If you’ve ever wondered whether you could keep a snail as a pet, you’d be pleased to know that you can. Snails are excellent pets and they are easy to take care of. You do not have to worry about taking them for walks and they are fun to observe. If you are still unsure about keeping a snail as a pet, this article will answer those questions you do not have answers to. Without further ado, let’s dig in.
Why Keep a Snail as a Pet?
If you plan on getting your very first pet, a snail is actually a viable option. They do not require a lot of work to be taken care nor do they make any noise. It is inexpensive to set up things for a pet snail and you do not have to go out of your way to prepare food for them either.
Where to Find Snails?
So, where can you find snails? You need not look farther than your garden. You will come across plenty of them if you have a vegetable garden. Specifically, snails can often be found under lettuce leaves.
How to Take Care of a Pet Snail?
First and foremost, you will need an enclosure for your pet snail. The enclosure can be as simple or as extravagant as you want.
If you want to keep a pet snail for a few days, you can make it with a plastic container. However, if you plan to keep a pet snail for longer, you will need a larger enclosure. The enclosure for your pet snail should have enough ventilation; your snails will need all the fresh air they can get.
Secondly, you will need soil for your pet snail. You can make do with soil from your garden, or any garden for that matter. If you want, you can add sphagnum moss into the mix too. Remember, you will need to keep the enclosure clean at all times, although it’s important to keep it moist. To moisten the soil and furnishings, a spray bottle will do the trick just fine.
Lastly, when it comes to feeding your pet snail, they thoroughly enjoy fruits and vegetables. However, avoid giving your pet snail citrus fruits as they spoil quickly. To keep the enclosure clean, keep a food and water bowl.
Make sure you wash the bowls before you put food or water. This is important because many fruits and vegetables come with pesticides, and these can harm your snail. To keep your snail’s shell healthy, you will also need to add dried crushed eggshells or cuttlefish to their diet.
Handling snails is pretty straightforward, but you will need to be careful about your hygiene while holding them. It is a good idea to wash your hands before and after holding your snail. Apart from this, keeping a pet snail is not a lot of work and comes with the cool benefit of being a unique pet that probably no one has in your whole social circle!
