Those people who want to have home trouble-free pet give birth to snails Achatina. They are creatures who show friendliness, while undemanding in care. The main thing to ensure for them conditions of high humidity and diet that needs to consist of minerals and nutrients.
If it is, then snails will grow well and beautifully reproduce by laying eggs. These Pets love the company of other canines, So if you decide to keep at home snail, you should purchase not one but several individuals.
Brief description of the snails Achatina
These are creatures that reproduce by eggs, they are found in Africa in a tropical and subtropical climate. Scientists to date have identified 60 species of these mollusks. Among the domestic species include snails policy and reticulata. The snails Achatina body is quite soft, and the shell has a pointed form. Some mollusks in the length it can reach 30 cm.
Representatives of this species can have color the following colors:
- black;
- brown;
- marsh;
- brown with dark bands.
In addition to these colors, in nature there are also snail-albinos, whose characteristic feature is the white colour. However, the size of them is smaller than that of snails with a different color. What will be the color of the shell in bivalves largely depends on the diet that the pet provides the owner. Adults have a carapace with a greenish tint.
The peculiarity of these creatures is that on they are optic organs. Then 1 cm snail Achatina sees. However, even from a distance of 1.5 m it can smell the smell of your favorite cabbage or lettuce.
The weight of each individual is 0,3-0,45 kg. These creatures are quite fun and are particularly observant. His master they remember pretty quickly and can later distinguish it from other people. Usually people buy a house snails Achatina the breeders. Less commonly they are bought in pet stores. One of the features of these mollusks is that they lay a lot of eggs. Because of their high fertility quite often the owners give these shellfish free.
Snail at home: how to contain?
In nature, the main habitat of these creatures are: Asia, Tanzania and Kenya. In these countries, the temperature is at a comfortable level for shellfish. The local flora acts as a great supply base for these snails.
If you have brought home the snail Achatina, it is necessary to create comfortable conditions to develop.
It will have to fulfill the following conditions:
- you should buy a terrarium;
- fill it with a quality substrate;
- to give the snails a good nutrition;
- to comply with all rules of hygiene.
In some cases, snails Achatina you can even produce a walk through his own house. However, before permitting your pet, you should carefully inspect the terrain on which he would do his walk. On-site walking should not be obstacles, mud. Other things that can harm the skin of the clam must also be missing.
When the content in the home of the snail Achatina, special attention must be paid to the absence of draughts in the apartment. These molluscs are very sensitive to temperature and humidity. Therefore, to allow them only a short walk so as not to harm their own health.
While the content of the snails at home, you also need to pay attention to pet nutrition, to monitor the air temperature in the terrarium. If the diet of the mollusk dominated by poor quality food or in his home is very dry, it can cause the shell of a clam will crack and deteriorate.
Temperature mode
For agatino are home to the hot tropics, so caring for them must provide for Pets suitable temperature in the terrarium. She must be in the range from 20 to 28. To achieve the desired temperature regime, one should not place the terrarium directly from the battery or heater. This can lead to overdrying of the substrate. You also need to pay attention to on the individuals are not caught the sun’s rays as this can cause the temperature contrast, which for these unwanted creatures.
If we talk about winter, in order to maintain the terrarium temperature, use the special heating lamps that are used to care for reptiles.
Light for these shellfish does not really matter, so no need to renew to them light day . However, you should always remove the sources of light outside the terrarium to exclude crawling of their Pets on the lamps.
The humidity level
These creatures in nature live in the Equatorial jungle, so humid environment along with the temperature should be appropriate. To ensure this, it is necessary several times a day to spray the walls of the cage, and also to moisten the litter, using water from a spray bottle. For the normal existence of shellfish humidity in the terrarium should be at the level of 75-85%. In some cases, for example, if you keep the snail albopicta, the humidity level should not fall below 90%. What is the humidity for your pet is most appropriate, largely depends on what kind of snail living in your home.
In an effort to provide the necessary pet moisture, it is necessary not to overdo the spray of moisture, as in this case, a high risk of becoming habitats of the species in the swamp. In order to understandwhether the existing level of humidity for your clams, you need to pay attention to their behavior. If Achatina starting to climb the walls of the cage higher are on them constantly, then it is a signal to the host that the terrarium is very humid environment. If they burrow into soil or hide under the lid, this indicates that the humidity level is very low and needs to improve.
Where to contain the snail Achatina?
For clams of this species do not need to create any special structure. You just need to use a fish tank without water or take a container made of transparent plastic. If you plan to place in your terrarium 4 individuals, you need to prepare for them an aquarium with a capacity of 20 l or a special box. Since snails have the ability to absolutely crawl on any surface, it is necessary not to forget to cover their housing lid. You should do a hole in order to have Pets in a terrarium was a good circulation of air.
To their residence in a new home comfortable, you should on the bottom put soil in which they can dig if necessary. The perfect litter for snails Achatina is coconut or Orchid substrate. If you are in the terrarium are adults, you can pour the substrate layer in the 5 see For young shellfish will be enough 2-3 cm Combination of large loose sand with non-acidic soil – ideal litter for snails.
If you wantto the cage, which contained a snail, look attractive for your guests, you need to put into the plants. The choice should be made in favor of fern or ivy.
You can also use:
- no rotting wood pieces;
- moss;
- terracotta shards.
In this case, the habitat your Pets will be refined and will look original. In addition, this design of the cage will be useful to the beings, because the air in the terrarium will be filled with oxygen, and their diet is more varied.
The contents of the snail Achatina in the home: feeding
At this point, you should pay special attention. To worry about food for shellfish is not necessary, because these creatures are completely picky. It should be noted three main product, which in these mollusks are the most favorite: apples, cucumbers, and lettuce.
However, it is not necessary to give them only these products. To them life was long and happy, you need to make the menu variety and provide an additional carrot, and to include in the menu the cabbage leaves. Potato snails are not particularly fond of. The only exception is the vegetable in cooked form. In the summer you can give your Pets a variety of fruits and berries. Vegetables these molluscs are also not averse.
Among other products Achatina like the following:
- tomatoes;
- bean;
- zucchini;
- melon;
- mushrooms;
- boiled eggs.
It should be noted that in the diet of these snails can be enabled, not all products. Shellfish should not take fried, sweet or spicy food. Its use will lead to the fact that individuals will quickly wither and eventually die.
Reproduction
Multiply snail Achatina egg laying. You should know that domesticated species breed quite well. Moreover, we note that they are hermaphrodites. This means that the offspring they can bring even without a heterosexual partner. If you don’t want your family of snails is filled with new species, the eggs that have postponed the snails, rinse. They represent eggs in miniature. If you have any interest in reproduction of molluscs, it is necessary to carefully clean the terrarium, so as not to inadvertently wash away the eggs. And then to increase the colony their Pets cannot be considered.
Born little creatures in the first days of life should be given mashed carrots, and clover, which contain calcium. In this case, they will grow healthy, and their armour will be strong.
Conclusion
When there is a desire to have a house pet, some people choose a cat, the other a parrot. And acquire some snails Achatina. These Pets, living in an apartment with his master, make no noise. They do not require expensive feed, so everyone is able to contain at home Achatina. Caring for them is to maintain the cage in optimal conditions of temperature and humidity and regular feeding. If all this is ensured, then the clams will live long and happily, pleasing his master.
