1030snails

[1030snails]

I'm probably going to roll this blog into my main one at some point, because I haven't been posting nearly as much as I expected to.

The snails are doing ok I think, except for whomever I found empty today. I assume it's one of the cup jail crew (either dingus or splotch) because they're the oldest

I hope they had a decent life with me

[1030snails]

They seem to like whatever is on the new sticks

They were furiously grazing together and it was v cute,

[1030snails]

Today the snabies graduated to the adult tank! Seems like a bad year for my season affect disorder so everyone being in one enclosure will hopefully make it easier to clean. Especially since Chungus is bigger than the wild caught adults? And it looks like some of them might have the brown lip on their shells already - not sure.

Pics taken moments before disaster:

Oh dear...we appear to have a snile up starting near the food dish

It's apparently has to get worse before it gets better...

There's not much I can do other than give them time and space to sort things out, which should only take a few minutes.

[1030snails]

Got some new substrate for the snails (a millipede mix, supposedly loved by all detrivores). It seems quite soft and nice, with a variety of little leaves mixed in.

Put the cup jail crew and citrus squad together in the big terrarium since the citrus squad has been quarantined for nearly 4 months.

Citrus squad are currently all up in the same corner, and the cup jail crew are all under their log. Snails! 🙄

The snabies have been moved to the slightly larger terrarium vacated by the adults - it should be easier to check and maintain their humidity so they're not living in a marsh again. They also got some of the new 'dirt'.

Oh nice- Actual proof that they eat the bloodworms! I think that's chungus (middle) next to multi junior (mostly black on right).

[1030snails]

Caught lemon bar and green jeans making kisses faces at each other, so I need to be more vigilant for sneggs. It also clarifies that lemon bar is an adult, and the brown lip of their shell was damaged at some point.

Chiffon on the other side "really guys? Right in front on my salad?"

You wouldn't think that snails would really have a 'mating dance', but that's what I'd call it. They'd make kissy faces at each other, then spin in a tight circle while kind of trundling and gently wiggling their shells at each other. Sometimes one sometimes the other, at least once was both at the same time.

All on top of the carrot.

[1030snails]

Look how big this little guy has gotten!

Hard to believe he was smaller than a sunflower seed only a few months ago.

The biggest of his sniblings by quite a margin!

[1030snails]

Chinese sellers on Aliexpress are trying to sell giant land snail eggs as "Little Hatch Toys" which is adorable and hilarious except of course that this is the most illegal animal in the United States and even a zoo or scientific institution would get in trouble for having any

[1030snails]

Whenever I rehydrate dry ingredients for the snails, I refer to it as 'soup'. I've rarely seen the snabies or cup jail crew eat it, and it makes me a little sad even though it's not like I actually made it. The new yellow guy though, he seems to LOVE IT!(At least the nettle and birch leaf mixture)

So happy to see someone enjoying the soup!!

[1030snails]

Babies!!

[1030snails]

Life in the Slow Lane: The Brown Garden Snail

Perhaps the most widely known member of the mollusk group, the brown garden snail (Cornu aspersum), also known as the European garden snail, is native to the Mediterranean region of southern Europe and northern Africa, and his since spread to every continent except Antarctica. It thrives in temperate zones, particularly in open forests, coastal dunes, and urban parks and agricultural spaces. This spread has largely been facilitated by humans, and may have started as early as the Neolithic era nearly 8500 years ago.

The brown garden snail's name is an excellent descriptor of the species; both the body and the shell are mainly shades of brown. Generally the body is lighter than the shell, and secretes a thin layer of mucus to keep itself moist. The shell is about 2.5 to 4 cm (0.98-1.57 in) wide, while the body itself is roughly 5-9 cm (1.97-3.54 in) long. Body and shell combined, C. aspersum only weighs 15g (0.53 oz) at maximum. The body is made of two parts; the head, which carries the eye stalks, mouth, and sensory tentacles; and the foot, essentially a large muscle which the snail uses to move from place to place. The rest of its organs, including the heart, lungs, stomach, and anus are contained within the shell itself. Only the genital pore, located on the side of the foot, is exposed.

C. aspersum is primarily an herbivore, feeding on leaves, flowers, and fruits, as well as rotting plant and animal matter. In order to obtain the calcium it needs to build and maintain its shell, the European garden snail also occasionally consumes soil. Because of its slow nature, reaching a maximum of only 2.4 mm/s (0.09 in/s), this species is a common food item for other predatory snails, centipedes, glow worms, small mammals, lizards, frogs, and birds. However, the brown garden snail is able to retreat into its shell and produce a thick, frothy mucus membrane when threatened.

Like other terrestrial mollusks, the European garden snail is a hermaphroditic species, possessing both male and female gametes. Individuals may reproduce year round, provided with plentiful resources and good environmental conditions. When two snails encounter each other and wish to mate, each one spears the other with a hard calcite spine, known as a love dart. These darts allow the two to exchange sperm, and the process may take several hours. Afterwards, an individual may store viable sperm for up to 4 years. About ten days after a snail fertilizes its sperm, it lays about 50 eggs in a sheltered area; a single snail may do this up to 6 times a year. Eggs take between 2-4 weeks to hatch, and emerge with a soft shell. It takes about 10 months for juveniles to reach full maturity, and they may live up to 3 years in the wild.

Conservation status: C. aspersum has been rated as Least Concern by the IUCN. In both its introduced and native range, it is considered a pest species due to its consumption of crops. However, this species has also been adopted in some areas as a pet or as an edible delicacy.

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

Photos

Bill Frank

Alan Henderson

Kostas Zontanos

Rand Workman via iNaturalist

[1030snails]

Three of the snails I came across on my Snail Walk came home with me (07/02/23)

Idk if they will be permanent residents or temporary guests. The two that aren't the solid yellow have some shell damage and they both came from the pesticide sprayed area, which is where the cup jail crew is from.

Said two seem to appreciate the snack of carrots and pumpkin seeds

I may end up grabbing the two that live in the shrubs by the house and letting them all go in the wooded area behind the dumpster where they should be safer.

[1030snails]

Snails that live outside my apartment stripey there doesn't seem to be an adult yet going by the lip of their shell (pics taken 07/01/23 and 06/30/24)

[1030snails]

I have a hard time going on walks for "no reason" but managed a Snail Walk in pouring rain today

Found a lot of friends near campus! In the one area they are mostly multi-striped with that solid yellow being an outlier. I saw a little guy there too!

The other area (where they have for sure sprayed pesticides recently) has more single stripes and colour variations

[1030snails]

Look how big the snabies have gotten!

They very much look like small snails and not seeds or beads now. Only one multi striper (multi jr) and the littlest vaguely yellow one is still holding on and still growing

[1030snails]

The worlds smallest snail has just started to go freak mode on a succulent apple slice

[1030snails]

Discovered that one of the cup jail crew has died - pretty sure it was Primo.

I always felt that he was on the older side - having picked the cup jail crew up from outside there's no way to know how old they are, other than 'adult'.

He had a half year free from predators/the elements, all sorts of yummy things to eat, and some companions to hang out with. I hope it was a good life.

[1030snails]

(05/16/23)

The snabies all out themselves on the lid during cleaning time. Thanks guys!