Post by hopea2 on Jan 15, 2011 11:49:18 GMT
Achatina fulica come from Africa, but can survive cold conditions, even snow, by aestivating (equivalent to hibernation). Fulica, like all snails is hermaphroditic (both male and female, this does not mean that they can mate by themselves, they still require a mate), and after a single mating can produce a number of batches of fertile eggs over a period of months. Each batch of eggs can contain 100 to 400 with up to 1200 being laid in a year. This means you can be over run very quickly. There is 3 ways to get rid of unwanted eggs freeze them for a couple of days, crush them or burn them, but I would recommend freezing them as it is more humane.
Eggs are spherical to ellipsoidal in shape (4.5-5.5 mm in diameter) and they can be yellow to a creamy colour. These hatch after about 2-4 weeks dependant on the temperature. When the eggs hatch the new baby snails are about 4mm long. After eating their own egg shell, the baby snails they stay underground for a couple of days and do not eat, but once they surface move straight onto adult food, maturing in six to nine months, depending on temperatures and food.
Fulica can live 5 or 6 years, sometimes as many as 10 years.
Housing
A good sized, well-ventilated plastic or glass container or tank which has a secure lid makes a good home (from what I’ve been told full grown snails need a 5-10 gallon tank as a minimum). Snails like a 1-2 inch layer of soil or compost as a substrate this lets them burrow to hide and lay their eggs. Pieces of wood, cork bark or a plastic/clay flower pot gives your snails a hiding spot. Mist the tank to keep the substrate slightly damp (not wet, but damp, if you take a handful of soil and when you squeeze it water comes out it is too wet). Fulica don’t need a heat mat, as long as the temperature does not go below 18 degrees they would be fine without a heat mat. I personally advise the use of a heat mat and give my fulica tank a temperature of 21 - 25 as this is the temperature they would have in their native home in Africa, but as stated above it is not necessary to have the temperature in their tank as high as they can live happily in a room temperature tank.
Feeding
Snails will eat almost any vegetable or fruit, although some can be fussy, my adult Fulica loves tomatoes where as the rest won’t touch them. It’s always best to give the food a rinse before giving it to the snails; this ensures all the pesticides are washed off. I feed mine Italian salad leaves, cucumber, and carrots as their basic, and feed them mushrooms, apples, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, peppers, grapes, and banana. I have given them goldfish food and soaked dog biscuits from time to time and they seem to enjoy them too. As stated above it is important to wash all food before feeding your snails of any kind otherwise residual pesticides may cause the snails death.
Snails need calcium, and to get this the best source is cuttle fish bone or calcium powder on their food, I personally use both just to ensure they get calcium. If they don’t get enough calcium the snails shell will not be strong, they could suffer stunted growth, and their shells condition will not be very good.
Handling
Snails don't seem to mind being handled, some seem to really enjoy it, but you need to keep in mind that you will end up covered in slime!!! However a word of warning, you need to be careful because at the base of the shell is where the new shell growth is, and it is very fragile and break easily.
Eggs are spherical to ellipsoidal in shape (4.5-5.5 mm in diameter) and they can be yellow to a creamy colour. These hatch after about 2-4 weeks dependant on the temperature. When the eggs hatch the new baby snails are about 4mm long. After eating their own egg shell, the baby snails they stay underground for a couple of days and do not eat, but once they surface move straight onto adult food, maturing in six to nine months, depending on temperatures and food.
Fulica can live 5 or 6 years, sometimes as many as 10 years.
Housing
A good sized, well-ventilated plastic or glass container or tank which has a secure lid makes a good home (from what I’ve been told full grown snails need a 5-10 gallon tank as a minimum). Snails like a 1-2 inch layer of soil or compost as a substrate this lets them burrow to hide and lay their eggs. Pieces of wood, cork bark or a plastic/clay flower pot gives your snails a hiding spot. Mist the tank to keep the substrate slightly damp (not wet, but damp, if you take a handful of soil and when you squeeze it water comes out it is too wet). Fulica don’t need a heat mat, as long as the temperature does not go below 18 degrees they would be fine without a heat mat. I personally advise the use of a heat mat and give my fulica tank a temperature of 21 - 25 as this is the temperature they would have in their native home in Africa, but as stated above it is not necessary to have the temperature in their tank as high as they can live happily in a room temperature tank.
Feeding
Snails will eat almost any vegetable or fruit, although some can be fussy, my adult Fulica loves tomatoes where as the rest won’t touch them. It’s always best to give the food a rinse before giving it to the snails; this ensures all the pesticides are washed off. I feed mine Italian salad leaves, cucumber, and carrots as their basic, and feed them mushrooms, apples, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, peppers, grapes, and banana. I have given them goldfish food and soaked dog biscuits from time to time and they seem to enjoy them too. As stated above it is important to wash all food before feeding your snails of any kind otherwise residual pesticides may cause the snails death.
Snails need calcium, and to get this the best source is cuttle fish bone or calcium powder on their food, I personally use both just to ensure they get calcium. If they don’t get enough calcium the snails shell will not be strong, they could suffer stunted growth, and their shells condition will not be very good.
Handling
Snails don't seem to mind being handled, some seem to really enjoy it, but you need to keep in mind that you will end up covered in slime!!! However a word of warning, you need to be careful because at the base of the shell is where the new shell growth is, and it is very fragile and break easily.
