As a snail keeper, I do want to recommend that rocks are avoided in enclosures, or they're at least covered with moss. Sometimes, snails will climb to the top of the enclosure and then detach themselves, dropping onto the rocks and harming their shells. Moss is a literal life saver!
My GALS Tacos loves 'darting' himself* into the ground -__- *GALS are most often hermaphrodites so my pronoun usage fluctuates as Tacos is a snail with no concept of sex or gender
Had a snail been keeping for 10 years found a snail with a hole in its shell that covered a third of the shell stopped eating and died yesterday i have 5 more 2 exotic 2 with cracked shell and one i brought home 2 years ago in winter
I remember my friend gave me some fresh water snails and they had babies so they went from like 5 to 60. My guppies and sucker fish ate a lot of them though
Just a few little notes of my own from a long time snail owner: 1) just an add on to the substrate section of the video. Make sure the substrate you are using does not contain any fertilizers as it can be harmful to your snails, its also best to avoid substrate with peat moss in it as it is slightly acidic and can damage their shells. 2) I personally don't recommend giving them a water dish, specifically because I have heard of people's land snails drowning themselves unintentionally in water dishes. Instead I just ensure the enclosure is well misted, or I put a tiny bit of water with moss in the dish so it is super wet in there but not enough for them to possibly drown by accident.
I had a pet garden snail for a while when I was younger. I named him Sheldon. He was adorable. I loved listening to him crunch on his veggies. Sometimes I would take a mini flashlight and shine it through his shell, because you can see their heart beating! He was such a fun and unique pet
It's all fun and games until you get woken up by the sound of a snail nomming away on a piece of wood you put under the lid to have ventilation... XDDD
I had a friend in college who had a pet giant african land snail and a garden snail. He rescued the garden snail off of a new plant he bought for his balcony, and rather than releasing it in his garden (they are native here in the UK), he decided to keep it as a pet. That garden snail was the most charismatic snail ever. While the GALS would spend almost all of it's time half burrowed in the substrate, the garden would be cruising around all over it's enclosure. It even seemed like it enjoyed people's company, since any time we took the enclosure off it's shelf, the little snail would climb up the walls to the lid and if you offered a hand to it, it would climb straight onto it and then just chill, though I'm probably anthropomorphizing a bit. Definitely a great, simple pet to keep. Just be prepared for the regular influx of babies, maybe see if there's a local pet store who would like free feeder snails. My friend would bring spare GALS hatchlings to our college (it was an agriculture/animal focused one) and they would be added to the colleges snail colony to diversify their genetics a bit, or would be offered to the various insectivores in the colleges little zoo.
Nothing makes my day like a self-aware anthropomorphist (is that a word?). So many people are so egocentric to think of animals purely from their own perspective without ever realising how wrong that is 😉👏
Throwback to when I rescued a dehydrated snail (“Merlin”), set up a beautiful tank, and then started searching for the species type… long story short it was a wolf snail, one of the only snails that exclusively eats other snails for their diet. Needless to say, Merlin was quickly rehydrated and returned to the spot I found him
@@seekingabsolution1907 When you put it that way, that's scary. I mean, even people who eat people eat other stuff too, not just people for every meal. Oh, except in extreme circumstances of course. I refer only to people who eat people because they want to, they wouldn't have just that for every meal, I assume.
I know this is a 2 year old comment but if you by any chance read this, can you tell us how you rehydrated the snail? I saved one with a broken shell lip, hoping it will grow and I’m worried the part sticking out will dehydrate in the meantime.
Also of note: if the snail eggs are unwanted, or the population is starting to get a little crazy in the tank, DON'T THROW THE EGGS DIRECTLY IN THE TRASH! Or outside, etc. There's always a chance they can survive and contribute to their invasiveness. Iirc it's reccommended to freeze the eggs to kill them first before disposal, but correct me if I'm wrong!
Crushing is better as there’s no chance of the eggs potentially hatching and infesting areas after being trashed. Additionally, freezing doesn’t give them the relatively painless (stressless) death that crushing does. Snails only have pain receptors in the sense that they can get stressed and experience stress, but it’s not sure if it actually registers as a painful experience for the snail or if it truly doesn’t feel pain.
Yes snails! They are surprisingly fun pets! One thing I noticed, sometimes they can carry meningitis, so PLEASE make sure to wash your hands after handling.
They actually can’t “carry” meningitis. Meningitis refers to inflammation of the brain or spinal cord due to an infection caused by a virus, bacteria, or fungus. It’s a disease characterized by the common symptoms. The snail would actually just carry one of these pathogens, so it’d be interesting to know what exactly they carry.
Ok. Will do even though mine all died for no reason at all. 👍. I mean, it was my first time owning them so don’t blame me. Lol. R.I.P. my little snaily babies. 💔💔💔❤️❤️❤️
Speaking from experience (I have three milk snails and plan on getting more) I'd add more branches, my snails love being up high! Which leads me to say, the water bowl could be a problem if a snail were to fall on it. My snails are prone to falling and if a snail does break their shell, in most cases, it leads to death. Snails drink water off of the glass and attain it from their diet. Also, in the winter, snails can hibernate. I've heard to prevent that (if that's a problem for you) you can get a heat lamp with a dimmer switch or a heat mat depending on your set up. I'd also recommend a snail food with dewormed in it just as a precaution if you're feeding them to any animals. And when it comes to handling you should make sure your hands are always moist as snails can absorb the oils on your skin.
About hibernation, I'd like to add that species that hibernate have their lifespan reduced significantly if prevented to do so, so I'd make sure they get those months of rest in, even if it means gradually moving them to a cold enough space.
The hosts personality and with the way she talks about the various animals/insects, as well as the way she handles them makes them all seem so harmless and not worth being afraid of. Even after watching footage of some of them hissing/biting her, she STILL makes them all seem so harmless. I just love her.
Corrections from a snail owner: -don't use water bowls, snails can drown in them, just mist their enclosure well -don't give them eggs or egg shells, they can cut themselfs and die, it also doesn't contain nearly enough calcium. -snails need protein at least once a week, snailmixes are perfect, but if you can't give it you can try soaked dog food, or raw beef or mealworms, make sure neither contains salt. -don't change the substrait, snails need the bacteria to stay healthy, leave some of the old substrait in and mix it with the new one. -use moss carefuly, it can harm their shells, make sure to check it's hp level -don't handle your snails bare hand, wash it very well before and mist it. The natural oils and salt on our skin can hurt them. Also don't pick them up from the shell, it can actually kill or injure them. -check the substrait once a week for eggs, if you don't want them you can crush them before they hatch, if you want to keep them move them to a small enclosure, adults can crush them. Don't forget to cull snails if you breed them, only keep the larger healthy ones, or their population gets easily sick. -some snails do need heating depending on their species, do your resreach and only use heat mats. -some vegetables are highly toxic to snails, safe check everything before you feed them to your pet. -avoid rocks and hard objects, snails fall pretty often, hitting a stone can be deadly. -check for parasites, snails often get worms and other illnesses, the most humane way to put them down is to give them a little beer then freeze them. Edit: Also some snails can live 3-15 years, they aren't short term pets. Please do your resreach and don't get them unless you can comit for long periods of time.
@@grimdarklemonade3192 even small cuts can kill them, they can't handle bacteria. You should take the risk of a pet dying especially if the shells don't do any good for the snails
@@fayesnelson3131 Emily usually tries her best, but that's doesn't mean every one of her advices are perfect. In terms of snails she could have made a better video, this is a great way to keep feeders, but not pet snails. All of my advice is there to correct some of her mistakes, and help new snails owners to not make these mistakes
My kindergarten class had pet snails, and ever since then, I adore them! What’s really cool about them (at least the snails in Japan; I grew up there) is that whatever colored fruits/veggies they eat, they poop out those colors. For example, after they’d eat watermelon, their poop would be bright red. After they’d eat carrots, they’d poop bright orange. After eating greens, their poop would be bright green!
You can keep them together! I have common/local isopods with my GALS Tacos and they get along great (by which I mean they work well as a little ecosystem)
I've been keeping snails for a few years now, here's my tips: 1. Snails may hibernate during winter and can sleep for 3 months at a time. If you think a snail is missing/has escaped, check the substrate to see if they're sleeping there 2. If your snail's shell is looking rough, sprinkle a little calcium powder or ground up cuttlebone on their food 3. If you can't get cuttlebone, bake leftover eggshells and grind them up super fine like sand 4. Never feed snails hot chilis (anything with capscasin) or vegetables that are members of the onion family. These will hurt their skin. Also NEVER give them pasta or rice!! It can cause bad swelling. They do enjoy oats mixed with water though, as a treat. 5. A snail's mantle may be puffy after mating, don't worry if you see that. It should go away in a day or two. If not, it's probably their diet. 6. Check your snails for mites. These are tiny white bugs that crawl on the skin and under the shell. You'll need to buy a pack of predatory mites to eat the harmful ones, I forget the name but if you search for snail mite cures you'll find it 7. Spray the tank with water from a spray bottle twice a day to keep it moist
We just found an escaped garden snail belonging to my granddaughter. "Hazel" had climbed out when the lid was left off. This was last February about 54 weeks ago. Piper was heart broken but we searched and searched. Ironically out red rat escaped from her enclosed last weekend and while searching the sunroom she found Hazel! Luckily the snake had been lost in the same room. So Hazel appeared dead and had a hard "door" which i knew had to be slime. We were going to pry it off and save her shell, but I put her in a shallow puddle on a plate. The door came off after three hours of soaking. We still thought she was dead- looked shriveled but was way up in the shell and not visible really. Next day my wife suggested we go ahead and throw her away since she was not responding to prodding. I still kept her and put her on her back with a couple of drops of water. In a few hours I was shocked to find antennae waving! What a fun uplifting thing to be able to text a picture of Hazel to my granddaughter. The reunion is set for tonight! Its really no less remarkable than stories of dogs and cats coming home after owners move a hundred miles. Except she was right under our noses the whole time!
I’ve been having issues with shell thinning in my snails and I’m starting to think it may be cause of the pH of my water in using. Any suggestions on water to use/get?
Hey Emily! I've had two garden snails for about two years now, their names are Marshy and Mello. I was so excited to see you guys post a video on these guys!! They're such underappreciated babies. :] Edit: I should also mention you need to mist your hands before you handle them. It helps them move around a lot easier.
YES!! 🐌🐌🐌🐌🐌I have 5 garden snails and I love them!! I have 4 younger ones, and 1 older more elderly one. I've had the elderly one for about 3 years, and her name is Wiggles (her boyfriend passed a year ago, names Munchie). The 4 younger ones live together, so I deal with a lot of eggs. Their names are Dandelion, Basil, Lilac, and Periwinkle. I've had them for 2-ish years in a 10 gallon aquarium tank. They're my babies! (I'm a snail mom, what can I say) I 100% recommend garden snails as pets!-- IF THEIR SHELL CRACKS, give them crushed/powdered cuttlebone! They will automatically know to eat it, they're smarter than you think. If its really bad and you can see their "goopy skin" through the cracks, it may not be healable. That's what happened to Wiggles and Munchie, long story. But if the crack is that bad, the snail may need specific needs (like Wiggles does). Just constantly keep fresh crushed cuttlebone in the enclosure, and make sure the snail is moist so it doesn't dry out.-- I also wanna say, I suggest using cuttlebone instead of eggshell, as the eggshell may cut their bellies. Other than that, great video guys!! Edit: I apologize if my comment brings up any concern. The snails aren't an invasive species in my area, and I do keep most of the babies just in case. I've worked with snails for years, and my garden has always been alive and healthy and happy :>
@@riverAmazonNZI just set them free outside or keep a few. Thats where I got my snails in the first place, from my backyard. People often say to freeze the eggs so they die and don't hatch, but I would feel so much guilt eek.
@@amor2874 From my experience, they continue breeding until they're 5 or so years old.. so yeah, you'd deal with LOTS of eggs. Some people freeze the eggs but I set most free outside after they hatch (after taking one too many pictures since they're so cute)
I like it how you mentioned hermit crabs 10:35. I think you should do a care video and add them to the zoo. Hermit crabs are so mistreated, I think you just posting a care video would help a lot of them.
Yes, the poor hermit crabs. My brother had one when we were younger and the pet store was super ill-informed about care, so even though we asked, we got bad information and poor little Spot lived a very short sad life. And now that I know what they want to do in the wild, congregate in hundreds, I refuse to support the ownership of them buy buying them in pet stores. T_T
I am so glad that you guys covered snails! Theyre amazing pets and you guys had near perfect care as always! I will add a few things though! So most snails are omnivorous and do need protein! About 40% for most species of garden snails a week Hard surfaces like rocks can be hazardous as well. The snail can detach and fall on the rock breaking open the shell. But you can put moss over it so its a softer fall!
When I was a kid, I had 2 pet snails one summer (Garry and Larry) that I found outside. I fed them different veggies, and they loved carrots. Well they both ended up laying a clutch of eggs near the same time, and all the eggs hatched into the cutest tiny little baby snails, and I went from 2 snails to like 35. At the end of the season, I released them all. That was a really cool experience that I still remember to this day, and I’m thinking of getting some pet snails again (properly sourced this time!) as an adult.
just be sure that they aren’t an invasive species in your area before you release them bc they could potentially throw off the already existing ecosystem! :)
@@jodies.4095I understand what you’re saying but they literally came from the ecosystem they were released back into. You can’t introduce a species that already exists in the area.
@@OliviaLovesPugs i am so sorry if i came off as rude, that was totally not my intention! some snail species are invasive in certain areas and because each area has a different ecosystem it can very much destroy the balance. if you released them in the area they came from that’s totally fine but i just wanted to point out, specifically for people in the comments who don’t know, that if not careful, it could be bad.
@@jodies.4095 Thank you for the clarification and apology. And I agree it’s always important to be wary of introducing an invasive or new species to an environment, it absolutely can wreak havoc on an ecosystem as you said. I just wanted to be clear that I was conscious of this fact as well, even as a child, and returned the snails exactly where they originally came from. I would never transport animals and introduce them into new environments because not only is it a risk for invasives, there’s also a strong possibility that the habitat of introduction wouldn’t be able to sustain the foreign animals and they could die.
as a person who has two (technically five because we couldnt find some eggs) snails, this is an amazing care guide! i recommend those care enclosures you find for either pet bugs and/or rehoming lizards
I accidentally received ramshorn snails in the live plants I got for my beta. They overtook my tank in no time. On the upside, they bred beautiful colours.
Those ramshorns can get bad in a fish tank. I got in to keeping yoyo loaches because they eat snails. I got a couple to cut down on my horrible snail infestation and got addicted to keeping loaches. So then I had to *purposely* breed the snails to feed the loaches.
I had this happen but with bladder snails! I have larger snails that help clean the tank, but the tiny ones breed like crazy and I still haven't gotten rid of them totally :[
yeah, on one hand ramshorns can really get out of control if you let them. on the other hand though they have by far the most personality of the various freshwater snails i've cared for, outside of perhaps mystery snails for their "YEET" behavior. nerites and mystery snails are good options for those who want aquatic snails but not a breeding boom. nerite larva need brackish water and mystery snails lay all their eggs on land in a cocoon so you can dispose of them easily.
I'm not sure about snails, but I know slug diets vary by species; some prefer live/fresh plants, but many prefer decaying plant matter and wont touch live plants unless they are starving (this can be why they are such a pest to gardeners when there isn't enough decaying vegetation for them). Some slugs even like to eat poop if they can find any. So, if you try this with slugs, check to see what species they are to see if they like fresh or decaying food.
When I had snails, I'd usually feed them little carrots. The baby snails would absolutely devour em, even digging tunnels! I'd always have to check the carrots thoroughly to make sure there's no snails in there before throwing them away haha
Mine used to love carrots the most too and fish food. Once I was cleaning and found a sponge with babies I didnt know existed, it was hard to tell between ripped sponge and the babies before throwing it away lol
I've been keeping african snails for a few years and I can say from experience that bloathing foods like cauliflower, kohlrabi, etc. can be bad for them and they might get sick (my snails somehow are extremely picky though...). Also I personally don't put any hard things like rock, barks, sticks, etc. in their enclosure because mine like to climb but seemingly aren't very good at it because sometimes it can happen that they fall down from where they are hanging from the ceiling of their enclosure and it can damage their shells severely. Though that might also only be more of a problem with bigger snails than average garden snails. Also I let them "shower" by turning on the faucet and letting them reach into it from my hand to drink, clean themselves and absorb some of the water. But that's just extra care which isn't absolutely "mandatory". Very very good video. I enjoyed watching it and it's nice to see like-minded people around here. Thank you^^
It must be so cool to have huge African snails. I’m in Canada so we just have small garden snails. So many things I’d love to see in Africa but haven’t found anyone to travel there with yet. Hopefully one day I will get there. 😊
I watched you a couple years ago,I actually just got a snail, so I clicked on this video, not knowing it was you, AND ALL THE MEMORIES CAME BACK OF WATCHING YOU AND BEING SO HAPPT OMGG
SD: “How to take care of a pet snail!” Me: “Who the heck wants a pet snail?” *watches video* Me: “Awww I want a pet snail!” Well played Snake Discovery, well played.
It's 4am in the morning and for some reason I want snails now. 🐌 So I'm looking at these videos before I made that purchase but so far this seems great.
Few more things from a snail owner! 1. My snails love to climb so I recommend a some what taller cage (not too tall) mine love two feet tall! 2. If rocks are in your cage (or anything super hard) cover it with something soft like moss, this is because snails love to climb and don’t really fall but things do happen. Thanks for taking time out of you day to read this! Bye Happy Holidays
I would be careful with eggshell. Its sharp and used as a deterrent for snails and slugs in gardens. Baking them first will make the calcium more available if you still want to use them.. You also might want to mention if they've been treated for parasites or if they were captive bred in a pathogen free environment or ppl might want to treat them on their own.
I have seen a video of a snail crawling on the sharp end of a sword and not injuring themselves, I highly doubt a piece of eggshells will be any differents 😉
this is perfect! as a snail owner the only thing i would switch is the water dish. snails can’t swim so it’s dangerous to have the bowl! as long so you are regularly misting the tank they will be good!
I have a few points to bring up about this video. 1. Do not add rocks! I learned this the hard way as my snail fell and cracked his shell. 2. You do not need leaf litter or sphgagnum moss, you could just use some coconut fiber and bark chips and they will be happy. 3. A water dish is very dangerous! They will try to go in there and drown because of it, all they need is the water that they get from misting. 4. Garden snails do not need a lot of food, all they need is a teaspoon of whatever you are going to give them (Per snail.) Otherwise this is a good video! :)
I almost stepped on a large snail while out walking. I brought it home and was looking for video on how to care for it, this video has been very informative, thank you! 🐌
i have 4 giant african land snails they are jades (albino body, dark shell) and i love them. im from the UK so we are allowed them here. they are in a 60 gallong tank
I just want to say I appreciate you guys still making fun videos while running a zoo and store as full time jobs. You and your staff do so much and are really great.
My girls 7 and 4 love your videos! The girls are always asking to watch the snake lady videos. Please make more how to videos. We learn so much from you.
They're great, but honestly, I think garden snails would give me as much joy as my GALS (And the fact I could have multiple without worrying about breeding as any babies could be released is a HUGE bonus).
In many pet stores in the bird section, you can find calcium shells that are specifically made for such things as shells. But sometimes they can get a bit brown after a long time of use, and means you should probably just rinse it off
When I got my snail garden Taylor a year ago I was looking for a snake discovery snail care episode. I couldn't find one and I had to mostly use mommy blogs to know what to do. Thank you so much and I hope all the new snail parents all the best! 😁 -Also I use reptile calcium on the food for calcium
you have no idea how helpful and comforting this is! I have watched tones of your video's and love what you do. So, when I find a snail with a bit if a damaged shell I decided to take care of them. They ended up being my pet. I did not now what to do but I knew they needed water food and a not to small tank. I tried dong the best I could at researching but still felt like I was doing something wrong. This video has helped me realizes I need a bigger tank for them and I need to add some leaves in. You also helped me on the food department. I have had them since they where the tiniest baby with a clear shell and it has been a roller-coaster of a ride figuring things out. The internet always gives me stuff on how to kill them so I struggled a bit. Thank you for helping me and for the advise! I feel better that I did a lot right. Just need some improvements and I will have a better home for them.
Garden snails have been the best kids pets we’ve had. Low maintenance, easy to care for, and honestly really hard to kill. We did have two pass away after 2.5 years of having them and they were adults when we found them. We have a sealed Rubbermaid type tote bin we altered for our snails.
I recommend snails as a hardy starter pet for kids to prove themselves (or not). Both of my kids temporarily kept them in a small Critter Keeper with vegetables as food and to climb on, and they survived the experience. Just one thing: don't throw away a "dead" snail. We had one survive lost in our house for 3 months. We found it stuck to our fireplace, and it revived.
Thank you so much for posting this! I want to know how to care for a snail! I would love to have one of these cuties as my pet! Can’t wait to see what this videos has in store! :)
Really loved this care guide video! I was looking for one a while back when I first got my freshwater snail about a month ago. While this video was about land snails I still watched it and found it fascinating!
This video is very helpful! I have my tiny snail, Speed, in largish food container with lots of wholes on the top. And my bigger but still small snails, lightning and bolt, in a pet carrier which is pretty good size. I just found them outside today and did a lot of research. I make sure i mist their cages. We have to keep their homes outside Because of my cats. We have a lot of pets in my house right now. So far, they are all thriving.
What would you suggest people do with the many many snails they will end up with? Is there a humane thing to do? I think it’s important to know for anyone who is interested in having these guys.
I go to the cape (cape cod) every year and there are so many snails I name them,paint their shells,so I always have a little tunnel or smaller place inside the big one for them to hide,I give them many tomatoes lettuce and other things,thank u so much this helps a lot! (Love ur channel!)
Thank you sm for making this vid! I watched y’all sence I was 10 because I have a beardie and a ball python and I love ur channel, today I got home and my mom last minute said we were getting a snail! On one hand I’m excited but on the other I hate getting pets last minute 😅 I don’t wanna mess up, so thank you for making this cuz ik I can trust y’all!
my problem with snails is just how fast they reproduce. I've got pond snails... and I've got to cull the tank once a month. I've tried reducing food and removing some aquatic plants they've eaten... but nothing helps. Anyone have any ideas to help me control population?
when i was very young, around 3 years old or so, i had 2 snails! they very quickly bred and had lots of eggs however only like, i think 8 hatched. anyways, i fed them lots to carrots, lettuce, and strawberries! they lived in a cardboard box just outside of my backyard which i wished could’ve been better but they lived with me for maybe 1 or 2 years which was great but then they climbed out of the box and just..left. i hope you lived a very nice life outside the box Twig and Concrete.
Hi, thanks for this video !! Me and my daughter brought home 3 snails today and chose to keep them as pets, I noticed that you are buying de-chlorinated water and thought u would share a tip from my sensitive plant growing experience, tap water can be left for 24-48 hours in a relatively open top container and all chlorine and fluoride will be gone, it also self corrects the PH of the water to a certain extent. I am not an expert on snails tho and cannot comment on any other possible thing in tap water that could harm them, but u know for a fact that de-chlorination of tap water is really easy and could save u money if all you are buying is tap water that has been left to breath.
I find this really helpful because I’ve been wanting to be a reptile owner and snails are perfect because I have a compost bin in my backyard also my parents are really good with plants and I have experience with holding reptiles so I hope it turns out good!
I had pet snails for a while, Tesla and tooshie :) They never layed eggs but that's probably bcs they didn't have a particularly big container 😅 There was also: Pumba, Bella, Edward, Renesme, moshie and squshie. But they all stayed at my primary school lol, I wasn't allowed that many. I "raised" them both from tiny lil baby's
Something very important that was missed is snails do require protein at 1/5th of their diet to thrive, more for young snails. This can be offered as (cold, cooked) eggs, or carnivore fish food, or ever premade protein mixes available on Etsy. Protein is VERY important for them!
Indeed!!! Very important! Oats and chia seeds, love the chia seeds (just add a bit of water and make an uncooked porridge) Raw unsalted sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (which are also a natural dewormer) just always raw and no salt, ever. Mealworms and bloodworms too. I find just having a couple cuttle bones in with them is an easy sort to the calcium needs.
I don't have a snail (yet) but my enclosure is a hand-me-down from my friend, and it's not that big, BUT I'm gonna take them OUT every once in a while (of course putting a snail friendly area for them) and will also rearrange the snail friendly setup each time I take them out!
I've been keeping snails (albeit aquatic rather than terrestrial) for just over a year now and they're so wonderful! They do a lot more than people realize, and they're just plain cute. Enrichment is definitely important, too. One of mine is a bit of a thrillseeker, and she used to climb on some of the others and bother them because she liked them trying to shake her off. I added an airstone and now she plays with that instead, thankfully! Aquatic snails are also less likely to be hermaphroditic and don't need to be misted! And if you're like me and have a snail-specific tank, you can leave the lights on a bit stronger/longer each day and food will grow itself in the form of algae! As if that weren't enough, most common freshwater snails lean towards being detritivores and will prefer to eat dying plants over live ones. That means they can actually maintain plants! I recommend them to most people who already maintain an aquariarum because they're just so great.
6:06 Interesting that citrus is a concern for snails, too! I've been raising mealworms and I've heard mixed reports about the safety of citrus for them, including one person who claimed feeding orange slices killed off their whole supply. What is it about invertebrates and citrus?
Citrus's are highly acidic(Lemons, oranges, limes, etc). Inverts can't have highly acidic foods. This also goes for reptiles, birds, and most mammals. Citrus can have a PH as low as 2-3. For example: Hydrochloric acid is around 1 PH and stomach acid is around 1-3.
i can only assume the high acidity of the citrus flesh may be harmful to their shells/exoskeletons? or the sour taste ruins their appetite? obviously no copper in them, not much salt in most citrus fruits and none of the vitamins in them are toxic for inverts. i've also heard of snails being pests on citrus-bearing plants before
Don’t forget that plants produce lots of substances as insecticides/animal repellents. Caffeine, capsaicin, menthol, and tobacco are all useful for us, but were evolutionarily meant to deter being monched.
I don't know about mealworms, but snail shells are made of essentially the same stuff as Tums. It makes a lot of sense why acidic fruit would be bad for them.
"doesn't talk back" I was like "pets aren't kids-" and then I remembered the time I put my dragon back in his house during a party so I could eat and when I came back I found him throwing his food. He didn't stop until I picked him back up.
This was fun to watch. I have 20+ snails, all with their own enclosures. I also collect them all on weekends and put them into a large container to socialize with food, calcium, etc. They aee my prescious babies, and always make me very happy. Also, the enclosure shown here looks amazing, but soil and leaves from outside works too. Also, the amount of (live) moss effects how many snails will be able to live in that enclosure. More moss leads to more snails living in that enclosure. I house no more than 3 snails together and make sure they are either the same species or are friendly with other snails, as snails do have a social heiarchy. Also, for SOME SPECIES, it is VERY IMPORTANT you use a water dish that you replace reguarly eith clean water, otherwise the snail's shell will turn a white color. They will not die without a water dish and it doesnt effect every species, but if you dont have a water bowl and the shells start to discolor, then add one and see if it gets better
Loved this video! I had an african land snail for about 3 years and just hundreds of garen snails just living in my garden since forever so i really love them. This video just made me want to get some more giant land snails to care for 🥰
Wow! I was not expected this at all. I am a HUGE snail nerd, and am so happy you made this video!!! Some of the information could be explained better, and I would like to add my knowledge to some of the information you shared, but I’ll save it for later, haha. I’m wondering if I should change my channel name to Snail Discovery 🤔, that’s so cute, but I don’t want to steal y’all’s thunder, and everything. Keep up the good work!
A few very important notes/forgotten topics It's not recommended to add a water dish or anything hard in your snail's enclosure. Snails will climb to the top of their enclosure and sometimes fall, if they land on anything hard, they have a chance of badly damaging their shells. Snails also need a protein source fed about twice a week, sources I recommend are safe snail mixes people sell, or a safe fish flake, I personally use spirulina, ofc wetting it down first so it doesn't expand inside them. When replacing substrate it is import to only remove about half at a time, snails thrive off of and need the benifical bacteria. Also a forgotten topic in this video was culling. If you don't own anything that can eat snails you will need to cull them. The easiest way is by crushing eggs/babies, then freezing them for a few weeks before throwing them out. As cruel as it sounds, it is nearly impossible for the average keeper .to raise hundreds of snails in proper husbandry, and it is important not to make snails any more of an invasive species. Make sure if you are thinking about getting a snail to do research outside of this video, as much as I love snake discovery, you have to remember they're human too :)
Funny enough i've been watching Snake Discovery videos this week thinking about getting my first snake. I happened upon a snail shell outside this morning and brought it inside to keep it, but it turns out it's alive!! So now i have a pet snail and ran to the internet to know how to take care of it LOL! Thank you guys for putting great information out there!
I got into pet snails last year while in lockdown, because I found an injured garden snail while gardening, called him Reginald, and helped him grow back his broken shell. I then bought some Australian Native tropical snails as pets and sold the babies for a while. I recently bought an aquarium off of FB marketplace, so planning to upgrade them from their big plastic tub to the aquarium.
I also have a cleanup crew in the substrate, both compost worms and springtails. I find it better to not put the food in a bowl, but chuck it on the substrate with their cuttlefish bone.
I'm sad that most snails that are common in pet stores and aquaria in the US are illegal here. You can't even import live escargot snails for culturing here. ;___; I never considered collecting invasive garden snails though
It's totally possible to collect and keep invasive snails. There are even guides on how to cultivate them for food that's fit for human consumption, if you're so inclined..
Recently made snails a new part of the family. Currently in a small tote, but I've been looking for a 5 gallon that will fit in a good spot. I love my little buddies.
I actually owned aquatic mystery snails for a while there, they bred for me and I would handle them all the time! Their mouths feel really funny, and I absolutely loved them until the very end!
I don't know how well snails would cohab with jumping spiders, but the purpose of the springtails is to eat away the extra plant matter and snail poop to keep the soil from getting nasty. Jumping spiders wouldn't fill that role, so they wouldn't work as a replacement to springtails.
I wasn't expecting snails. I have seen a few slugs and accidentally stepped on one but it was fine. I love snails but the slime it leaves behind kinda makes it hard and my mom doesn't like them. There were so many snails. I'm curious but concerned about how many snails they have kept to this point
I have snails myself. I collect snails and care for my own pets and temporary ones that are babies or injured ones! I grow the babies and release them in the wild when they are full grown. I love snails so much and I've learned so much from them. My mom goes on walks everyday and moves snails out of the way so they dont get stepped on
As a snail keeper, I do want to recommend that rocks are avoided in enclosures, or they're at least covered with moss. Sometimes, snails will climb to the top of the enclosure and then detach themselves, dropping onto the rocks and harming their shells. Moss is a literal life saver!
Agreed. I had a snail named speedy. I loved him so much. 😢 But I didn't know about rocks. He fell and cracked his shell so bad he died.
@@alorota9728 Awhh I’m so sorry for your loss :(
My GALS Tacos loves 'darting' himself* into the ground -__-
*GALS are most often hermaphrodites so my pronoun usage fluctuates as Tacos is a snail with no concept of sex or gender
Had a snail been keeping for 10 years found a snail with a hole in its shell that covered a third of the shell stopped eating and died yesterday i have 5 more 2 exotic 2 with cracked shell and one i brought home 2 years ago in winter
I remember my friend gave me some fresh water snails and they had babies so they went from like 5 to 60. My guppies and sucker fish ate a lot of them though
Just a few little notes of my own from a long time snail owner:
1) just an add on to the substrate section of the video. Make sure the substrate you are using does not contain any fertilizers as it can be harmful to your snails, its also best to avoid substrate with peat moss in it as it is slightly acidic and can damage their shells.
2) I personally don't recommend giving them a water dish, specifically because I have heard of people's land snails drowning themselves unintentionally in water dishes. Instead I just ensure the enclosure is well misted, or I put a tiny bit of water with moss in the dish so it is super wet in there but not enough for them to possibly drown by accident.
Instead of moss can you use cotton balls
@@jazzysmith8970 dont think so, might not be safe for snails, maybe use some more leaf litter until you get some moss?
I've also heard tales of snails falling on the hard water dish and getting injured due to clumsiness so its definitely an optional thing.
@@cocoamilkshake3810 ok thanks
I totally agree with that I have three land snails
I had a pet garden snail for a while when I was younger. I named him Sheldon. He was adorable. I loved listening to him crunch on his veggies. Sometimes I would take a mini flashlight and shine it through his shell, because you can see their heart beating! He was such a fun and unique pet
Did he also knock on the door asking for penny?
@@Nozdormu1982 lol 😆
What did u feed ur pet?
It's all fun and games until you get woken up by the sound of a snail nomming away on a piece of wood you put under the lid to have ventilation... XDDD
You could also put it by the window.
I had a friend in college who had a pet giant african land snail and a garden snail. He rescued the garden snail off of a new plant he bought for his balcony, and rather than releasing it in his garden (they are native here in the UK), he decided to keep it as a pet. That garden snail was the most charismatic snail ever. While the GALS would spend almost all of it's time half burrowed in the substrate, the garden would be cruising around all over it's enclosure. It even seemed like it enjoyed people's company, since any time we took the enclosure off it's shelf, the little snail would climb up the walls to the lid and if you offered a hand to it, it would climb straight onto it and then just chill, though I'm probably anthropomorphizing a bit.
Definitely a great, simple pet to keep. Just be prepared for the regular influx of babies, maybe see if there's a local pet store who would like free feeder snails. My friend would bring spare GALS hatchlings to our college (it was an agriculture/animal focused one) and they would be added to the colleges snail colony to diversify their genetics a bit, or would be offered to the various insectivores in the colleges little zoo.
This brings me joy
My mother used to have one and she said it was so hard to handle,I wonder why?😊😂🤣
I wish I had one, I don’t know if you can get them in Australia
Nothing makes my day like a self-aware anthropomorphist (is that a word?).
So many people are so egocentric to think of animals purely from their own perspective without ever realising how wrong that is 😉👏
Throwback to when I rescued a dehydrated snail (“Merlin”), set up a beautiful tank, and then started searching for the species type… long story short it was a wolf snail, one of the only snails that exclusively eats other snails for their diet. Needless to say, Merlin was quickly rehydrated and returned to the spot I found him
Weird how many none mammal creatures only eat creatures like them. Imagine a primate that exclusively ate monkeys, apes, and lemurs.
@@seekingabsolution1907 When you put it that way, that's scary. I mean, even people who eat people eat other stuff too, not just people for every meal. Oh, except in extreme circumstances of course. I refer only to people who eat people because they want to, they wouldn't have just that for every meal, I assume.
I know this is a 2 year old comment but if you by any chance read this, can you tell us how you rehydrated the snail? I saved one with a broken shell lip, hoping it will grow and I’m worried the part sticking out will dehydrate in the meantime.
@@blueskyalldayeveryday 1 month in and is the snail doing good??
@@fizzyfunk8231 unfortunately (s)he passed away 😢
Also of note: if the snail eggs are unwanted, or the population is starting to get a little crazy in the tank, DON'T THROW THE EGGS DIRECTLY IN THE TRASH! Or outside, etc. There's always a chance they can survive and contribute to their invasiveness. Iirc it's reccommended to freeze the eggs to kill them first before disposal, but correct me if I'm wrong!
yess, I had several instances when my snails eggs had to be frozen
I just wrap it up in paper, than in a bag and into the freezer
crushing them also works. it's a little morbid, but you can feed the crushed eggs back to the snails to help them regain the spent nutrients
As soon as I find them, I put them in a plastic bag and crush them.
Crushing is better as there’s no chance of the eggs potentially hatching and infesting areas after being trashed. Additionally, freezing doesn’t give them the relatively painless (stressless) death that crushing does. Snails only have pain receptors in the sense that they can get stressed and experience stress, but it’s not sure if it actually registers as a painful experience for the snail or if it truly doesn’t feel pain.
Yes! 100%
Yes snails! They are surprisingly fun pets! One thing I noticed, sometimes they can carry meningitis, so PLEASE make sure to wash your hands after handling.
Very important. A guy died here from eating one on a dare and getting an infection.
@@callmedavid9696 yea in different parts of the world snails can carry many dangerous diseases. So never eat them unless u know what ur doing.
Yessss wash your hands after
They actually can’t “carry” meningitis. Meningitis refers to inflammation of the brain or spinal cord due to an infection caused by a virus, bacteria, or fungus. It’s a disease characterized by the common symptoms. The snail would actually just carry one of these pathogens, so it’d be interesting to know what exactly they carry.
Ok. Will do even though mine all died for no reason at all. 👍. I mean, it was my first time owning them so don’t blame me. Lol.
R.I.P. my little snaily babies. 💔💔💔❤️❤️❤️
Speaking from experience (I have three milk snails and plan on getting more) I'd add more branches, my snails love being up high! Which leads me to say, the water bowl could be a problem if a snail were to fall on it. My snails are prone to falling and if a snail does break their shell, in most cases, it leads to death. Snails drink water off of the glass and attain it from their diet. Also, in the winter, snails can hibernate. I've heard to prevent that (if that's a problem for you) you can get a heat lamp with a dimmer switch or a heat mat depending on your set up. I'd also recommend a snail food with dewormed in it just as a precaution if you're feeding them to any animals. And when it comes to handling you should make sure your hands are always moist as snails can absorb the oils on your skin.
what if they fell onto the branches? do you put moss over it or?
About hibernation, I'd like to add that species that hibernate have their lifespan reduced significantly if prevented to do so, so I'd make sure they get those months of rest in, even if it means gradually moving them to a cold enough space.
The hosts personality and with the way she talks about the various animals/insects, as well as the way she handles them makes them all seem so harmless and not worth being afraid of. Even after watching footage of some of them hissing/biting her, she STILL makes them all seem so harmless. I just love her.
Corrections from a snail owner:
-don't use water bowls, snails can drown in them, just mist their enclosure well
-don't give them eggs or egg shells, they can cut themselfs and die, it also doesn't contain nearly enough calcium.
-snails need protein at least once a week, snailmixes are perfect, but if you can't give it you can try soaked dog food, or raw beef or mealworms, make sure neither contains salt.
-don't change the substrait, snails need the bacteria to stay healthy, leave some of the old substrait in and mix it with the new one.
-use moss carefuly, it can harm their shells, make sure to check it's hp level
-don't handle your snails bare hand, wash it very well before and mist it. The natural oils and salt on our skin can hurt them. Also don't pick them up from the shell, it can actually kill or injure them.
-check the substrait once a week for eggs, if you don't want them you can crush them before they hatch, if you want to keep them move them to a small enclosure, adults can crush them. Don't forget to cull snails if you breed them, only keep the larger healthy ones, or their population gets easily sick.
-some snails do need heating depending on their species, do your resreach and only use heat mats.
-some vegetables are highly toxic to snails, safe check everything before you feed them to your pet.
-avoid rocks and hard objects, snails fall pretty often, hitting a stone can be deadly.
-check for parasites, snails often get worms and other illnesses, the most humane way to put them down is to give them a little beer then freeze them.
Edit:
Also some snails can live 3-15 years, they aren't short term pets. Please do your resreach and don't get them unless you can comit for long periods of time.
they can't cut themselves on eggshells lol. they can literally crawl over straight razors unharmed, their slime protects them from sharp surfaces
@@grimdarklemonade3192 even small cuts can kill them, they can't handle bacteria. You should take the risk of a pet dying especially if the shells don't do any good for the snails
If you think that's ok it's ok but let's Emily do her think she thinks it's ok to keep them like that she can it's not your division
@@fayesnelson3131 Emily usually tries her best, but that's doesn't mean every one of her advices are perfect. In terms of snails she could have made a better video, this is a great way to keep feeders, but not pet snails. All of my advice is there to correct some of her mistakes, and help new snails owners to not make these mistakes
@@fayesnelson3131 it's ok that she doesn't have all the information, they're just correcting her. She knows alot but nobody's perfect
My kindergarten class had pet snails, and ever since then, I adore them!
What’s really cool about them (at least the snails in Japan; I grew up there) is that whatever colored fruits/veggies they eat, they poop out those colors. For example, after they’d eat watermelon, their poop would be bright red. After they’d eat carrots, they’d poop bright orange. After eating greens, their poop would be bright green!
That’s so cool!
Same with GALS
my regular variety american garden snail also does this!!! its so funny haha.
that makes me happy for some reason
And if you feed them dandelion flowers, bright yellow. Same with slugs.
I’ve been thinking about pet snails! I have isopods that I adore. Snails interest me too, so I am excited to see this video!
There easy to care for and I love mine
My ones keep running away
You can keep them together! I have common/local isopods with my GALS Tacos and they get along great (by which I mean they work well as a little ecosystem)
@@imnotgoodwithnames1503 get them microchipped
I have had some as pets
I've been keeping snails for a few years now, here's my tips:
1. Snails may hibernate during winter and can sleep for 3 months at a time. If you think a snail is missing/has escaped, check the substrate to see if they're sleeping there
2. If your snail's shell is looking rough, sprinkle a little calcium powder or ground up cuttlebone on their food
3. If you can't get cuttlebone, bake leftover eggshells and grind them up super fine like sand
4. Never feed snails hot chilis (anything with capscasin) or vegetables that are members of the onion family. These will hurt their skin. Also NEVER give them pasta or rice!! It can cause bad swelling. They do enjoy oats mixed with water though, as a treat.
5. A snail's mantle may be puffy after mating, don't worry if you see that. It should go away in a day or two. If not, it's probably their diet.
6. Check your snails for mites. These are tiny white bugs that crawl on the skin and under the shell. You'll need to buy a pack of predatory mites to eat the harmful ones, I forget the name but if you search for snail mite cures you'll find it
7. Spray the tank with water from a spray bottle twice a day to keep it moist
We just found an escaped garden snail belonging to my granddaughter. "Hazel" had climbed out when the lid was left off. This was last February about 54 weeks ago. Piper was heart broken but we searched and searched. Ironically out red rat escaped from her enclosed last weekend and while searching the sunroom she found Hazel! Luckily the snake had been lost in the same room. So Hazel appeared dead and had a hard "door" which i knew had to be slime. We were going to pry it off and save her shell, but I put her in a shallow puddle on a plate. The door came off after three hours of soaking. We still thought she was dead- looked shriveled but was way up in the shell and not visible really. Next day my wife suggested we go ahead and throw her away since she was not responding to prodding. I still kept her and put her on her back with a couple of drops of water. In a few hours I was shocked to find antennae waving! What a fun uplifting thing to be able to text a picture of Hazel to my granddaughter. The reunion is set for tonight! Its really no less remarkable than stories of dogs and cats coming home after owners move a hundred miles. Except she was right under our noses the whole time!
@@carlvinson3284 that is amazing, i hope your granddaughter was happy, i know id be
I’ve been having issues with shell thinning in my snails and I’m starting to think it may be cause of the pH of my water in using. Any suggestions on water to use/get?
Hey Emily! I've had two garden snails for about two years now, their names are Marshy and Mello. I was so excited to see you guys post a video on these guys!! They're such underappreciated babies. :]
Edit: I should also mention you need to mist your hands before you handle them. It helps them move around a lot easier.
I’ve been taking care of two Cornu Aspersums (Garden Snails) for a couple of months and they are the sweetest creatures ever 💙💙🐌
YES!! 🐌🐌🐌🐌🐌I have 5 garden snails and I love them!! I have 4 younger ones, and 1 older more elderly one. I've had the elderly one for about 3 years, and her name is Wiggles (her boyfriend passed a year ago, names Munchie). The 4 younger ones live together, so I deal with a lot of eggs. Their names are Dandelion, Basil, Lilac, and Periwinkle. I've had them for 2-ish years in a 10 gallon aquarium tank. They're my babies! (I'm a snail mom, what can I say) I 100% recommend garden snails as pets!-- IF THEIR SHELL CRACKS, give them crushed/powdered cuttlebone! They will automatically know to eat it, they're smarter than you think. If its really bad and you can see their "goopy skin" through the cracks, it may not be healable. That's what happened to Wiggles and Munchie, long story. But if the crack is that bad, the snail may need specific needs (like Wiggles does). Just constantly keep fresh crushed cuttlebone in the enclosure, and make sure the snail is moist so it doesn't dry out.-- I also wanna say, I suggest using cuttlebone instead of eggshell, as the eggshell may cut their bellies. Other than that, great video guys!!
Edit: I apologize if my comment brings up any concern. The snails aren't an invasive species in my area, and I do keep most of the babies just in case. I've worked with snails for years, and my garden has always been alive and healthy and happy :>
What do you do if you get too many babies?
I’m also wondering what people do with the “extra” snails if they keep breeding.
@@riverAmazonNZI just set them free outside or keep a few. Thats where I got my snails in the first place, from my backyard. People often say to freeze the eggs so they die and don't hatch, but I would feel so much guilt eek.
@@amor2874 From my experience, they continue breeding until they're 5 or so years old.. so yeah, you'd deal with LOTS of eggs. Some people freeze the eggs but I set most free outside after they hatch (after taking one too many pictures since they're so cute)
Wow you can really Wright
Nice Job how long does it take exactly I’m really curious
I like it how you mentioned hermit crabs 10:35. I think you should do a care video and add them to the zoo.
Hermit crabs are so mistreated, I think you just posting a care video would help a lot of them.
Yes, the poor hermit crabs. My brother had one when we were younger and the pet store was super ill-informed about care, so even though we asked, we got bad information and poor little Spot lived a very short sad life. And now that I know what they want to do in the wild, congregate in hundreds, I refuse to support the ownership of them buy buying them in pet stores. T_T
yes please! we need a hermit crab care vid. those poor little guys are always being abused
Yes! My girls and I agree.
I am so glad that you guys covered snails! Theyre amazing pets and you guys had near perfect care as always!
I will add a few things though!
So most snails are omnivorous and do need protein! About 40% for most species of garden snails a week
Hard surfaces like rocks can be hazardous as well. The snail can detach and fall on the rock breaking open the shell. But you can put moss over it so its a softer fall!
🐌💗
When I was a kid, I had 2 pet snails one summer (Garry and Larry) that I found outside. I fed them different veggies, and they loved carrots. Well they both ended up laying a clutch of eggs near the same time, and all the eggs hatched into the cutest tiny little baby snails, and I went from 2 snails to like 35. At the end of the season, I released them all. That was a really cool experience that I still remember to this day, and I’m thinking of getting some pet snails again (properly sourced this time!) as an adult.
just be sure that they aren’t an invasive species in your area before you release them bc they could potentially throw off the already existing ecosystem! :)
@@jodies.4095I understand what you’re saying but they literally came from the ecosystem they were released back into. You can’t introduce a species that already exists in the area.
@@OliviaLovesPugs i am so sorry if i came off as rude, that was totally not my intention! some snail species are invasive in certain areas and because each area has a different ecosystem it can very much destroy the balance. if you released them in the area they came from that’s totally fine but i just wanted to point out, specifically for people in the comments who don’t know, that if not careful, it could be bad.
@@jodies.4095 Thank you for the clarification and apology. And I agree it’s always important to be wary of introducing an invasive or new species to an environment, it absolutely can wreak havoc on an ecosystem as you said. I just wanted to be clear that I was conscious of this fact as well, even as a child, and returned the snails exactly where they originally came from. I would never transport animals and introduce them into new environments because not only is it a risk for invasives, there’s also a strong possibility that the habitat of introduction wouldn’t be able to sustain the foreign animals and they could die.
as a person who has two (technically five because we couldnt find some eggs) snails, this is an amazing care guide! i recommend those care enclosures you find for either pet bugs and/or rehoming lizards
I accidentally received ramshorn snails in the live plants I got for my beta. They overtook my tank in no time. On the upside, they bred beautiful colours.
*gasp* i have a beta too! (and lots of snails)
Those ramshorns can get bad in a fish tank.
I got in to keeping yoyo loaches because they eat snails.
I got a couple to cut down on my horrible snail infestation and got addicted to keeping loaches.
So then I had to *purposely* breed the snails to feed the loaches.
I had this happen but with bladder snails! I have larger snails that help clean the tank, but the tiny ones breed like crazy and I still haven't gotten rid of them totally :[
I feed my betta pond snail babies
yeah, on one hand ramshorns can really get out of control if you let them. on the other hand though they have by far the most personality of the various freshwater snails i've cared for, outside of perhaps mystery snails for their "YEET" behavior.
nerites and mystery snails are good options for those who want aquatic snails but not a breeding boom. nerite larva need brackish water and mystery snails lay all their eggs on land in a cocoon so you can dispose of them easily.
I'm not sure about snails, but I know slug diets vary by species; some prefer live/fresh plants, but many prefer decaying plant matter and wont touch live plants unless they are starving (this can be why they are such a pest to gardeners when there isn't enough decaying vegetation for them). Some slugs even like to eat poop if they can find any. So, if you try this with slugs, check to see what species they are to see if they like fresh or decaying food.
Just adding on to this- garden snails prefer fresh food. The ones I have kept will not eat plants when they begin to go bad.
The slugs in my garden even eat dead animals including other slugs
When I had snails, I'd usually feed them little carrots. The baby snails would absolutely devour em, even digging tunnels! I'd always have to check the carrots thoroughly to make sure there's no snails in there before throwing them away haha
Mine used to love carrots the most too and fish food. Once I was cleaning and found a sponge with babies I didnt know existed, it was hard to tell between ripped sponge and the babies before throwing it away lol
thats so cute!
I've been keeping african snails for a few years and I can say from experience that bloathing foods like cauliflower, kohlrabi, etc. can be bad for them and they might get sick (my snails somehow are extremely picky though...). Also I personally don't put any hard things like rock, barks, sticks, etc. in their enclosure because mine like to climb but seemingly aren't very good at it because sometimes it can happen that they fall down from where they are hanging from the ceiling of their enclosure and it can damage their shells severely. Though that might also only be more of a problem with bigger snails than average garden snails. Also I let them "shower" by turning on the faucet and letting them reach into it from my hand to drink, clean themselves and absorb some of the water. But that's just extra care which isn't absolutely "mandatory".
Very very good video. I enjoyed watching it and it's nice to see like-minded people around here. Thank you^^
It must be so cool to have huge African snails. I’m in Canada so we just have small garden snails.
So many things I’d love to see in Africa but haven’t found anyone to travel there with yet. Hopefully one day I will get there. 😊
I watched you a couple years ago,I actually just got a snail, so I clicked on this video, not knowing it was you, AND ALL THE MEMORIES CAME BACK OF WATCHING YOU AND BEING SO HAPPT OMGG
Me too !
SD: “How to take care of a pet snail!”
Me: “Who the heck wants a pet snail?”
*watches video*
Me: “Awww I want a pet snail!”
Well played Snake Discovery, well played.
Facts lol
Snails are better pets than dogs in my opinion.
Ive has a pet snail he didnt wnna leave he didnt even have soil
I LOVE SNAILS! Ever since I was a kid I loved snails, my friend has pet snails, and Imma get one!
excuse me it’s 🐌 snail discovery 🐌
I had some live plants in my snail enclosures, they didn't eat them, but they did have a blast climbing all over them.
Oh!! Do you mind me asking what plants you used? I have a Frosty Fern (spikemoss) in my enclosure, but I would like to add more plant variety.
Before the substrate, I recommend a small layer of rocks (small-sized) so water can drain through properly and not produce mold.
Springtails and ventilation will help with mold.
It's 4am in the morning and for some reason I want snails now. 🐌 So I'm looking at these videos before I made that purchase but so far this seems great.
Few more things from a snail owner!
1. My snails love to climb so I recommend a some what taller cage (not too tall) mine love two feet tall!
2. If rocks are in your cage (or anything super hard) cover it with something soft like moss, this is because snails love to climb and don’t really fall but things do happen. Thanks for taking time out of you day to read this! Bye Happy Holidays
Would i need to put moss or something soft on sticks?
I am soooo glad you are feeding them to other reptiles. They wiped out my cucumbers 4 times one year. They like cucumber plants real well!
I would be careful with eggshell. Its sharp and used as a deterrent for snails and slugs in gardens. Baking them first will make the calcium more available if you still want to use them..
You also might want to mention if they've been treated for parasites or if they were captive bred in a pathogen free environment or ppl might want to treat them on their own.
I imagine it would be best to use repti-calcium! It's reptile safe and it's really just powder calcium.
I have seen a video of a snail crawling on the sharp end of a sword and not injuring themselves, I highly doubt a piece of eggshells will be any differents 😉
i baked mine and then crushed them into a powder bc i was worried about the sharp edges
Egshells can be used to deter snails, its doesnt help at all though. Anyway, i use powdered eggshells
Here in the UK,people always use Cuttle fish to provide calcium for Giant African Snails
this is perfect! as a snail owner the only thing i would switch is the water dish. snails can’t swim so it’s dangerous to have the bowl! as long so you are regularly misting the tank they will be good!
I have a few points to bring up about this video.
1. Do not add rocks! I learned this the hard way as my snail fell and cracked his shell.
2. You do not need leaf litter or sphgagnum moss, you could just use some coconut fiber and bark chips and they will be happy.
3. A water dish is very dangerous! They will try to go in there and drown because of it, all they need is the water that they get from misting.
4. Garden snails do not need a lot of food, all they need is a teaspoon of whatever you are going to give them (Per snail.)
Otherwise this is a good video!
:)
I almost stepped on a large snail while out walking. I brought it home and was looking for video on how to care for it, this video has been very informative, thank you! 🐌
i have 4 giant african land snails they are jades (albino body, dark shell) and i love them. im from the UK so we are allowed them here. they are in a 60 gallong tank
I just want to say I appreciate you guys still making fun videos while running a zoo and store as full time jobs. You and your staff do so much and are really great.
i have 6 pet snails and i breed them but i keep them as pets and i agree with every thing you said! btw love the vids! keep up the good work!
My girls 7 and 4 love your videos! The girls are always asking to watch the snake lady videos. Please make more how to videos. We learn so much from you.
thanks! This was really helpful, I like taking snails off the sidewalk to keep.
I wish Giant African snails were allowed to be pets in the US. They're so big and beautiful
They're great, but honestly, I think garden snails would give me as much joy as my GALS (And the fact I could have multiple without worrying about breeding as any babies could be released is a HUGE bonus).
Also very delicious!
If you live in florida you can find am invasive one and hide it from the government lol.
@@olasubomisolaru4686 are you weird
@@Mothobius nope
In many pet stores in the bird section, you can find calcium shells that are specifically made for such things as shells. But sometimes they can get a bit brown after a long time of use, and means you should probably just rinse it off
When I got my snail garden Taylor a year ago I was looking for a snake discovery snail care episode. I couldn't find one and I had to mostly use mommy blogs to know what to do. Thank you so much and I hope all the new snail parents all the best! 😁
-Also I use reptile calcium on the food for calcium
you have no idea how helpful and comforting this is! I have watched tones of your video's and love what you do. So, when I find a snail with a bit if a damaged shell I decided to take care of them. They ended up being my pet. I did not now what to do but I knew they needed water food and a not to small tank. I tried dong the best I could at researching but still felt like I was doing something wrong. This video has helped me realizes I need a bigger tank for them and I need to add some leaves in. You also helped me on the food department. I have had them since they where the tiniest baby with a clear shell and it has been a roller-coaster of a ride figuring things out. The internet always gives me stuff on how to kill them so I struggled a bit. Thank you for helping me and for the advise! I feel better that I did a lot right. Just need some improvements and I will have a better home for them.
Garden snails have been the best kids pets we’ve had. Low maintenance, easy to care for, and honestly really hard to kill.
We did have two pass away after 2.5 years of having them and they were adults when we found them.
We have a sealed Rubbermaid type tote bin we altered for our snails.
Yes!!!! I have many snails and when you first get them as pets there is not many good care guides!!! This is awesome!!! ^-^💚💙💜🐌🐌🐌
I recommend snails as a hardy starter pet for kids to prove themselves (or not). Both of my kids temporarily kept them in a small Critter Keeper with vegetables as food and to climb on, and they survived the experience. Just one thing: don't throw away a "dead" snail. We had one survive lost in our house for 3 months. We found it stuck to our fireplace, and it revived.
Emily you are the best you put out lots of interesting videos and educate people too. Merry Christmas!
I’m actually so happy you uploaded this video! I’ve been struggling to keep snails as pets. Thank you so much!
I find it amazing that you have snails on this channel.
Me and both my children have snails and my kids love your channel.
Thank you so much for posting this! I want to know how to care for a snail! I would love to have one of these cuties as my pet! Can’t wait to see what this videos has in store! :)
Really loved this care guide video! I was looking for one a while back when I first got my freshwater snail about a month ago. While this video was about land snails I still watched it and found it fascinating!
would love a pet frog care guide from you guys!
pac man frogs are fire
Watching this even though I've had snails for years because I like your videos and I get to watch snails being cute
Snails look so interesting… never knew you could keep them as a pet! I might look into getting one! Thanks for the inspiration!
FUN FACT: snails tend to use the trails of other snails to use less energy.
I love the idea of a pet snail! Can they coexist with isopods in a bioactive enclosure?
thats what I was wondering as well
I added one of my snails in my isopod enclosure, and they live really well! The isopods also help to clean the snail's poop!
yes!!! I have zebra isopods with my snails and they look super cool together and do a great job as a clean up crew :)
Ever since I was 5 I've loved snails 🐌 and I finally get to look after one 💞😍
This video is very helpful! I have my tiny snail, Speed, in largish food container with lots of wholes on the top. And my bigger but still small snails, lightning and bolt, in a pet carrier which is pretty good size. I just found them outside today and did a lot of research. I make sure i mist their cages. We have to keep their homes outside Because of my cats. We have a lot of pets in my house right now. So far, they are all thriving.
I gave my snails scrambled eggs once a month for protein. They liked it a lot.
Yay,more snake discovery snail guide! I’m gonna try to keep some from my garden next summer. Snail discovery has inspired me 🤩🤩
What would you suggest people do with the many many snails they will end up with? Is there a humane thing to do? I think it’s important to know for anyone who is interested in having these guys.
Maybe post on fb or something looking for reptile owners to feed to?
Or take the eggs, freeze them and smash them then toss them in the trash. Thats what I do with my mystery snail eggs when I dont want them
Was hoping they would cover this so owners don't just trow them out and into the environment
The most humane thing to do is to freeze and crush the eggs
I go to the cape (cape cod) every year and there are so many snails I name them,paint their shells,so I always have a little tunnel or smaller place inside the big one for them to hide,I give them many tomatoes lettuce and other things,thank u so much this helps a lot! (Love ur channel!)
Thank you sm for making this vid! I watched y’all sence I was 10 because I have a beardie and a ball python and I love ur channel, today I got home and my mom last minute said we were getting a snail! On one hand I’m excited but on the other I hate getting pets last minute 😅 I don’t wanna mess up, so thank you for making this cuz ik I can trust y’all!
❤❤❤
my problem with snails is just how fast they reproduce. I've got pond snails... and I've got to cull the tank once a month. I've tried reducing food and removing some aquatic plants they've eaten... but nothing helps.
Anyone have any ideas to help me control population?
One way to get rid of them is to put lettuce out and they’ll all be on it. We had to do that once.
A lizard.
If its out of control, you could check when they lay eggs and dispose of them before they hatch
@@Rob_Thorsman not all lizards eat snails
How perfect! I’m getting snails for Christmas, obviously already did some research but I always adore your care videos. 💛
have fun with your new pets!
@@tomnyskull Thank you!
Update about your snails?
They’re doing great! I have two adults and one baby that I’ve been raising. Their enclosure is currently decked out for Christmas.
@@Reaganreads aww that’s amazing to hear. I just got 3 baby snail’s yesterday, any interesting tips?
I’ve been keeping snails for two years there pretty cool pets
when i was very young, around 3 years old or so, i had 2 snails! they very quickly bred and had lots of eggs however only like, i think 8 hatched.
anyways, i fed them lots to carrots, lettuce, and strawberries! they lived in a cardboard box just outside of my backyard which i wished could’ve been better but they lived with me for maybe 1 or 2 years which was great but then they climbed out of the box and just..left.
i hope you lived a very nice life outside the box Twig and Concrete.
Hi, thanks for this video !! Me and my daughter brought home 3 snails today and chose to keep them as pets, I noticed that you are buying de-chlorinated water and thought u would share a tip from my sensitive plant growing experience, tap water can be left for 24-48 hours in a relatively open top container and all chlorine and fluoride will be gone, it also self corrects the PH of the water to a certain extent. I am not an expert on snails tho and cannot comment on any other possible thing in tap water that could harm them, but u know for a fact that de-chlorination of tap water is really easy and could save u money if all you are buying is tap water that has been left to breath.
I find this really helpful because I’ve been wanting to be a reptile owner and snails are perfect because I have a compost bin in my backyard also my parents are really good with plants and I have experience with holding reptiles so I hope it turns out good!
I had pet snails for a while, Tesla and tooshie :) They never layed eggs but that's probably bcs they didn't have a particularly big container 😅
There was also: Pumba, Bella, Edward, Renesme, moshie and squshie. But they all stayed at my primary school lol, I wasn't allowed that many. I "raised" them both from tiny lil baby's
Something very important that was missed is snails do require protein at 1/5th of their diet to thrive, more for young snails. This can be offered as (cold, cooked) eggs, or carnivore fish food, or ever premade protein mixes available on Etsy. Protein is VERY important for them!
Indeed!!! Very important! Oats and chia seeds, love the chia seeds (just add a bit of water and make an uncooked porridge) Raw unsalted sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (which are also a natural dewormer) just always raw and no salt, ever. Mealworms and bloodworms too. I find just having a couple cuttle bones in with them is an easy sort to the calcium needs.
I don't have a snail (yet) but my enclosure is a hand-me-down from my friend, and it's not that big, BUT I'm gonna take them OUT every once in a while (of course putting a snail friendly area for them) and will also rearrange the snail friendly setup each time I take them out!
Also, I didn't know snails could have interests!
I've been watching you for 5 years I love that your not grossed out by anything
I've been keeping snails (albeit aquatic rather than terrestrial) for just over a year now and they're so wonderful! They do a lot more than people realize, and they're just plain cute. Enrichment is definitely important, too. One of mine is a bit of a thrillseeker, and she used to climb on some of the others and bother them because she liked them trying to shake her off. I added an airstone and now she plays with that instead, thankfully!
Aquatic snails are also less likely to be hermaphroditic and don't need to be misted! And if you're like me and have a snail-specific tank, you can leave the lights on a bit stronger/longer each day and food will grow itself in the form of algae! As if that weren't enough, most common freshwater snails lean towards being detritivores and will prefer to eat dying plants over live ones. That means they can actually maintain plants!
I recommend them to most people who already maintain an aquariarum because they're just so great.
6:06 Interesting that citrus is a concern for snails, too! I've been raising mealworms and I've heard mixed reports about the safety of citrus for them, including one person who claimed feeding orange slices killed off their whole supply. What is it about invertebrates and citrus?
Citrus's are highly acidic(Lemons, oranges, limes, etc). Inverts can't have highly acidic foods. This also goes for reptiles, birds, and most mammals. Citrus can have a PH as low as 2-3. For example: Hydrochloric acid is around 1 PH and stomach acid is around 1-3.
i can only assume the high acidity of the citrus flesh may be harmful to their shells/exoskeletons? or the sour taste ruins their appetite? obviously no copper in them, not much salt in most citrus fruits and none of the vitamins in them are toxic for inverts. i've also heard of snails being pests on citrus-bearing plants before
Don’t forget that plants produce lots of substances as insecticides/animal repellents. Caffeine, capsaicin, menthol, and tobacco are all useful for us, but were evolutionarily meant to deter being monched.
Male rats as well. Citrus is not good for them.
I don't know about mealworms, but snail shells are made of essentially the same stuff as Tums. It makes a lot of sense why acidic fruit would be bad for them.
Trying my best to overcome my fear of snails, worms, and slugs one step at a time
Me and my friend have snails we have had them for 5 years they are really fun to keep and take care of!
I was so concerned haha I thought that the enclosure was only for one snail but was relieved when you started putting all of them in.
Thank you I have been wanting a interesting pet!
Hi snake discovery! I love you videos I’ve been watching them for years I even got some merch:))
"doesn't talk back" I was like "pets aren't kids-" and then I remembered the time I put my dragon back in his house during a party so I could eat and when I came back I found him throwing his food. He didn't stop until I picked him back up.
This was fun to watch. I have 20+ snails, all with their own enclosures. I also collect them all on weekends and put them into a large container to socialize with food, calcium, etc. They aee my prescious babies, and always make me very happy. Also, the enclosure shown here looks amazing, but soil and leaves from outside works too. Also, the amount of (live) moss effects how many snails will be able to live in that enclosure. More moss leads to more snails living in that enclosure. I house no more than 3 snails together and make sure they are either the same species or are friendly with other snails, as snails do have a social heiarchy. Also, for SOME SPECIES, it is VERY IMPORTANT you use a water dish that you replace reguarly eith clean water, otherwise the snail's shell will turn a white color. They will not die without a water dish and it doesnt effect every species, but if you dont have a water bowl and the shells start to discolor, then add one and see if it gets better
Hey do you keep them alone or in groups?I wanna have one and I googled and I read that they have to be kept in groups of 3.
Loved this video! I had an african land snail for about 3 years and just hundreds of garen snails just living in my garden since forever so i really love them. This video just made me want to get some more giant land snails to care for 🥰
Wow! I was not expected this at all. I am a HUGE snail nerd, and am so happy you made this video!!! Some of the information could be explained better, and I would like to add my knowledge to some of the information you shared, but I’ll save it for later, haha. I’m wondering if I should change my channel name to Snail Discovery 🤔, that’s so cute, but I don’t want to steal y’all’s thunder, and everything. Keep up the good work!
A few very important notes/forgotten topics
It's not recommended to add a water dish or anything hard in your snail's enclosure. Snails will climb to the top of their enclosure and sometimes fall, if they land on anything hard, they have a chance of badly damaging their shells. Snails also need a protein source fed about twice a week, sources I recommend are safe snail mixes people sell, or a safe fish flake, I personally use spirulina, ofc wetting it down first so it doesn't expand inside them. When replacing substrate it is import to only remove about half at a time, snails thrive off of and need the benifical bacteria. Also a forgotten topic in this video was culling. If you don't own anything that can eat snails you will need to cull them. The easiest way is by crushing eggs/babies, then freezing them for a few weeks before throwing them out. As cruel as it sounds, it is nearly impossible for the average keeper .to raise hundreds of snails in proper husbandry, and it is important not to make snails any more of an invasive species.
Make sure if you are thinking about getting a snail to do research outside of this video, as much as I love snake discovery, you have to remember they're human too :)
Yess I have been waiting for this! ☺️☺️
Funny enough i've been watching Snake Discovery videos this week thinking about getting my first snake. I happened upon a snail shell outside this morning and brought it inside to keep it, but it turns out it's alive!! So now i have a pet snail and ran to the internet to know how to take care of it LOL! Thank you guys for putting great information out there!
I got into pet snails last year while in lockdown, because I found an injured garden snail while gardening, called him Reginald, and helped him grow back his broken shell. I then bought some Australian Native tropical snails as pets and sold the babies for a while. I recently bought an aquarium off of FB marketplace, so planning to upgrade them from their big plastic tub to the aquarium.
I find snails like the same things reptiles do, PVC pipes as hides, big plastic leaves or dead leaves, etc
I also have a cleanup crew in the substrate, both compost worms and springtails. I find it better to not put the food in a bowl, but chuck it on the substrate with their cuttlefish bone.
Can you put isopods in with snails?? That would be so cool!
I've been keeping isopods with my snails for years, the isopods eat snail feces so a lot less clean up for me
@@abbih5903 thank you so much!!
Yes but only armadillidium/cubaris are compatible porcellio are a big no they're extremely protein hungry and may eat a snail that falls from the lid
Something that I find quite creepy about snails is that they eat their own kind🐌🐌🐌
Canabalism 😋
I'm sad that most snails that are common in pet stores and aquaria in the US are illegal here. You can't even import live escargot snails for culturing here. ;___; I never considered collecting invasive garden snails though
It's totally possible to collect and keep invasive snails. There are even guides on how to cultivate them for food that's fit for human consumption, if you're so inclined..
Recently made snails a new part of the family. Currently in a small tote, but I've been looking for a 5 gallon that will fit in a good spot. I love my little buddies.
I actually owned aquatic mystery snails for a while there, they bred for me and I would handle them all the time! Their mouths feel really funny, and I absolutely loved them until the very end!
Instead of using springtails to get rid of pests, can you cohab snails with jumping spiders? That would be a very interesting enclosure.
I don't know how well snails would cohab with jumping spiders, but the purpose of the springtails is to eat away the extra plant matter and snail poop to keep the soil from getting nasty. Jumping spiders wouldn't fill that role, so they wouldn't work as a replacement to springtails.
I’m pretty sure fungus gnats are so small there’s no way a jumping spider would go after them, except maybe if they’re babies.
I wasn't expecting snails. I have seen a few slugs and accidentally stepped on one but it was fine. I love snails but the slime it leaves behind kinda makes it hard and my mom doesn't like them. There were so many snails. I'm curious but concerned about how many snails they have kept to this point
Don't be shellfish by the snails that get Emily and Ed as their amazing owners!
Are you saying shellfish as a pun? I'm sorry it's late and I'm tired
@@thatfruitygowrl Yea, cuz snails have little shells.
@@madison.shorts okay, I thought so. It's 9:32 pm where I live so I'm tired and slow
@@thatfruitygowrl Same where I am.
@@madison.shorts k, wasn't sure time zone
They don’t sell riced veggies where I live so I pre mince veggies in a food processor every week and freeze it in the fridge
I have snails myself. I collect snails and care for my own pets and temporary ones that are babies or injured ones! I grow the babies and release them in the wild when they are full grown. I love snails so much and I've learned so much from them. My mom goes on walks everyday and moves snails out of the way so they dont get stepped on
:)
Snails are cute
.-.