28.03.2024

Achatina Fulica – large snail for home aquarium

Achatina giant (from the Latin. Achatina fulica ) is a terrestrial gastropod mollusk that belongs to the subclass of lung snails. The most widespread this kind of shellfish in tropical countries with a humid hot climate.

In their places of habitat of Achatina Fulica is considered a pest of agricultural plants, in addition to what is the largest species among the mollusks, and some specimens reach 30 cm in length.

In our country, this land of the African guest is quite often contained in standard aquariums, as she is bred simple and requires no special care.

The snail Achatina Fulica has a clear advantage among Pets. She needs daily walks, has no odor, does not cause allergic reactions and the cost of its maintenance is insignificant.

If you need to leave it on for a long time, she easily falls asleep. But these gastropods live on average with proper care up to 10 years.

For keeping Achatina Fulica a fairly small aquarium with some soil, where it is necessary to maintain a warm humid climate. Require periodic wetting of the walls of the terrarium and soil by conventional spray for flowers.

Many owners Achatina argue that this is a fairly intelligent creature. She has produced some types of conditioned reflexes. It is able to distinguish their owners from strangers. This pet is awash with great pleasure in the cool water.

Feeding

Achatina Fulica, slowly drifting, in the process of eating that gets in her way. For this reason it is better if Pets will always be fresh food in the aquarium, and the dried food needs to be cleaned urgently.

At home with the snails love to feed on cabbage, apples, bananas, citrus, lettuce, cucumbers and carrots.

You can offer snail meat, because her diet should be varied, because in the natural environment, they pick up almost everything. But sometimes Achatina get used to particular products and fail to recognize the other.

From wild grass can be offered snails dandelions, plantain and clover. In winter, the suitable grass for cats. The more diverse feeding Achatina, the better. If the snail won’t eat offered food, it is best to remove it.

When the diet of the pet are present in vegetables bright colors – carrots, bell pepper, and then his shell is painted in a color more palatable product.

For the construction of the shell Police need calcium, so the food a snail, you need to add special additives, crushed egg shells, chalk, bird mineral stone without salt, boiled egg or pieces of limestone. And for the shell of the snail is very helpful rudimentary internal shell of the cuttlefish, which you can buy in pet stores and place in the aquarium with the snails. Even they need a natural protein source which can be gammarus, Daphnia or mixed grain.

It is not recommended to give the same snails that are harmful to man:

  • fried;
  • smoked;
  • bold;
  • sharp;
  • sweet;
  • bitter;
  • salt;
  • marinated;
  • leftover food from the common table.

And salt you can not give in principle – it is very harmful for those home dwellers.

The contents

The volume of the aquarium for the snails can be calculated based on the number of its inhabitants. On one individual requires at least 10 liters. You can use a plastic box large size, but it doesn’t create the desired visibility of what is happening inside.

Snails ideal temperature 25 – 28 degrees, but survive and at the room, losing only in mobility.

The most suitable soil for Achatina Fulica is the mixture of peat, sand and garden soil. The soil must be kept loose, in order that the pet may dig into the ground. In principle, any soil that contains no fertilizer.

In the aquarium must be kept clean and regularly cleaned. Dirty ground changed with new one. Food residue is removed. Glass at the aquarium, wipe with a damp cloth, getting rid of dirt without using chemicals. You can handle aquarium is a soap or soda solution, and then give him a good rinse and wipe dry.

Themselves snails should be washed under a gentle stream of warm water. In addition to purity, this procedure is very popular with the snails and they love to swim, staying on hand or crawling across the smooth surface.

To maintain high temperature in the aquarium it is possible to apply a weak band , which are sold in pet stores. Bright light so snails don’t need, in the wild they live in the damp dusk of the tropics. To maintain humidity you can use a simple sprayer for flowers.

To monitor the humidity in the aquarium can be based on behaviors of snails . They climb on the walls of the tank and trying to escape? It means they are too damp. And when the snails try to be sealed and go into hibernation, so in the aquarium, overly dry and it’s time to moisten the soil and the wall of the vessel.

It is advisable to put in the aquarium with adult snails heavy resistant flat bowl of water with a depth of a few centimeters . It is important to fix it so that the snail, on the edge of the pan, flipped it or poured water during backfilling near the bowl.

Reproduction

Snails Achatina Policy easy to breed in captivity. These gastropods are hermaphrodites. Thus, each individual is able to perform male and female functions. They also observed a pregnant when there are insufficient adults.

A mating of this species of snails is accompanied by ritual movements and lasts for several hours. The larger the snail acts as female, for the reason that egg laying requires considerable physical and energy costs.

Young Achatina only perform male functions, as full maturity, they reach to 8 – 12 months. An interesting feature of this species of snails is the training walls, however, she can lay a few unfertilized eggs to prepare for this masonry.

After 10 to 14 days after mating, the snail digs a hole in the ground and lay there several hundred small, oblong, bright eggs. Small snails appear after 10 to 45 days, depending on humidity and temperature.

Newborn does not need soil, they often die in it. As bedding suitable large lettuce or cabbage.

Large Fulica Achatina lays up to 6 clutches a year. Moreover, a single pairing is enough for 10 – 12 masonry, because the sperm live in the body of females up to 2 years.

Behavior

Achatina are mainly nocturnal, but sometimes, especially in wet weather can seem and day. But most often the daytime these molluscs spend buried in the soil, away from prying eyes. Experts biologists proved the presence of Achatina Fulica long-term memory. Snail remembers everything that happened within the hour and place where there is food.

Young individuals are more mobile, have to overcome quite large distances and are capable of long migrations. They rest where tired. In turn, individuals at the age of choosing his place of rest, and always return it there (within 30 meters).

Dignity
  • For snail Achatina Fulica interesting to watch, especially when she swims, crawls on the glass or moves slowly in his hand. Some people try to train these snails, producing a clam of conditional reflexes.
  • But the main snail Achatina is that its no problem to leave at a time not fearing for her life . After a long time not getting food, she will simply go dormant . To Wake the pet, it will be enough to sprinkle it with water and put the food into the aquarium.
The impact of the presence of calcium in the feed

The lack of calcium in the diet of such a large snail can lead to deformation of the shell . It becomes soft and suffers greatly from the influence of the environment . Given that all the internal organs of a snail are attached to the walls of the shell, any damage can kill the clam .

Disease

Snails came from tropical regions, are often carriers of parasites. To buy such Pets preferably from people who are bred in our country. Contracting them is almost impossible if to wash hands after each contact.

  • Achatina Fulica may accidentally fall, causing chips of the particles of the shell. The broken edges of the shells will need to process an antiseptic solution, and to see that they cut into the soft body of the snail.
  • When the snails, they may scrape the shells to each other, and then formed different depths of the pit. To avoid this, the shell can lubricate bitter edible solution.
  • Not have to dig the snails out of the ground , since they get stress and lose the usual sleep . Snails are active in the evening, yourself are happy to go hands on and not afraid of crawling with my head sticking out with horns.
  • You can’t take a pet in the last spiral of a shell. To correctly capture the clam from below to moisten his foot to bring it under the thumb and is easy to hold the shell with the other hand.
Achatina in cosmetology

Achatina use secreted mucus for smooth motion, as well as protect the soles from friction and damage. This substance is a wonderful remedy for healing wounds and skin cracks.

Contained in the mucus of the snail Achatina Fulica collagen, elastin, allantoin, natural antibiotics, amino acids, vitamins A , E and C help to moisturize and restore the skin. Produces a natural exfoliation, eliminates the wrinkles and treats skin diseases.

In the mouth this snail is found Regula a small scraper out of a few thousand teeth. The bites of such scraper Achatina noticeable , but not painful, after all, so there is a peeling with the help of this mollusk.

Usually oligotherapy lasts 15-20 minutes, after which the beautician removes small massage therapists in the aquarium and medicinal rubs the goo into the skin and leave to dry.

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