Want to get a pet, but sorry furniture, carpets and your nerves? We present to your attention a snail Achatina. This wonderful creature hails from Africa. It is absolutely unpretentious, does not bark, does not bite, does not spoil things and has almost no smell. The size of a snail can be controlled by a person, which is very convenient. You can grow it gigantic or very tiny - all according to your desire.
Snail features
As you know, snails are hermaphrodites. This means that they have both male and female genitals. Therefore, there will be no problems with procreation. But how to choose names for snails, you have to smash your head! But more on that later, and now remember - during mating, the older snail usually takes the role of the female, and if she does not lay eggs for a long time, this is a clear sign that a fresh snail is needed.
By the way, on average, Achatina lives 5 years, but some reach 10.
Where to settle such a miracle?
Before you purchase, take care of the aquarium (terrarium) or a plastic container for keeping the snail. The main thing is that it should be spacious, especially if you want to grow a large individual. There must be a cover. After all, this is not a fish, so she can easily leave her house and travel around the apartment. Do not forget about the air, holes must be present in the lid, otherwise your mollusk will suffocate.
At the bottom you need to lay a special soil, and even better - a coconut substrate. Spread it evenly along the bottom, from five to seven centimeters thick. Snails love dampness and humidity. To do this, spray the soil with spray water every morning. And ideally, build a small bath where this gastropod creature will bathe. Only not deep - up to 1 centimeter, otherwise the snail will choke. Changing the soil is recommended every 3 months.
You should not equip the estate with stones, figurines, objects that could damage the shell.
How to call hermaphrodite: names for snails
As already mentioned above, snails are hermaphrodites. Therefore, choosing a name for your pet can be quite problematic. Which to choose? Names for snails of boys or girls? It all depends on your preferences - decide for yourself, your boy is your snail or girl. And we will give only a few tips:
- Since any animal is a true friend, the names for snails can be human: Arseny, Gosha, Vasya, Margot, Nadia.
- These pets are true gourmets, identify their favorite delicacy and name it after it: Bananchik, Cucumber, Tomato, Watermelon, Melon ...
- Everyone knows that these animals are not very fast, use your sarcasm: Bystrik, Shustrik, Rocket, Ish-235, etc.
- It all depends on your imagination. Names for snails-girls can be selected even geographic: Russia, Canada, Africa ...
- The popular character SpongeBob is delighted with his home snail Gerry, you can steal an idea from him and call your own as well, or you can use other foreign names: Fred, Lola, Steve, John.
- Names for snails can be borrowed from your favorite characters in cartoons, series, films: Pupsen, Wupsen, Harry Potter, House, Cheburashka.
- And not only with the characters, but also with real people, your idols: Eminem, Samuel Jackson, Merlin Monroe.
- In the end, you can call a pet and popular names for pets. It will be very funny: Buddy, Fluff, Bug, Kuzya.
Choosing names for snails is probably the most difficult compared to acquiring and caring for them. It all depends on you, your imagination, your desire. Connect the creative and come up with something original.
What does a snail eat?
But whatever you call your favorite, you need to feed her. The diet is selected individually - mainly fruits and vegetables, except citrus fruits. Also beware of giving bell peppers. You can mix fish food with the ground (some snails especially like it) and chopped egg shells to strengthen the shell.
Since these are nocturnal animals, they must be fed in the evening. No need to pile everything up with a mountain; it is better to lay out the products around the perimeter. In one corner - a leaf of lettuce, in the other - a couple of slices of cucumber or tomato. Food can also be sprinkled with chopped shells. In the morning you need to remove the peel and other waste. It is recommended to diversify the menu for pets, for example, today - a leaf of lettuce, vegetables, next time - melon, watermelon, then - pear, plum and so on. It all depends on preferences and on the season, of course.
The snail can be fed every evening, and every other time. The main thing is that the product does not deteriorate in two days. By the way, snails can live without food for two weeks. At the same time, they fall asleep: they hide in the shell and are covered with a film - they turn on the energy-saving mode. To wake her, bathe her under a tepid little water.
Remember, any food artificially containing salt will kill the animal.
How to bathe a snail?
It is better to bathe a snail with drinking water, purified by a filter or at least boiled. It should be warm, but not much. Water the pet with a thin stream, and if at the same time it starts to open and show horns, then she likes the temperature. Wash it very carefully with a trickle and make sure that it does not submerge in water, otherwise it may choke. The snail can expose the head under the stream, the neck - there is no danger in this. The animal chokes when it does not expect air to be blocked by water.
You need to bathe her once a week, but you can and more often, this is their favorite pastime. If you bathe too rarely, the mollusk will feel unwell and in a mood, and this can turn into a disease.
You need to bathe at least 30 minutes. But this does not mean that all this time you must keep the snail under the stream. After she took a shower and you washed her shell, feel free to send her to the pool. As it is possible to use a disposable plastic plate.
That's all - bathe once a week, feed in the evenings, moisturize the aquarium and remove waste. Forgot - it's okay. Perhaps the most difficult thing is to decide what name you can give the snail!