How many years do snails live at home?

Snail in nature

Gastropods or snails are mollusks of the Gastropod class. They are famous for their slowness and spiral-shaped shell. Habitat: damp, wetlands, ponds, coastal areas of rivers and lakes, seas and oceans. Distributed throughout the world, but preference is given to tropical and subtropical climate zones. They are popular as pets among aquarium enthusiasts.

Animals are divided into three main categories:

Land animals breathe air and lead a terrestrial lifestyle. They live in damp places, in forests, near water bodies. They prefer a diet of plant origin.
Aquatic animals obtain oxygen by passing liquid through their gills; without water they die. Places of residence: seas, oceans, rivers and lakes. They feed on plants, and there are also predators among them.
Pulmonary - live on land and in water without experiencing breathing problems. The diet consists mainly of plant foods and decomposition products.

Depending on the species, and more than a hundred of them are known, snails are distinguished by the colors of their shells and body.

Achatina is most often chosen as a pet. This land mollusk is native to tropical forests. The large and slow snail moves no more than a centimeter per minute. At home it lives in trees. To prevent damage to the sole when rubbing against dry bark, it secretes mucus. The peak of activity occurs at night. This species is quite intelligent and has a good memory. Remembers the feeding place and returns there again and again. In nature, it feeds on plant foods: fallen leaves, tree buds.

Snail Achatina

Why are aquarium shellfish harmful?

Snails are creatures with shells on their backs. To construct and maintain the integrity of a natural shelter, gastropods need calcium and a water pH of at least 7. Therefore, it is recommended to line the bottom of the aquarium with a ball of small particles of marble, limestone, and sea shells. You can also add drugs to the water that increase water hardness.

We suggest you read: Symptoms and treatment of cats with acute gastritis

The size of a home pond should depend on the size of the inhabitants. It is enough for small gastropods to fit in a small vessel, while an aquarium for Achatina snails (one of the large invertebrates) should be at least 10 liters.

To properly set up a terrarium for gastropods, it is necessary to line the bottom with soil on which decorations, shells and plants are placed. If you decide to use soil from your own garden, it must first be roasted in the oven to prevent infection. High-quality soil for a terrarium should consist of sand, earth and coconut substrate.

For the comfort of snails, which are nocturnal creatures, it is recommended to place a building in the terrarium where the pets can rest during the day. Broken flower pots placed upside down are excellent for this purpose.

The temperature in the aquarium should correspond to the natural climate of the snails and not exceed 25-28 degrees.

What the snail does in the aquarium depends on the state of the ecological climate in the reservoir. If the environment is favorable, the mollusks will feel comfortable and calm. If the water space is polluted, invertebrates will begin to worry and may even get sick.

What determines the lifespan of snails?

Any pet needs care. The lifespan of the animal depends on the quality of comprehensive measures taken by the owners.

Knowledge will help prolong the life of your pet. Before taking a snail, study its structure, feeding habits, possible diseases and natural enemies.

Depending on the natural conditions in which the gastropod lived, a new place of residence is arranged. Most often they are kept in aquariums. Additional equipment will require a thermometer to monitor the thermal regime in an artificial environment. In winter, a heater and special lighting are used.

To properly care for a snail, its simple anatomy is studied. The mollusk consists of the following parts:

The head contains the organs of touch, vision and mouth. Animals are practically blind, distinguishing only between day and night. Their hearing is also not developed. Tentacles help search for food.
Leg - the flat sole contracts in waves, providing movement.
Entrails bag - located in the sink. It contains the main vital organs.
Mantle - includes reproductive organs, respiratory organs (gills or lungs), intestines, and excretory system.

Improper care and poor diet are detrimental to mollusks. As a result of carelessness and incompetence of owners, a number of diseases arise:

A broken shell or crack is the result of careless handling or lack of calcium. Fix the problem as quickly as possible so that the internal organs of the animal are not damaged. Small cracks are covered with plaster, large holes are covered with a film removed from the inner surface of the eggshell, then covered with plaster. Be sure to include calcium in the diet, the source of which can be ground eggshells.
White plaque on the shell indicates that the animal is not eating properly. You should monitor your diet and diversify it. Sometimes it appears in older snails; this is a natural, inevitable process.
Burns are critical for mollusks; such injuries are fatal. It is recommended to avoid contact with hot objects and food. Avoid acidic and alkaline foods. Some species need protection from direct sunlight.
Detachment of internal organs occurs as a result of serious physical trauma. They cannot be treated and the animal dies. You should treat your pet with care, do not drop it and do not let it come into contact with other pets (cats, dogs)

Aquarium mollusks have natural enemies. You should not keep cichlids, shrimp, gourami, or lionheads with snails. These fish will try to eat your pets.

What affects the lifespan of a snail

The individual characteristics of each species of gastropod are the main reason affecting the life expectancy of snails. For longevity of pets you will need:

Mr. Tail recommends: snail life expectancy by species

Domestic pets live on average 20% longer than their wild relatives. This is due to the absence of natural enemies, abundant nutrition and proper care. In addition, each species has its own life expectancy.

Water

Marine and freshwater mollusks live shorter lives than land ones. But even among them there are long-livers:

The ampularia grows up to 15.5 cm in length and lives no more than 4 years. The animal loves plenty of food, and if it is not fed enough, it begins to spoil the plants. Biompholaria, as this species is also called, needs a small air space between the lid of the aquarium and the surface of the water. This ensures the gastropod breathes properly. It is strictly forbidden to leave the container open. The snail can crawl out, but without water it dies.

Helena is not the most popular type of pet; she is bred to reduce the number of her own kind. An adult grows up to 2 cm in length and lives from 2 to 5 years. The predator snail eats smaller fellows and carrion. The bright color of the shell warns the inhabitants of the aquarium about an unpleasant neighborhood. If there is a lack of food in the habitat, add food for fish, shrimp, and krill to the diet.

Small bithinia does not grow more than 1.5 cm in length. Lives up to 5.5 years and feeds on plant foods. In nature it is a carrier of parasites. In the aquarium, he cleans the walls of fungi and bacteria. Demanding on living conditions, in particular on temperature and water hardness.

The meadow reaches 4 cm in length and lives 5-6 years. The viviparous mollusk has a beautiful shell with contrasting stripes, an olive-colored body with splashes of gold.

The giant Australian trumpeters are truly long-lived, also known as buccinids. They are rarely kept at home. The shell size reaches 25 cm, the average life expectancy is 10 years. The homeland of the mollusk is the northern seas. The predator kills the prey with poisonous saliva.

Land

Long-livers are much more common among land species. They are popular among breeders due to their impressive size and intelligence:

Giant Achatina or African snails reach 25 cm in length and live up to 10 years. There are several types: brindle, brown and lemon. The names reflect the color and color of the shell. A very interesting variety of fulika albino body is an albino with a white body and a light shell, it is not afraid of humans, and crawls into hands. The mollusk feeds on plants, so in nature they are destroyed as pests. They feel great at home. The cone-shaped Achatina shell twists clockwise.

The popular Grape snail is known to everyone. Its meat is a delicacy. They reach 5 cm in length. They die at the age of 8-10 years. The animal prefers to overwinter by falling into suspended animation and closing the entrance to the house with special mucus. The nutritional value of this species is widely known; it is grown on special farms. Shellfish are also used in cosmetology and medicine.

Megas differs from its relatives in the small amount of mucus secreted. Quite large individuals reach 9 cm in length. Life expectancy in good conditions is 14 years.

Other

Snails that can live on land and in water also become pets; this subspecies is called pulmonary:

Aquarium cleaner Coil grows up to 3 cm and lives for about 4 years. The snail eats leftover food and dead plants. This species is distinguished by its unpretentiousness. The animal survives in polluted waters with low oxygen content. It can swim across the surface of the water using an air bubble that forms in the shell.

The Neretina snail creates a bright accent in the aquarium. It grows up to 3 cm in length and does not live long, about a year. The color and shape of the shell are a distinctive feature of the species. The following are known: zebra, olive, brindle, ring-striped, beeline, horned. The mollusk is unpretentious and can go without food for some time. To prevent burns, the container with the animal is shaded, and the lighting is chosen at low power. You can pamper your pet with calcium.

Experienced aquarists prefer the Phys species. By definition, this is a wonderful cleaner up to 2 cm in size. The snail lives for about 2 years, feeds on algae. The only drawback is the rapid reproduction, you should monitor the numbers.

The royal clam or tilomelania is distinguished by its bright yellow color and elongated conical shell. Large individuals are 13 cm in length. Under ideal conditions they reach 7 years of age. The animal requires special care, it eats a lot and is extremely unfriendly with its neighbors. This species is photophilous and requires a lot of free space.

Omnivorous Melania is not as beautiful as her predecessor, but is much more useful and unpretentious. The snail is up to 4 cm in size and lives approximately 5 years. It cleans the aquarium perfectly and is non-confrontational.

An unusual shell decorated with horns at the Brothia Pagoda. This small mollusk grows up to 4 cm. Lives in captivity for 5 years. Prefers sandy soil and feeds on fish food.

A child's drawing of a snail most accurately reflects the shape of the shell of the Maryse species. The small animal reaches a height of 5 cm. Lives 2-4 years. Able to float to the surface to breathe air. It requires little care and feeds on fish food.

The tropical pond snail is a funny mollusk; looking at its pink cheeks, you can associate it with Pokemon. Unfortunately, he is not a long-livers; the average lifespan is about a year. The slightly transparent shell is covered with specks, and the body is covered with sparkles. The shell is fragile, you should be careful when making contact.

Having understood the species, let us highlight the main characteristics that affect the lifespan of snails:

Strength of the shell.
Compliance with diet.
Communication with neighbors is vital for some species.
Temperature +22…+27 °C.
Water hardness and acidity.
Construction of the tank and soil quality.
Minimal human contact.
Timely treatment of diseases.

Gastropods are diverse and interesting. Their maintenance is simpler than caring for mammals and does not require special investments.

Aquarium and terrarium long-livers

Many snails live much longer at home than in the wild - after all, nothing threatens them in the terrarium, the temperature is ideal and there is regular feeding. If we take all the species, the ones that stand out are the long-livers – both large and small.

Achatina. Ready to please her owners for about 5 years. And if you follow all the nuances of Achatina’s life, then they can live even 10 years.
Maryse. These are domestic “pets” that can live for 4 years. They need to be looked after and fed appropriate food.
Ampularia. This resident is picky, as he lives at a temperature of only 24-27 degrees. If all is well, then the creature is ready to please its owner for exactly 4 years.

There are also snails such as grape snails and Pokemon, but, unfortunately, they live even less - 1-2 years. As you can see, for the most part, mollusks are not picky and very interesting creatures.

The most important thing is to properly care for them, feed them the necessary food, and create all the comfortable conditions for their life.

Try to make sure your little friend doesn't get sick. Place it in an aquarium with non-predatory fish. If you have a land snail, then create comfortable conditions for it - and then it will please you for a long time.

Interesting facts and useful tips

Various stories about mollusks can be found on the Internet:

The record for life expectancy belongs to the Grape Snail. The pet was 30 years old at the time of its death.
The red reel can float on the surface of the water. When she gets scared, she lets out the air and falls like a stone to the bottom.
Land species are big fans of warm showers. They are held underwater in the palm of your hand. Particles of household chemicals remain on the surface of plumbing fixtures, which can kill your pet.
Giant snails get used to their owner and are even able to determine his position in the room.
Not a single case of allergy caused by shellfish has been recorded. Mucus is a good wound healer.
Animals can go without food for a long time. During fasting, they fall into suspended animation and use up the body's internal reserve.