Question about snails

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Beyonder
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Question about snails

Postby Beyonder » Mon May 14, 2007 2:09 am

Hi,

Ive been reading about you guys feeding snails to our beloved skinks.

I live in Norway and we do have snails here, but I cannot imagine they are the same as the ones native to Australia.

Someone mentioned breeding them in an aquarium. I happen to have an aquarium.

My question is.. what kind of snails do you feed them? Can someone post a picture perhaps?

Thanks!
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Geoff Gates
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Re: Question about snails

Postby Geoff Gates » Mon May 14, 2007 3:32 am

Beyonder wrote:Hi,

Ive been reading about you guys feeding snails to our beloved skinks.

I live in Norway and we do have snails here, but I cannot imagine they are the same as the ones native to Australia.

Someone mentioned breeding them in an aquarium. I happen to have an aquarium.

My question is.. what kind of snails do you feed them? Can someone post a picture perhaps?

Thanks!


Beyonder,

The common garden snail (Helix aspersa) was INTRODUCED to Australia more than 100 years ago. That is the species that my blueys are fed.

Try doing a google search on Helix aspersa for an image.
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Leigh
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Postby Leigh » Mon May 14, 2007 4:02 am

Mate you can feed the little ones but apple snails are the best to grow for food in an aquarium, as you feed them when they reach the appropriate size
For land ones see{kale snail trick} post There's three different sorts there
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Postby Beyonder » Mon May 14, 2007 4:09 am

Go figure.. So they came from Europe then :)
Well they shouldnt be too hard to find here!
I guess theres the issue concerning exactly where I find these snails. Im thinking they might carry nasty parasites or toxins or something perhaps?
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Postby Zach » Mon May 14, 2007 4:26 am

Yep, but just keep them in a coffee can w/ a little water and greens for a couple days -- if they live, feed away.

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Postby mouseinamilkbottle » Mon May 14, 2007 7:12 am

Some dangerous problems with garden snails can be:

* Snail baits and other pesticides. If your snail has absorbed any, these will poison your skink. Snails are like sponges. They don't actually have to eat the bait to absorb the poison, especially if it's wet weather and the poison dissolves or dilutes into the soil.

* Poisonous plants, especially oleander. Just being near plants like oleander can make snails toxic; they don't have to eat the leaves. This is mentioned in books (namely John Weigel's Care of Australian Reptiles in Captivity) and I also know someone at my local herp group who lost a bluey this way.

* Parasites. Snails can harbour parasites that may be passed on to your skink.

As Zach said, "detox" your garden snails for a few days before feeding. If you're still not comfortable with feeding garden snails, buy aquatic or "feeder" snails from a petstore.
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Postby Nature's Gift » Mon May 14, 2007 8:53 am

More animals to keep -- and in Queensland, so many to eradicate. It's mind boggling..... My conscious is always at odds. If I was Buddist, I would've topped myself by now! :sad3:
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Postby Beyonder » Tue May 15, 2007 4:17 am

I am worried about the local snails carrying parasites and what not.
So I have decided to get hold of some Apple Snails and make them reproduce. Someone in my area breeds them and sells them for cheap.
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Postby Leigh » Tue May 15, 2007 4:39 am

The rep shop I've used said African land snales are good, but I'm not sure if they go by a more technical name
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Postby Shellyjean » Tue May 15, 2007 4:42 am

I went out yesterday and bought some aquatic mystery snails and am hoping they will breed also. I can't find any garden snails of any significant size in this area, and since they are considered pests it's hard to even order any.

But from Leigh's recent post w/pics it looks like they really enjoy them. So hopefully I'll have luck with these.

Now..so long as I remember they are food and not PETS! :roll:
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Postby Drew » Tue May 22, 2007 1:57 am

do you feed snails raw? do you feed juvies with these too?
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Postby Omega » Tue May 22, 2007 2:05 am

My snail tank is doing amazing, and my baby indo goes nuts for them now. I put about 15 common pond snails(and 2 or 3 ramshorns) into my 10g a few days ago, and there are already probably a hundred newborn and baby snails all over the glass, and a couple hundred more to be born very soon.

The other day Marley didn't seem that hungry, so I dropped a pond snail into the middle of his turkey/greens mixture.. he grabbed it and ate it instantly, licked around looking for more, and walked away from the rest of his food, lol.

I have 5 golden mystery snail egg clutches in the 10g as well, so I will let you all know how those do, but it seems like these little pond snails are a really easy route, as they multiply so fast. Took almost 2 months to get golden eggs from my adults, and I had baby pond snails in 3-4 days. I imagine that within a week or 2, I won't be able to run out of these pond snails feeding them as his primary meat source. The mystery snails also take a couple months to be sexually mature, so I will only be able to give those to Marley as treats I imagine.
Last edited by Omega on Tue May 22, 2007 2:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Zach » Tue May 22, 2007 2:07 am

Good job.

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Postby Omega » Tue May 22, 2007 2:14 am

Shellyjean wrote:I went out yesterday and bought some aquatic mystery snails and am hoping they will breed also. I can't find any garden snails of any significant size in this area, and since they are considered pests it's hard to even order any.

But from Leigh's recent post w/pics it looks like they really enjoy them. So hopefully I'll have luck with these.

Now..so long as I remember they are food and not PETS! :roll:


I feel a little sad, one of the pond snails made it about a cm across the basking rock before Marley saw and devoured him... he was a fighter! hehe

But ethically I can just tell myself that most of the snails in my snail tank will lead long and happy lives. Out of the hundreds or thousands that will be in there, a small % of the population will end up in marley's belly. Most of them will live their lives in the tank eating, reproducing, and crawling around as happy snails, and prolly have a better survival chance than in the wild... at least maybe :wink:
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Postby Shellyjean » Tue May 22, 2007 4:57 am

Omega wrote: Out of the hundreds or thousands that will be in there, a small % of the population will end up in marley's belly. Most of them will live their lives in the tank eating, reproducing, and crawling around as happy snails, and prolly have a better survival chance than in the wild... at least maybe :wink:


Oh just quit your bragging! :rofl:

Well I now have named them Goldy #1, Goldy #2...all the way to 12. I never knew they would hold my attention for more than a second, but they are actually kinda cool to watch. Love their little snorkels. Ahh...so much for the "not pets" thing. :doh:
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Postby Leigh » Tue May 22, 2007 5:37 am

The fine line between pet/food ,Shellyjean, you've crossed it
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Postby Shellyjean » Tue May 22, 2007 5:59 am

Ya should have seen me with the nail polish trying to paint the little numbers on their shells! :rofl:

Just kidding....really!
Avatars are like shoes to me. Even though I can only wear one pair at a time, I always have a closet full!
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Leigh
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Postby Leigh » Tue May 22, 2007 6:01 am

If they're already numbered, get em crash helmets and go racing,hee,hee
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Postby Omega » Tue May 22, 2007 9:53 am

Haha, i would have a harder time feeding Mysteries to him, especially decent size ones. They are very cool to watch, I love when they climb up something and instead of climbing down just drop off and glide toward the bottom! The pond snails are pretty small, and a lot less personality, hehe.
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Postby Jenn » Tue May 22, 2007 11:33 am

But it's also a lot of fun watching the bluey crunch them up and eat them.
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