that comes out of the snails as they "walk". In the language of cosmetologists, snails produce a mucus wrap that rejuvenates and tightens the skin.

For the first time, they started talking about the benefits of snail mucus when they noticed that the skin of the hands of snail farm workers does not age. After it was found that this mucus smoothes wrinkles and prevents dry skin.

Snail mucus contains a huge amount of bioactive substances that are probably familiar to you: collagen, glycolic acid, allantoin, natural antibiotics and vitamins, with the help of which the snail restores its body and “repairs” its “house”. Therefore, snails can heal scars, scars, burns, cuts, inflammation.

As a rule, snail mucus does not cause complications, allergies, etc., so it may be suitable for those who deny themselves spa treatments due to some kind of illness. Snails can also help get rid of stretch marks and age spots, which is very important for new mothers. And it's up to the small thing - to let the little doctors crawl over your body.

The use of snails

Given their ability to regenerate cells, as well as the positive impact of their impulses, Achatina is used as natural massagers. First, the snail must be washed in cool running water. Prepare your face and neck for the procedure: remove makeup and wipe with milk. Then put the snail on the skin. She must "walk" through the sites offered to her, after which she is returned to the house. You will evenly distribute the healing secretions over the face and neck and keep them on the skin for 15 minutes until completely dry. At the same time, the skin is significantly tightened. After washing, you will feel its extraordinary freshness and velvety. This procedure is preferably carried out every other day, or at least at least 2 times a week.

How many types of snails exist on earth and which ones are the largest?

Victoria

In addition... .

The smallest snail is the cone snail. One dose of poison can kill 10 people. And the antidote has not yet been found by scientists. Habitat: tropical zones Indian and Pacific Oceans, from Polynesia to the east. coasts of Africa and the Red Sea.
Pepper benefits and harm to the body

The snail is unique Living being, which is protected by a shell and can live not only in the wild, but also at home. This species of animal belongs to the class of gastropods (gastropods), the type of molluscs. The word snail comes from the Old Slavonic "snail" - hollow because of its house (shell), which is empty without an animal.

Snail - description and characteristics

The body of a snail consists of a head, a leg, an visceral sac, and a mantle fold. The movement of the mollusk occurs on the sole, which covers the lower part of the leg. This process is the result of muscle contractions that create a kind of wave. To make sliding as comfortable as possible, the epithelium of the limb secretes a lot of mucus.

Snails of small size can move with the help of the beating of cilia.

The visceral sac is located inside the shell in the form of a spiral or cap. In the mantle of snails that live in water, gills are located. This body must be constantly washed by a stream of water, in order to organize this process, the mantle is equipped with:

• inlet siphon through which the liquid enters;
• outlet siphon through which water is removed.

Also inside the mantle are:

• kidney ducts;
• excretory system;
• intestines;
• sexual apparatus;
• lung (for those living on land).

In order for air to enter the respiratory organs, there is a special hole. It is located on the edge of the shell or on the front side of the body.

The head consists of:

• stalks with eyes;
• tentacles (organ of touch);
• oral cavity.

The shell of a snail, like other mollusks, consists of several layers:

• The periostracum is a thin layer that covers the structure from the outside. It is made up of a protein called conchiolin.
• Ostracum is a calcium carbonate middle layer wrapped in conchiolin.
• Hypostracum (mother-of-pearl) - a layer located inside. It includes plates of calcium carbonate coated with conchiolin.

The shell is an integral part of the snail's body. The external skeleton of the mollusk protects it from enemies, external negative factors retains moisture.

A snail is born with a shell, only in babies it is thin and transparent.

The shape of the external skeleton: conical, in which all the organs of the mollusk are located asymmetrically or flat spiral. The surface is smooth or with outgrowths. The turns in the helix are arranged from left to right, but there are very rare cases when vice versa. Sizes and colors may vary.

Some snails have a reduced shell - this is a calcareous plate inside the mantle. Basically, these are slugs that can be found in any garden.

Teeth

Representatives of gastropods are distinguished by a special organ in the oral cavity - the radula. This organ performs the functions of the tongue and teeth. The radula consists of a cartilaginous plate on which there are several rows of teeth of various shapes.

Vegetarian snails have small teeth, predators have large ones in the form of a pike or gaff. The number of teeth in a cochlea can reach 25,000. Basically, the radula includes 120 rows, each with 100 teeth = 12,000.

Poisonous snails mainly have teeth with a cavity through which poison flows from a special gland, paralyzing the victim.

In nature, snails live, which feed on animal food. Such species are distinguished by teeth in the form of a drill. It can drill into the oyster shell or other hard protective shells, which helps the mollusk get to the meat.

Clam mucus is a compound that is very important for the snail. It consists of a complex protein (mucin) and water.

The unique properties of this substance are widely used today in cosmetology as a rejuvenating, sunscreen, moisturizer.

Mucin regulates the processes of mineralization and shell formation. Slime is divided into two types:

• The first type helps the mollusk move by moistening the surface.
• The second type is produced by a special gland, as a response to any stress and mechanical damage to the shell. The main components of such mucus are polysaccharides, mineral salts, which have restorative, regenerating properties.

The snail lives in all climatic conditions on all continents except Antarctica and arid deserts. The mollusk lives in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, the Mediterranean and in the cold environment of the North Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea.

Snails feel great in Europe, Africa, Australia, America. It is found in Asia and Russia. The main condition for the existence of a mollusk is high humidity, which will not allow the body of the snail to dry out, otherwise the animal may die.

Everything that a snail eats depends on its habitat. The nutrition of the mollusk surprises with its diversity, it can be:

• soft part of fresh plants.
• plant remains;
• small relatives;
• worms;
• carrion;
• fish;
• insects;
• crustaceans.

Land mollusks are happy to eat leaves, berries, fruits, vegetables, bark, grass. The young prefer fresher food, but as they age, their preferences change, and the old snail begins to feed on rotten plants.

Some species eat flies, midges, mosquitoes, carrion. A delicacy for a street snail can be a rotten tree.

To grind food well, the teeth of the mollusk require calcium. Its deficiency leads to the fact that the snail begins to sharpen its shell, which collapses, leaving the body without protection. This leads to dehydration and death.

Snails in the aquarium can be fed:

• fish food;
• aquarium plants;
• algae tablets;
• chopped vegetables.

So that the aquarium is not left without all the vegetation, the number of mollusks is best taken under control. A moderate amount of snails is good for algae, as they eat all the rot on them and clean the aquarium. It is also recommended to grind eggshells in a coffee grinder to replenish calcium in the body of gastropods.

It is worth monitoring the nutrition of the pet, he should not be given human food. And also it is necessary to put newspapers away, because the snail eats them with great pleasure, but after such a feast it rarely survives.

You can include a diet:

• plantain;
• legumes;
• cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, tomatoes, bell peppers;
• greenery;
• dandelions;
• bananas, watermelon, pears, strawberries, apples.

For land representatives, do not forget to put a bowl with clean water.

Gastropods in most cases are oviparous animals. The process of fertilization and egg laying depends on the habitat of the snail.

Snails with lungs living in fresh waters and on land, they are hermaphrodites. Such mollusks have both female and male sexual characteristics. In this connection, during mating, fertilization occurs cross.

Freshwater snails lay their eggs in capsules, and land snails in dug holes. At a time, the mollusk is able to lay up to 85 pieces. Eggs ripen within 28 days and may have a different color:

• transparent;
• green;
• white;
• pink.

The development of this snail takes place without stages of transformation. After passing the prescribed ripening period, a formed individual with a transparent shell appears, which eventually hardens and gets its color.

Snails with gills are heterosexual creatures. Males are endowed with a testis and a vas deferens. Female mollusks have an ovary and an oviduct.

Egg laying takes place in a special cocoon with a lid that dissolves at the time of development of the larvae. For the safety of future offspring, the outer row of eggs is not filled, this allows you to leave the predator without lunch.

The development of gastropods takes place with transformations from egg to larva (veliger). With the help of outgrowths with thin cilia, it moves and feeds on small particles of food of plant and protein origin. After a few days, the mollusk forms and sinks to the bottom.

There are unique species of gill snails that do not lay eggs, but go through a gestation cycle. The fetus remains in the mother's body until it is fully mature and only then is born.

Snail diseases

Snails can suffer from the following diseases:

• Broken shell, holes, cracks. In this case, the animal must receive maximum amount calcium, rest, high humidity and the right temperature.
• Shell lamination. This process can occur against the background of improper maintenance, stress, poor heredity.
• White coating on the sink. The problem occurs in the background bad conditions, as an age change or it could be a simple attrition.
• Burns. They are thermal, chemical. In this case, the snail hides in the shell and hardly moves. You can alleviate the condition by increasing the humidity and increasing the amount of juicy vegetables and fruits in the diet.
• Poisoning. It happens due to poor quality food.
• Self-gnawing. The snail begins to eat itself due to calcium deficiency, stress or heredity.
• Prolapse of organs.

Enemies in the wild

Gastropods are among the most inconspicuous organisms on earth. But, despite this, the individual has enough enemies:

• sea ​​gobies;
• sardine;
• sea ​​stars;
• mackerel;
• whales;
• herring;
• hermit crabs.

For land snails, the danger is:

• moles;
• thrushes;
• wild boars;
• lizards;
• hedgehogs.

Freshwater clams should be afraid of:

• trout;
• storks;
• frogs;
• herons.

Snails are slow and cautious, which helps them to protect themselves from enemies. They avoid heavily lit areas, and stick to the thickness of the substrate.

How long does a snail live? Lifespan

Snails have good stress resistance, but they do not live more than 25 years. In nature, the mollusk is exposed to constant dangers that significantly shorten the life of the gastropods.

For example, grape snails can live for 20 years, but most often their lifespan does not exceed 8 years.

In captivity, the snail lives as long as it was originally measured out. The main thing for this is to follow all the rules of keeping and properly feed the pet.

The snail has more than 110,000 species; 2,000 of them are found in Russia.

The most poisonous gastropod is the Geographical cone, living in the Pacific and Indian Ocean. It produces enough toxins to kill ten people. An antidote for the poison of this mollusk has not yet been found.

The poisonous snail affects its enemies by releasing a cloud of high levels of insulin, which instantly lowers the victim's blood sugar.

The smallest mollusk is Angustopila dominikae. Its size is 0.8 mm. For example: 4 of these snails can easily fit in the eye of a needle.

The Australian trumpeter is recognized as the largest gastropod. The giant snail weighs 18 kg. It belongs to the class of predators, lives at a depth of 30 m in the coastal region of Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia and eats worms.

Snails are divided according to their place of residence into:

• marine;
• land;
• freshwater.

There are pulmonary, gill.

Large-sized land snail habitat, which is European part our continent. The shell of this species is 50 mm, spirally curved in 5 turns.

The length of the leg is from 35 to 52 mm, and the width is 22 mm.

The color varies from cream to brown with a red tint. The first 3 turns along the entire diameter alternate with light and dark stripes. Small ribs are clearly visible on the outer side of the shell. In the wild, the mollusk lives from 8 to 20 years.

In winter, the snail is at rest for three months, attaching its sole to the substrate, clogging the shell with special mucus. During wintering, the snail loses up to 10% of its weight. After activation, the mollusk recovers within a month and a half.

The grape snail is able to tolerate low temperatures down to -7 ° C, but not more than 10 hours.

Grape snail at home is bred for a long time. To date, special snail farms are opening in some countries.

Meat of gastropods consists of:

• 15% - protein;
• 8% - carbohydrates;
• 35% - fat.

It also contains a number of essential minerals and vitamins.

Grape snail is a delicacy, and in Europe it is eaten as a complete, healthy product. It is also bred for use in cosmetology and the pharmaceutical industry.

Grape snail at home is bred in special terrariums, instead of other exotic, but not always safe animals. Mollusks are hermaphrodites, therefore, it is enough for breeding, heterosexual individuals of sexually mature age.

Grape snail at home eats plant foods. They can be fed vegetables and fruits. The appetite of the gastropod is good, and therefore it is necessary to ensure that he has food all the time.

The grape snail is kept at home in a glass or plastic jar, a box with good ventilation and a large bottom.

You can cook the clams as follows:

• 100 pieces. gastropods;
• 1 liter of white wine;
• 2 carrots;
• 800 g of special snail oil;
• 200 g of vinegar 3%;
• 2 onions;
• thyme, salt, parsley to taste;
• Bay leaf;
• 3 tbsp flour.

Snails are flooded cold water and after boiling, cook for about 7 minutes. It is washed, dried, the shell is removed, the black tip is cut off. The finished product is poured with white wine with the same amount of water, chopped vegetables, seasonings and herbs are added. Salt in a proportion of 10 g per 1 liter. Cook for 3.5 - 4.5 hours, then leave to cool. The sinks are thoroughly washed in a weak soda solution and rinsed in running clean water.

Sauce or special oil for shellfish: 100 grams of grated onion + 2 cloves of minced garlic + parsley + salt, black pepper + 800 g of softened butter. Mix thoroughly.

The shell is filled with ready-made butter and the finished snail, heated in the oven before serving.

The gastropod reel is a freshwater snail that lives in ponds with lush vegetation and little current. The mollusk survives even in very polluted waters with minimal oxygen content.

The shell is a tightly twisted spiral in several turns with a seam visible to the naked eye. This type of snail is now common among aquarium keepers, in which the mollusk grows up to 1 cm in the wild, the size of the gastropod can reach 3.7 cm.

Color - from brick color to deep red. The gastropod coil is able to move like a shell down the surface of the water with the help of air accumulated inside. Sensing danger, the snail releases the remaining oxygen and falls to the bottom.

Coils are:

• horny;
• horny red;
• Far Eastern;
• keeled;
• wrapped.

The coil cleans the aquarium well, eating rotten parts of plants and food residues.

The garden gastropod is a large pest in garden plots, which their owners are actively fighting. The snail eats fresh crops with pleasure and spoils young leaves, shoots, sometimes causing irreparable harm.

But there are benefits from these shellfish. They process the remains of vegetation, acting as orderlies.

The garden snail does not have any features that distinguish it from other relatives. She lives on the ground, hiding in the shade during the day, and leaving it in the evening for food.

This mollusk is not whimsical and very often it is kept in aquariums at home. This is the most economical option for breeding snails. The garden snail does not require special care and eats everything that grows in the garden.

A mollusk called Neretina is one of the most popular aquarium species snails. Bright, variegated color is individual for each individual and does not repeat, making each gastropod exclusive. It is not difficult to keep such an animal.

Neretina snail grows up to 3.2 cm, has a flat oval (round) shell, decorated with a variety of patterns with a beautiful, noticeable color. The body of the mollusk is large and dark in color.

Neretina snail is divided into four types:

• zebra - striped color;
• brindle - orange-black stripes;
• olive - color similar to the name;
• horned - the head is characterized by horns-mustache.

The mollusk was born in Africa, where it lives in all available water bodies. Neretina is not whimsical, it easily manages for a certain period without feeding, eating up waste from other inhabitants of the aquarium and rot on the walls.

At home, the snail should be periodically pampered with calcium supplements. You can also include chopped vegetables, fish food in the form of a powder, grated shells from chicken eggs in the diet.

The mollusk was distributed only on the African continent for a long time, but today this snail is often found as a pet.

Achatina giant is distinguished by the most large sizes shells, which can reach 20 cm and weigh up to 0.5 kg. IN natural conditions In Russia, the mollusk does not survive; here it is kept at home in special terrariums.

The Akhata shell of an individual has a conical shape, twisted clockwise. The color consists of brown stripes of different shades. There are also albinos who are completely white. The mollusk feeds on plant foods. By gender, it performs the functions of a male and female, that is, the African Achatina snail, which is a hermaphrodite.

Makes 6 clutches per year, each of which can bring 200 eggs. Achatina lives for about 7 years, but with proper care, this figure can grow to 10.

During the day, the African snail Achatina prefers to sleep and stay awake at night. If you increase the humidity in the aquarium, the mollusk will become active during daylight hours.

Helena mollusk is a freshwater mollusk that lives in the region of Southeast Asia. The gastropod has a not very good reputation, as it periodically eats its relatives. Aquarium keepers most often keep this species of gastropods to exterminate other snails.

Helena has a positive attitude towards running water, but at the same time they feel good in artificial reservoirs, lakes and aquariums. The substrate is chosen sandy or silty.

The individual feeds on live snails, carrion. The shell is conical with pronounced irregularities, can reach 20 mm, the color is yellow with brown stripes. The body is grey-green. Helena snail lives a little, about two years.

At home, the gastropod feeds on the same small mollusks. Large individuals do not suffer, since the helena snail cannot cope with them. The process of eating occurs with the help of a tube on which the mouth is located, it is inserted into the shell of the gastropod and sucks out the body of the gastropod. The individual also feeds on ordinary fish food, krill, and frozen shrimp.

Helens are heterosexual animals and breed well in captivity. Mating between a male and a female can last for hours, quite often other relatives join them and the created group sticks together, continuing the process. The female lays one egg, which develops very slowly.

According to aquarists, the Helena snail can seriously reduce the population of other mollusks, so the number of this individual must be controlled.

Slugs are a snail without a shell, which is completely similar to its relative. Some species have a small inconspicuous shell covered by a mantle.

Basically, the size of the mollusk does not exceed a few centimeters. But, despite this, there are individuals that can reach 32 cm!

Color - gray-brown, chestnut, black, red, yellow, depending on the species. Slugs live on all continents in areas where there is high humidity. The absence of their own house makes them seek shelter from the effects of the sun, winds, and cold.

The mollusk shows activity at night, when the heat subsides and a gentle coolness sets in. A relative of the snail hibernates deep in the soil.

The slug moves with the help of the sole, which contracts in waves, for a more comfortable glide, an abundant amount of mucus is released. In search of food, despite its slowness, the individual is ready to overcome decent distances.

Most mollusks eat plant foods. They eat everything:

• leaves;
• flowers;
• fruit;
• berries;
• mushrooms.

The slug also eats:

• carrion;
• feces;
• lichens.

Predators eat worms, their relatives, newborn mice, hatched chicks. The process of nutrition occurs with the help of a radula dotted with teeth.

Hermaphrodite reproduction occurs once a year, it lays up to 40 eggs. Slug for many gardeners is a pest that must be destroyed. But it is worth noting that this mollusk has the largest male genital organ among its relatives, which, after mating, it can bite off to unstick from its partner. Over time, the body is restored.

Bithynia

A small freshwater mollusk with a smooth spiral shell. Size within 15mm. Color: brown, gray, olive. Life cycle last up to 5.5 years. It lives on the American and Eurasian continents.

Luzhanka

A freshwater gastropod with a blunt-conical shell up to 43 mm long and 31 mm wide, curled in several turns. The color depends on the habitat and can be: greenish, brown, red, brown.

The Luzhanka snail is a viviparous mollusk.

Gastropod lives in all regions of Europe, except for the northern regions.

Buccinum (trumpeter)

A large marine snail with a shell measuring 24 cm diagonally and 17 cm vertically. Color - light brown. The surface is embossed or smooth.

The mollusk belongs to predators and paralyzes its prey with poisonous saliva. Lives only in northern oceans with cool water.

ampoule

Aquarium snail that requires special conditions content. This mollusk loves to eat a lot, and when there is a shortage of food, it begins to spoil the plants. The size of the gastropod reaches 15.5 cm.

Fiza

The 2-centimeter Fiza snail is popular with experienced aquarists. The special shape of the shell helps the mollusk hide in the most secluded places.

The gastropod feeds on living algae. The presence of lungs allows the physio to exist without water. It is recommended to control the number of this species of snail, since it reproduces very quickly.

The mollusk is a good aquarium cleaner from plaque and bacterial films on the walls. Water will be used hard with a temperature not lower than 21 degrees.

tilomelania

Thylomelania is a colorful mollusk that will decorate any aquarium. Special care is required for him, since the snail eats a lot and does not get along well with his other relatives. The length of the gastropod reaches 13 cm.

The color of the shell can have any color, the surface is smooth or with spikes. Water for the mollusk is best made soft with high acidity.

The snail needs to be fed three times a day. In food, she is not picky, loves a lot of light, requires a lot of space.

Melania

Mollusk Melania is an aquarium snail that reproduces quickly and instantly cleans the aquarium of waste. Gastropod feels comfortable in water with a temperature of 17 to 29 °C. Color is grey-green. Conical shell. Melania is omnivorous.

Pagoda (brotia)

This mollusk requires sufficient oxygen content in the water and prefers sand in the form of soil. Feeds on algae and fish food. The pagoda lives very little - only six months.

Maryse

The large mollusk Maryse is unpretentious in food, she does not need complex care, and she has the ability to rise to the surface of the water and breathe air. Mariza feeds on algae and food for aquarium fish.

• To live a snail, you need to prepare:
• terrarium;
• Plastic container;
• aquarium;
• house for rodents.
• The capacity for the mollusk, in the worst case, should not be less than 10 liters per individual, at best - 20 liters.
• To prevent the pet from running away, you need to take care of a tight cover.
• For oxygen to enter, it is recommended to make several holes in the lid.
• More attention should be paid to the height of the aquarium than to its width.
• Snail housing is best hidden from bright light, and electric lighting can be excluded.
• The soil can be:
• land for flowers;
• peat;
• coconut substrate;
• tree bark;
• sawdust.
• Comfortable water temperature in the aquarium for snails is +25° - +30°.
• For land mollusks, it is necessary to periodically treat their place of residence with fresh water from a spray bottle to maintain normal humidity.
• Do not forget to put drinking water in a small container and change it constantly.
• If you take care of the mollusk incorrectly, he may die or hibernate.
• The terrarium should be regularly kept clean.

Proper feeding of the snail is a guarantee of its health and the ability to live as long as the snail lives in the best possible conditions.

• Almost all snails prefer plant food, for which you can prepare a special tray with low edges.
• Snails are very fond of bananas, but if you give them often, they stop eating other food and require only this delicacy.
• You can not offer a mollusk food containing salt and sugar - this is deadly.
• For a beautiful, healthy shell, you need to feed the snail with calcium.

If snails are properly cared for, they become tame very quickly and get used to their owner.

A snail is not just a resident of an aquarium or a pest in a garden, a mollusk has a lot of useful properties that people have learned to use as efficiently as possible.

• Snail meat is very useful and in many countries it is prepared as a regular dish.
• Mollusk mucus is distinguished by a large number of biologically active substances:
• elastin;
• amino acids;
• collagen;
• vitamins;
• natural antibiotics;
• allantoin.
• The protein content in mollusk meat is one and a half times more than in a chicken egg.
• Snail meat is recommended for dietary nutrition.
• The mollusk does not cause allergies.
• In ancient times, snails were actively used for therapeutic purposes.
• In modern medicine, shellfish mucus is used to treat silicosis, bronchitis, whooping cough. Since a special composition tends to glue cells with bacteria. Our grandmothers planted a snail on a piece of lumpy sugar and waited for it to be covered with mucus, after which they gave it to the sick person to eat it.
• The content of mucus in the snail allows it to independently restore the shell.
• In cosmetology, ordinary mucus has become the basis for many anti-aging, regenerating, antioxidant agents.
• Also with the help of snails make effective masks.
• On the basis of mucus, drugs are produced to combat stretch marks, acne, scars, warts, age spots.

The snail is a unique creature that is the oldest living creature on earth. That's why interesting facts there are a lot of this mollusk in the life:

An ordinary snail can bring many benefits, the main thing is to know about its unique abilities.

Garden snails are one of the easiest and cheapest pets to keep at home because they often live in large numbers in the garden by eating plants. Although snails need to be fed and watered at least once every two days, they are easy to care for if you know what they need. The snail can live for several years in a container with a constantly maintained environment.

Steps

Making a house for snails

If the snail will not live with you for a long time, take any container with holes for ventilation. If you are going to watch the snails for a few days and then release them back into the garden, then it makes no difference what kind of container you take, as long as the snail has access to oxygen. Both a plastic container and a jar with holes in the lid are perfect. Instead of a lid, you can use a piece of gauze wrapped around the rim of the container and secured with an elastic bandage.

• Be aware that snails can climb vertical surfaces and may escape if the container does not have a lid.

1. If you are leaving the snail for a long time, get a larger terrarium or aquarium. If you are going to keep the snail for more than a few days, use a container that will give the snail enough space for its size. Only baby snails or tiny adults can stay in a plastic container for a long time. Most snails need an aquarium to keep them clean and healthy. At the pet store, you can buy a terrarium designed specifically for snails.

   • Use an aquarium of 19 liters or more to give the snail enough room to move around. If you have multiple snails or are looking to take care of the young, or if the adults are breeding, buy a larger aquarium.

2. Make sure the terrarium is free of air. Just like humans, snails breathe air using oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. The terrarium must have holes through which air will pass, preferably on different sides, in order to improve air circulation. Some snail owners have noticed that they are more active when there is a tiny hole in the bottom of the terrarium for air to escape.

   Maintain the terrarium at room temperature. As long as the terrarium is humid, most snails will not be particularly sensitive to temperature. On the other hand, they will be most active and feel safe at room temperature. Keep snails in cool shade during hot weather and avoid exposure to frost.

   Buy land or soil for a terrarium. To reduce the chance of harmful bacteria, pesticides, and other hazards, buy terrarium soil from a pet store. Another good option will take natural land from a garden untreated with pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Lay the soil on the bottom of the terrarium in a layer, completely covering the glass or plastic.

   • Don't take the land from flower pots- there may be substances harmful to snails.

3. On top of the earth, add a layer of natural substance. Place a layer of sphagnum moss, peat moss, compost, or vermiculite on top of the ground. This will keep moisture inside the soil, creating favorable conditions for snails.

   Decorate the home of the snails. Place objects in the terrarium that the snails can hide under or climb on. This will make their home more comfortable, and it will be more interesting for you to watch them. Most pet stores sell artificial logs that small animals can crawl through, or short hamster tubes that are also suitable for snails. In your garden, you too can find interesting materials to use! Rocks are a great addition to a terrarium. The bark and branches usually fall off after a couple of weeks, so you'll need to replace them.

   • Cardboard rolls from toilet paper also great for climbing up.

4. Attach a heavy or closing lid. Snails are extremely strong for their size and can climb to the top of almost any aquarium. The locking lid, which is fixed with a latch, will prevent their escape. If your terrarium lid doesn't have a latch, press down on the top of the lid with a stack of books or other heavy object.

   Feed your snails clean food every day. Most snails are not picky eaters and will happily eat almost any fresh fruit and vegetable. Wash all food thoroughly with clean water before giving it to the snails, and cut large vegetables into slices or chunks. Some foods, such as potatoes or carrots, need to be boiled for a couple of minutes to soften these vegetables a little. Always cool cooked food before serving it to snails.

5. Find out which foods can harm snails. The nutritional diet of snails has not been particularly studied by scientists, so there is no consensus among snail owners about what food is harmful to snails and what is not. Below is a list of unhealthy foods for snails, ranked from most dangerous to least dangerous:

   • Salty food can lead to the death of snails. Completely avoid anything with salt crystals.
   • Do not give pasta, rice and millet. This starchy food can lead to blockages in the snails' digestive tract. Do not feed these foods to snails.
   • Home-grown plants can be exposed to vehicle exhaust fumes and can therefore be dangerous.
   • Acidic foods like citrus fruits, tomatoes, and kiwis can harm snails. Or maybe not hurt them. Use such food in small quantities, adding to the main meal.

6. Clean the terrarium once a month or as it gets dirty. Gently take the snails, beckoning them with your finger under your head, and transfer them to a towel in a temporary container. Remove the old earth by pouring it into the garden. Use a damp sponge with a little soap to scrub the walls and bottom of the tank and get rid of snail slime and waste. Rinse the terrarium thoroughly to remove any traces of soap as it is harmful to the snails.

   • If the temporary container is small, do not leave the snails unattended.
   • Do not close snails in a container without access to air.
   • When replacing soil and other materials in the aquarium, follow all the steps outlined above in the section on how to furnish a snail home.

• If the snail does not come out of the shell, gently hold it for a while. Soon the snail will crawl out. Do this from time to time, and the snail will get used to you.
• To pick up a snail from the surface of the terrarium, gently move your finger under its head. If the snail tries to hide, place a piece of food to lure it onto your finger. Turn your finger and entire hand under the body of the snail so that it does not fall before you pick it up.
• Put bunches of dry leaves in the snail tank and keep them well hydrated. Snails like to crawl on and hide in leaves and spend most of their time there.
• If the snail constantly rises to the top of the terrarium, the whole point is that it lacks air. To fix this, drill holes in the terrarium for better ventilation or buy a new one.

Warnings

• Do not attempt to decorate a live snail shell with glue or other craft materials. These substances can kill the snail.
• While giant African snails and apple snails love saucers of water, garden snails they can drown in them. Use a spray bottle or spray bottle to dampen the terrarium, but don't put a saucer of water on it.
• Keep an eye on young children so that they do not eat the snail, because this can lead to serious illness.

Every year the number of exotic animals in city apartments is growing. And if earlier they started mainly cats and dogs, now when you visit you can increasingly see not a dormant murk, but a spider, a lizard or a snake.

In addition to them, snails quite often become pets. In most cases, these are huge snails from Africa - Achatina. The most popular are Marginata Suturalis, Arkhakhatina, Arkhakhatina Marginata Ovum, Akhatina Retikulyata and Akhatina Fulika.

I must say that snails have attracted human attention since ancient times. For example, in Ancient Greece snails were used as a cure for diseases.

The Phoenicians used red snails to make red dye with which they dyed their fabrics. As for South America and Africa, then there the shells of large snails were used as a unit of exchange, replacing money. In addition, since most snails have a shell wrapped in a spiral, they were greatly revered by some peoples, since it was believed that the spiral was a symbol of life.

Despite the fact that gastropods are rather shy in their behavior, they are domesticated and tamed quite quickly. The most tame are Achatina Reticulata, which not only quickly get used to hands, but even allow themselves to be stroked. But there are also species that are so shy that, even when born in captivity, they never get used to hands.

Snails live in small groups. When it gets cooler at night, they slowly go in search of food. They search for it only by touch, using their tentacles-horns for this purpose. Snails have poor eyesight, so all they can tell is light from dark and day from night. But their sense of smell is very well developed. In any case, representatives of certain species can smell food located at a distance of several meters. In food, they are completely unpretentious and can absorb leaves, worms, and even small larvae of other forest dwellers.

Snails owe their popularity among people to the fact that they do not create any noise, and if everything is in order with their health, then they also do not shed, do not smell, and do not create any special trouble in keeping.

What contains snails

To equip the snail house, they use terrariums and aquariums, plexiglass aquariums, as well as all kinds of houses for keeping rodents. Even food containers and other plastic containers can be used. For one adult snail, at least 10 liters of volume is required, but if there is a desire to grow a pet to the maximum possible size, then it is better to provide him with 15-20 liters of volume.

The lid of the snail should cover it with a noticeable density in order to maintain the necessary humidity inside the room and to prevent the snail from leaving its native land. In order for air to enter the room, it is worth making several small holes in the lid. The most effective terrarium type is horizontal, although some tree snails prefer vertical terrariums.

The terrarium should be cleaned regularly. Excrement must be removed, and the lid and walls of the terrarium should be wiped with a damp sponge as the walls become dirty. Approximately every month and a half in the terrarium, it is necessary to carry out a general cleaning, washing the terrarium itself well with laundry soap and completely changing the soil.

Soil for keeping snails

The best soil for keeping snails can be called fine-grained coconut substrate. Before you bring the soil into the terrarium, it must be processed. To do this, it must either be calcined in the oven or microwave for several minutes or spilled with boiling water. With this, the larvae of fruit flies and other insects will be destroyed. It also reduces the amount of salt in the soil. Whatever soil is chosen, it should be loose - this will allow the snails to burrow into it with ease.

Putting stones in the terrarium is not recommended, because snails sometimes fall from the lid of the terrarium and can break their shell on the stone. The electric illumination, so necessary for fish, is completely unnecessary for snails. Thanks to this, you can choose a suitable place in the apartment for the snail house without any hassle.

What temperature is needed for keeping snails

Without exception, snails need a humid and rather warm microclimate. Ideally, the temperature for their maintenance should be in the range of 25-30 degrees. If the temperature environment too low, the snails will react with a decrease in appetite and a decrease in activity. They can even hibernate and this always indicates that the conditions for keeping gastropods are violated.

When a snail goes into hibernation, it closes the entrance to the shell with a “door” and it will be very difficult to bring it out of hibernation. In order for the snail to wake up, it will have to be “bathed” in warm water until it decides to look out of its house. Therefore, if the room where the stove is located is cool enough, it would be reasonable to provide it with heating using a thermal mat or an ordinary incandescent light bulb. However, it is worth considering that if the light bulb is close to the snail, then the snail leaning against its wall can get burned.

What humidity is needed for keeping snails

The bulk of domesticated snails are land species. However, even they cannot survive for a long time without water. In order to maintain the required humidity in the snail, you can use a spray bottle to spray flowers. All that needs to be done is to spray the terrarium from it a couple of times a day along with its residents. This will be enough to maintain the desired level of humidity, which should ideally be around 75-90%.

It is best to spray with warm water. If possible, you should purchase a hygrometer that can measure the humidity of the air. If the humidity in the snail is insufficient, this can also lead to the fact that the pet will hibernate.

If the snails are more than one and a half months old, they will need to put water in some bowl from which they will drink and in which they will bathe. As for the kids, for this they have enough of the moisture that accumulates on the walls of the terrarium. It should be remembered that the size of the pool must match the size of the snail so that it does not drown while swimming. It is also necessary to ensure that the snail does not turn over its "pool", otherwise the soil will become waterlogged.

How to feed snails

Feeding snails is not something difficult. The main source of nutrition is plant foods. The most important thing to remember is the basic rule of feeding snails: in no case should they be given food containing salt, since it is a mortal danger for snails. Flour products can lead to approximately the same result. It is not recommended to give sweet and fried foods.

For feeding, a plastic food tray with low edges can be placed in the snail. This will allow you not to put food directly on the ground, on which it quickly becomes unusable.

Snails take great pleasure in apples, zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce and may even eat hercules dry flakes or fish food such as daphnia or gammarus. Most likely, they will not refuse delicacies in the form of watermelon or strawberries. Bananas are very popular among large snails, but such treats should be given very carefully, since the snail can get spoiled and then act up, refusing any other food. In winter, snails eat well not only hercules, but also pharmacy nettles and even frozen vegetables included in soup sets, which can be purchased at any supermarket.

As snails get older, their shells also increase in size. In addition, the shells become thicker, stronger, harder, and besides, characteristic coil rings appear on them. The increase in the size of the snail stops only after the pet is one year old. By the time they reach this age, their shells are decorated with four to seven rings. The average lifespan of a captive gastropod is about six years.

I must say that in order for the snail not only to grow, but to grow with beautiful shell, it is necessary to add a source of calcium to its food. For this purpose, you can buy white sepia in the store, for example, one that is sold under the brand name "Kesha" or "Vitakraft" (they are also called cuttlefish bone or cuttlefish comb).

In addition, you can use natural chalk or ground eggshells. If the snail gets too much calcium, then its shell may even become translucent and through it it will be possible to see the translucent body of the snail. Well, if the pet starts to gnaw on his own shell (or, alternatively, the shell of his neighbor), then the lack of calcium in his diet has reached a monstrously low level.

I must say that such snails as Achatina adore swimming. It is impossible to bathe snails under the tap, since the chlorine contained in the water has a very bad effect on the shell and can lead to the formation of a white coating. You can bathe your pet in filtered or warm boiled water.

Snails are an excellent and affordable object for observing animals at home. This is another reason for their popularity. They are not nearly as primitive as many people think. Although the nervous system of gastropods is quite simple, they are nevertheless able to learn. Scientists conducted successful experiments with marine mollusks, grape snails and land slugs, trying to develop various types of conditioned reflexes in them.

Grape snails even managed to fly into space, and in the UK, grape snails are used for a kind of national entertainment arranging snail races. During their conduct, the snails crawl along the trail left by the lettuce leaf. Moreover, each does not leave the limits of its treadmill and “runs” parallel to the “run” of another gastropod runner. And the fastest of them gets the coveted lettuce leaf.

Contrary to prejudice, you can communicate with snails. If you put her on the palm, she may be frightened at first, but when she later realizes that there is no danger, she will stick her head out and begin to crawl along the arm, exploring the surrounding space. The sensations of her touch are very pleasant and pleasurable. Achatinas are also very smart and can distinguish their owner by thermal sensations and smell.

If the snails are kept clean and tidy, then excellent growth and good health they will be guaranteed, as well as their owner, the excellent mood that he will receive when contemplating his pets.

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