Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on Apr 12, 2008 17:13:19 GMT
hi all, i have been meaning to ask this for a while never actually got round to it. When i hold my snails, especially my bigger ones, i can feel them bubbling in my hand. Why do they do this? Am i doing something wrong???
- katie xx
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Post by cleo on Apr 12, 2008 18:17:38 GMT
Snails don't like to be touched in general, when you pick them up, they afraid to be picked by a natural enemy. Sometimes they produce some foam (especially the tigers), they try to defend themselves.
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Val
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,498
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Post by Val on Apr 12, 2008 21:23:01 GMT
Yes, the 'foam' is a stress signal.
Val
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on Apr 13, 2008 5:08:54 GMT
So if a snail doesn't foam when being handled, that means it does not feel threatened?
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Post by cleo on Apr 13, 2008 5:28:41 GMT
When a snail is on a human's hand and comes out of her shell to crawl over the hand, then I guess she feels safe. But I only take all my snails out of their tanks when it's really necessary (for instance to change the soil), otherwise I leave them in the tank, cause I think a tank is that place, where they feel safe and good. I see them primarily as terrarium-animals, they aren't "cuddly toys" .
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Post by whodoesntlovesnails on Apr 13, 2008 6:03:07 GMT
When a snail is on a human's hand and comes out of her shell to crawl over the hand, then I guess she feels safe. But I only take all my snails out of their tanks when it's really necessary (for instance to change the soil), otherwise I leave them in the tank, cause I think a tank is that place, where they feel safe and good. I see them primarily as terrarium-animals, they aren't "cuddly toys" . but i like to handle my snails on a weekly bases because i want them to feel safe with me. is that a bad thing 2 do?
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Post by cleo on Apr 13, 2008 6:15:41 GMT
I wouldn't call that a bad thing. I just tell you my personal point of view.....when you have reptiles, you let them in the tank. When you try to handle reptiles, in many cases they show you in a strictly way, that they don't like it, somestimes they even bite you or act aggressive. Cause the snails don't bite or cause they can't run away from you it's easier to take them out of the tank. But.....: when you take the snail out of the tank: why does she retract into her shell? I try to respect my snails the same way I would respect a snail or another reptile.....for me they are terrarium-animals, I keep them to watch them not to handle them (when I like to touch animals I take my dog or my cats, they like to be touched and ask for that). The tank is their living space, and I don't like to take them out of this living space, when it's not necessary. But this is only my point of view.
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Post by whodoesntlovesnails on Apr 13, 2008 6:20:15 GMT
cleo, u make a really great point, and i do take notice that my snails cant run away or bite me, but in my mind, i really want them to be able to cuddle with me, but i have to face the facts. if only snails could talk...what a world that would be. lol
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Rachel
Archachatina puylaerti
They see me snailin'
Posts: 1,183
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Post by Rachel on Apr 13, 2008 13:59:34 GMT
sometimes snails bubble if they detect a substance they do not like, for instance if you don't rinse soap off your hands enough they may react to that. I have always found that if handled carefully and gently even the most nervy of snails will get used to you and stop being afraid, it just takes time, patience and love the same as with hamsters take a while to get used to you. I actually think snails will come to like being handled if you are gentle, I know that there was a while ago a thing about personifing snails, and I don't want to humanitise them (far from it), but I think we all notice snails and their personalities. Whether its a favouring for a certain food, a favourite spot to sleep, the way they sometimes like different water tempretures for their bath, and some wiggle their eyestalks while you bathe them, while others will gently rasp you or just chill out and enjoy the water. Or the way some snails like to climb the tank wall while others prefer to stay on the floor or decorations. Some snails won't get used to being handled, I think thats just down to the snail and their personality.
@ miley: I think if snails could talk the world would be interested in them for once ( and my mum would pass out from the shock, lol)
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Val
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,498
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Post by Val on Apr 13, 2008 17:14:33 GMT
So if a snail doesn't foam when being handled, that means it does not feel threatened? If the snail doesn't produce any 'foam' then it does not feel threatened in any way. Val
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Post by whodoesntlovesnails on Apr 13, 2008 20:25:29 GMT
So if a snail doesn't foam when being handled, that means it does not feel threatened? If the snail doesn't produce any 'foam' then it does not feel threatened in any way. Val well, because i handle my snails on a weekly or daily bases, it has been a very long time since any of them have foamed or bubbled when i picted them up. some of them dont even retract into their shells anymore, but those are the snails that i have had for a long time
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Val
Archachatina dimidiata
Posts: 2,498
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Post by Val on Apr 13, 2008 21:24:50 GMT
I'm sure that snails, like any animal eventually become used to being handled.
Val
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Post by whodoesntlovesnails on Apr 14, 2008 23:49:13 GMT
I'm sure that snails, like any animal eventually become used to being handled. Val that is why i try to get all my animals used to being handled and used to humans, because it makes them even more enjoyable. ;D
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Post by brgwnth on Apr 19, 2008 18:31:34 GMT
i often pick up wild garden snails to get them out of the way of feet and other things (like my mum throwing them out the window) and i can only recall once when a a snail bubbled on me. is this just because of me or because of where i live?
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Post by tomandmisty on Apr 19, 2008 19:17:36 GMT
Well i hold my amy and she never bubbles on my hand and she never retracts into the shell that much as i pick her up she likes being stroked too well i love stroking her LOL
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Post by brgwnth on Apr 20, 2008 10:48:49 GMT
im allergic to soap socould it be that?
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Rachel
Archachatina puylaerti
They see me snailin'
Posts: 1,183
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Post by Rachel on Apr 20, 2008 20:39:12 GMT
mabye
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GlitterBug
Achatina achatina
Crazy Daisy
Posts: 46
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Post by GlitterBug on May 12, 2008 17:04:51 GMT
I've only ever had my garden snails bubble when i pick them up, i figured its because they are WC and are used to doing it were as my snails have been handled and know that there is nothing to be afraid off. To me my snails are cuddly pets, they love being touched they dont retract or bubble, they retract when I mist them.
I suppose it depends on handling the animal when it comes to how they react when you pick them up. I had a horrid dwarf hamster and his old owners did not handle him and every time you went to pick him up he got scared and bit me. Eventually we gave him away but all my other hamsters were fine, loved their cuddles and back rides ;D
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Gino
Archachatina marginata
snail sauna
Posts: 24
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Post by Gino on May 12, 2008 17:43:50 GMT
Mine do not normally bubble or even retract when I pick them up, as long as I take the time to handle them gently. The only time one of them really didn't like being touched, was when I dropped the spraying/misting thing (= made of glass...) on it. But hey; afterwards I sprayed it in the face and it continued being the happy snail it was before the incident... ~ Yea, mine do too. I don't think they mind too much about being sprayed, (they actually 'come to life' when they are) however, as surely they are built to endure much worse rain conditions in nature. And hail and stuff... Same story here with 2 russian dwarf hamsters (or w/e they're called in English). I didn't dare to touch them because they would jump and attack anything entering their cage. My sister once did, however, and she was bitten as though by a pitbull and had to shake the hamster off her finger, some meters from the cage. Nice little wound, it brought her. Ah, the times...
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Rachel
Archachatina puylaerti
They see me snailin'
Posts: 1,183
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Post by Rachel on May 14, 2008 17:52:42 GMT
lol, i had an evil hamster, she bit all the way through the tip of dads finger.
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sandie
Achatina achatina
Posts: 44
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Post by sandie on May 15, 2008 15:29:33 GMT
I handle my Gals regularly, and they don't seem to mind at all. Mind you, I have had them since babies, so I suppose by now, (eight months) that they know me, and know I don't wish to harm them.
I have never had one of them "bubble" at me, either.
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Post by brgwnth on May 15, 2008 15:32:31 GMT
mine are babies though but they still bubble. but they are tigers so could it be to do with that...?
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Post by Snail Lover. on Mar 5, 2009 16:32:07 GMT
Mine dont bubble with me but when my friend holded them they both bubbled :S
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