Interesting and original pets snail petty pets become pets in many families. These creatures were obtained in East Africa, and now they can be found in houses of any country in the world. They deserved their popularity with their exotic appearance and carefulness to care.
Conditions for growing
Despite the unpretentiousness of the snails, it is necessary to create certain conditions for their content.Terrarium
A plastic or glass container is suitable as a terrarium for snail. Tara must have a massive well-fortified cover with holes. Akhatina belong to the land molluscs, and therefore it is not necessary to fill in water to fill in the selected container.
The volume of the aquarium is chosen at the rate of 10 liters per person, for an adult snail, a 40 cm long terrarium is required, 25 cm wide and 25 cm high. Both gigantic species and small snails are capable of sprinkling even tight material, so the boxes are not suitable as a house.
The aquarium must be clean, cloues should not be present on the walls:
- Through the dull walls of the pet will not be visible;
- Access to light will be difficult.
That's why all the walls should be transparent . Inside it is necessary to organize a place of feeding and drinking, put the pool, equip the shelter - they can serve, for example, a ceramic pot or coconut shell.
Try with the arrangement of the terrarium to avoid too hard and acute items, as they can cause injury to Akhatam. As scenery, moss can be used, shards, a bark, allowed to plant plants.
Substrate
The filler is vital for African snail. For mollusc, you should select a soft loose soil, which contains no sharp fragments. The amount of filthy substrate is calculated by snail dimensions: it is important that she can completely break. Usually for adult ahatina, a layer is 5-7 cm enough, for young compact snail no need to fall asleep a lot of soil, otherwise it suffer. The most popular varieties of soil are considered to be several options.
- Coconut substrate. This filler holds moisture for a long time. Before filling them in the aquarium, the substrate is sprayed with boiling water, then cooled, washed, dried and placed on the bottom of the terrarium.
- Riding pure peat . If this type of filler is used, the acidity must remain at 5-7.
- Sand. Snails like this type of soil, but the particles can scratch, injure the shell, leave damage on the walls of the terrarium. Experienced breeders connect a large loose sand with a non-chicken ground.
- Compost. This is a good option, if it does not contain fertilizers, however, the owners of the snails note that when using this species, the appearance in the terrarium and in the house of fruit midges is possible.
Unacceptable to use are sawdust, pebbles, shells, even the classic soil will not fit, as it can be fertilizers and other dangerous components. It is allowed to use synthetic shelters, and to lay moss or dry foliage on top.
Temperature mode
This is a thermo-loving animal recommended for its content temperature + 24 ... 28 degrees Celsius. To maintain the mode, you can use thermal crims, thermoses, lighting devices. When cooling, Akhatin becomes sluggish and even can fall into the hibernation. Overheating is also dangerous. To monitor the temperature mode, do not forget to get a thermometer.
Do not leave the terrarium next to the battery or other heating devices so that humidity indicators have not been reduced, and do not dry the ground. And Take care of the aquarium from direct sunlight.
Humidity
Humidity is the most important indicator for the content of snails. V Akhatina's arid conditions feel uncomfortable, they break into the substrate or hide into the sink. In order not to deliver the pet discomfort, organize a small pool in the terrarium.
The basis can be any capacity. The main thing is that she is heavy, and the snail could not flip her . And also to maintain humidity, you need to spray the terrarium and its bottom of water a couple of times a day. The recommended humidity for most species is 70-85%, for albopict - 90%.
Lighting
The visual body of the snail is located on the mustache, and therefore these animals are very sensitive to the light. So that the pet is not blind, it is impossible to use powerful bright lamps for lighting. It is also not allowed to put a terrarium on the southern window, where ultraviolet rays fall. Use weak lighting devices, the light is deficuous on the night.
Sounds of feeding
The main diet of the snail is vegetable food. Cucumbers, leaf salad, apples - Favorite delicas of Akhatina.
Does not circulate this creature and street grasses - clover, dandelion, leaves. And also useful carrots, corn, zucchini. As an additional delicacy, you can offer snail bran or oatmeal. The most important component of the menu should be high calcium products. So, an egg shell or aft chalk can be an excellent source of this element. Do not refuse from feeding with special additives and vitamins for reptiles.
Offer snail only thoroughly washed crushed products. Young individuals are fed every evening, and in the morning the remaining food fragments are removed.
Adult snails enough to feed a couple of times a week.
For the correct content of Akhatina, the owner must take care not only about food, but also about water for his pet. Without fluid, it is impossible to highlight the secretion of the liquid, so necessary snail for life. That's why In terrarium, there should always be a small capacity with water, it is customary to change the water every two days.
How to clean the aquarium?
The general cleaning in the terrarium is held once a month. Cleaning performed step by step:
- The aquarium is purified from the old filler;
- The container is thoroughly washed with running water and dry well;
- Next fill the container with a new substrate;
- Moisturize the substrate by sprinkling with water from the spray.
Compliance with hygiene
As already mentioned, it is advisable to put the pool in the terrarium. Here the snail will perform water procedures. Do not pour the container for too high, especially if small snails live in the terrarium. Mollusks can move under water, but young people can drown out. Water in the pool should be room temperature, you need to change it every day.
Periodically, Akhatin needs to take the soul. To do this, the overexposition of warm water over the crane is suitable. Snail at the time of the shower procedure is kept in palm. All manipulation continues to a maximum of 3 minutes.
Care rules in winter
Due to the unavailability of fresh fruits and vegetables, the snail menu in the winter becomes poor. The decrease in temperature and the moisture deficit affect the state of the Akhatina, so many of them fall into the hibernation. It is a man-hazardous phenomenon, but an inexperienced owner can frighten, noting that a pet for two months does not submit signs of life.
To avoid this phenomenon, it is important to continue to follow all the rules for the content and care of snail: save the power mode, maintain temperature regime and humidity indicators.
Well, if you succeed in the winter period to grow greens for a pet yourself at home. In the cold months, feeding with oat flakes, bran, milk low-fat products, dried in water with bread of coarse grinding.
How to care for eggs and kids?
Each owner who decided to breed Akhatin snails Must know several facts about breeding and care for eggs and young.
- Ahather has both men's and female genitals, that is, refers to hermaphrodites. Depending on the type of incubation period varies.
- You can determine the pregnancy in the bag with eggs that has formed next to the breathing hole in a couple of weeks after crossing. Masonry Pregnant snail produces for two days, tearing into the ground. It turns out 200-400 eggs at one time, however, not everyone turns out to be viable. Young hatred in 2-4 weeks after masonry.
- Akhatina - very prolific animals, and often the owner has to wash off the pieces of eggs to control the number of individuals. Sometimes it happens by chance, so be careful when cleaning the terrarium.
- As soon as the first cubs will appear from eggs, eat them from adult individuals in a separate terrarium with salad leaves.
- A liquid porridge, supplemented with grated carrots, can be the first porridge for offspring. These products contribute to the full growth and strengthening of the shell.
Hibernation and awakening
In the hibernation, the animal may fit for the following reasons:
- sharp temperature changes;
- the situation of stress, for example, the change of terrarium, diet, substrate;
- cooling;
- Humidity deficit.
Most often, the owners are watching this phenomenon in winter. Before the deep sleep, the pet closes with a special film called Epiphragm. In general, there is nothing dangerous in the hibernation, but if the snail will continue to sleep for more than two months, then it will lose the irreparable part of the moisture, and this can already destroy Akhatin. Due to the loss of moisture, the mollusk decreases in size and breaks all deeper into the shell, the torso becomes more liquid.
Sometimes the owners are specifically introduced snail into sleep state, for example, on vacation time, when there is no one to care for animals. For this, the mollusk is placed in a container with a dry substrate, the aquarium does not moisturize, the animal is not fed. Under such conditions, the snail will fall. Young individuals are forbidden to put in a hibernation, otherwise it will negatively affect the growth and development of Akhatina.
If the snail is sleeping for more than two months, then the owner is forced to wake it up.
The easiest way is the premises of a pet under a stream of warm water. Feeling moisture, snail looks out of the sink, and then it immediately needs to be left in a terrarium with the conditions familiar to it. Next, the pet is sprayed with water.
If the reason for hibernation was the violation of the temperature regime, then it is required to return the previous indicators. And in this case, it is necessary to change the soil and bathe snail in water with a chamomile decoction (+36 degrees) and milk. If the mollusk does not wake up, the procedure is repeated once every two days until it looks out of the sink.
Noticing that the animal is preparing for hibernation, it is important to prevent this phenomenon. The following measures will serve as prophylaxis:
- Add in the menu in the ingredients with a high calcium content;
- We wash the snail regularly, contain a terrarium clean;
- Watch out for the air temperature and humidity indicators in the aquarium.
Possible problems
The problem in the content of the pet may become its illness. In general, these are animals with fairly strong health, but also such an attack, like a disease, does not always bypass them. The following symptoms indicate the following symptoms:
- Snail passivity;
- loss of appetite;
- clogging of the entrance to the sink;
- Overly thick mucus;
- Pancar bundle;
- Whistle and hiss, which during pain makes Akhatina.
An animal is sick, if the terrarium comes overcooling or overheating. And the causes of the ailments can be a close capacity, too dry or wet substrate, bad hygiene, accumulation of rotten unselected food fragments, formation on the walls of fungus and mold, monotonous nutrition, deficiency of protein and calcium. To handle clams from parasites, breeders use iodine, ointment with propolis, the drug "Mikosptin".
Sometimes it becomes a problem Pancier injury. Snail may fall, or the scattered owner accidentally can add it to something, resulting in a violation of the integrity of the shell. Small defects can be treated with antiseptic, large layers and cracks are eliminated by epoxy glue.
If such a misfortune happened to the pet, it is important to plant it for the healing of the shell from other individuals, since these creatures love to rub on each other with sinks.
To prevent injury to injury, it is important to comply with the following rules:
- Always take a snail with clean and wet hands, but before that do not use soap, cream or other hygiene products;
- Do not break the pet forcibly from the wall of the aquarium and do not compress it between your fingers so as not to injure the sink and not damage the internal organs;
- Take the snare not for the shell, but for the sole.
Sometimes the problem becomes the determination of the death of a pet. Not all owners can recognize that the animal died, and continue to care for him. If when touched snail does not draw an instinctively head and torso in the shell, then this indicates its death. The same applies to the situation when the sink has been sealed for a long time, and the snail cannot be woken.
Seeing that the snail fell out of the shell, it can also be assumed that she died, or it was waiting for her in the near future. There is an unpleasant smell of rotten egg, spread throughout the terrarium.
Review reviews
In general, the reviews of the owners about African snail are positive, although some disadvantages of these animals are noted. Benefits include simplicity of care, as well as the cost-effectiveness. Thus, the main costs are necessary only when Akhatina appears in the house (buying an aquarium, lighting devices, fillers, houses), and then the expenses will almost not require this animal. And among the advantages there is no smell than other pets can boast.
Separately owners talk about the benefits of these snails. Turns out, Their mucus is used in medicine and cosmetology. Some hostesses leave the animal on the face, abdomen or in areas where cellulite was formed.
It is believed that therapeutic mucus of Akhatina is able to get rid of wrinkles, scars, stretch marks, pigmentation, it is capable of pulling the skin, removes the voltage, is used during massage.
By the cons of these pets, judging by the reviews of the owners can be attributed to them Feature to issue noise when crawling at night, that is, an unpleasant sound is heard when friction about the surface. However, this property is noticed not by all owners, mostly this phenomenon is observed for pets, in which sand is used as a litter. And also the disadvantages include a possible The appearance of smell from rotting products, in time of unnoticed and not cleaned by the owner.
Some users say that When shooting these animals is quite difficult to find in the apartment. Owners of individual species express an opinion on their favorites. Thus, the retic breeders are advised to acquire a fairly large terrarium, and the owners of albinos snails are recommended not to be afraid if the animal grows slowly - apparently, it is characteristic of albinos, besides, such snails are more demanding in care.
You can learn more about snail Ahantine, looking at the video below.