African Land Snails...

iammumtoone

Is anyone else reading this thinking they now want snails as pets?

I am wanting to get a pet for my six year old to give him some responsibility to care and look after it (with my supervision of course). I was thinking about some goldfish but am now wondering if two snails would be suitable

Well done OP on looking after these and making sure they go back in the correct environment. I would be having a word with the headmaster if I were you expressing my concern that the school entered into this with no thought to the care of the creatures, left in the state you received them they would have died, how upset would the children have been to walk into class in one morning to see that the snails had disappeared

lisajane8482

These are our two. They are both Archachatina marginata var. suturalis. Ruby is the biggest one and faith is the smaller on. Ruby's shell is around 5" in length.

Froglet

iammumtoone wrote: »

Is anyone else reading this thinking they now want snails as pets?

I am wanting to get a pet for my six year old to give him some responsibility to care and look after it (with my supervision of course). I was thinking about some goldfish but am now wondering if two snails would be suitable

Please please don't get goldfish unless you are prepared to get a large tank,do a fishless cycle and then regular maintenance on the tank.Goldfish can grow up to 12 inches in length and are far more suited to a pond(though not the fancy varietys).It is a myth that goldfish are an easy first pet.They are not,and they don't live long in the wrong hands without the care they need and deserve.

Snails would be much better ,or even a hamster.

iammumtoone

Froglet wrote: »

Please please don't get goldfish unless you are prepared to get a large tank,do a fishless cycle and then regular maintenance on the tank.Goldfish can grow up to 12 inches in length and are far more suited to a pond(though not the fancy varietys).It is a myth that goldfish are an easy first pet.They are not,and they don't live long in the wrong hands without the care they need and deserve.

Snails would be much better ,or even a hamster.

You are right to point that out thanks, I do know how to look after fish I kept tropical ones with an ex, when I say goldfish I mean cold water fish in an aquarium not 1 goldfish in a bowl with no filter . Once it is set up fish are fairly easy to look after its just a case of maintaining the environment. I don't want a hamster as I feel that would be unfair on the animal having a heavy handed six year old trying to handle it :eek: Whatever we get I will make sure I research what it needs beforehand

lisajane8482 your snails look really happy and healthy, much better than the poor ones that were dumped on the OP

Froglet

To be honest,you would be better sticking with tropicals as they don't need such a lot of space(well,small varieties don't) and are less messy than goldfish! i wish i had,i have had 3 ponds in 20 years and am now on my 4th, an 1800 gallon pond.And they are hard work spring through to autumn .

~Chameleon~

iammumtoone wrote: »

Is anyone else reading this thinking they now want snails as pets?

I once captured a few dozen land snails to cleanse (carrot & oats) before eating. I fell in love with them and ended up naming each critter so we let them free rather than eat them :rotfl:

Froglet

I don't know how anyone could want to eat snails quite honestly but i am glad to hear you gave them their freedom!

But then i am a vegetarian so i wouldn't want to eat any living thing (i don't include vegetables in that statement!)

pigpen

My fish are immortal! John is nearly 9 and Sarah is nearly 5.. Johns old friends died and I bought him Sarah as a friend so he wasn't lonely.


John was very sick when I rescued him from DS1's neglect and I spent a small fortune on medicine for him and he is all big and happy now! around 6 inches in length with a beautiful tail!


(Connor died)

lisajane8482

We have a tropical tank and they are so much hard work but are really worth it. My nana bought DD a 38l tank for her 5th birthday and we now have a 90l tank (also bought by my nana). If it was up to me we wouldn't have them but because we do I do make sure they are cared for correctly. When we first got the tank I never knew how much reading up there was to do and how much work had to be carried out. We still have a 6 of the original fish, one frog and the 2 shrimp 6 years later.

Snails love fish flakes too, we chuck a few in every now and then. We feed the fish on Hikari Micro Pellets so buy the flakes for the snails from the poundshop.

heartbreak_star

We have nowhere to put another tank or I'd have a snail our current big tank has one very pampered and spoiled newt in it!

OP, well done for improving the care of the snails

HBS x