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Post by deedee24 on Dec 16, 2011 12:31:30 GMT
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Hi all,
I wondered if anyone would be able to help.
Yesterday I rescued 2 GALS (they had been dumped in the park, it was about 4 degrees). I brought them home and put them in a tank with some organic peat free compost and some food.
One of them was defo dead (started leaking fluid and getting smelly) but I am not sue about the other, it has partially sealed itself in and ater trawling through forums for hours I have tried giving it warm baths to no avail .... there is no smell coming from this one ........ yet, but also no sign of life.
I do not yet have a heat mat but my house is quite warm and the thermometer in the tank is reading 23 degrees.
What should I do? keep waiting to see if it starts to smell?
Is there any way I can tell if it is still alive?
Any help will be appreciated
Many Thanks
Dee
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Post by axoloa on Dec 16, 2011 14:08:32 GMT
Hi deedee24. I hate it when people think its ok to do things like this. Theirs so many people in the world who think its ok to abuse or abandon these creatures, some thinking they will survive the local weather and other who just dont care.
When it comes to snails, theirs not realy any easy way to tell if their alive or dead untill they do start smelling. If I was you i would give it a warm spray (not hot) and then put it down in your warmest room (preferably in an enclosure with some substrait. Simply a clear tub with a lid would be fine for this as a temporary solution (perminent if large enough and if you decide to keep the little fellow). if it is dead then you should know pretty soon as they do start smelling very quickly. If its not dead however then you could be waiting from as little as a few minuits to as much as around 2 weelks for it to choose to come back out. If it lasts this long then you will know its alive anyway but theirs no guarentee that it will stay alive after exposure like that.
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foghog
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 235
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Post by foghog on Dec 16, 2011 18:18:11 GMT
wow...what did you do, see someone actually drop them off, or somehow run into them after the fact?
I wouldn;t of gave them the warm bath right away. the temp extremities could put it in shock. better to give it a cool shower first, then slowly change the warmth, but don;t go over like 70 degrees, and then the warmer room temperture will adjust it without shocking it so much. you will know fairly soon if they are dead though. they develop a smell pretty quick. within hours really. hope that isn't the case.
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Post by deedee24 on Dec 16, 2011 18:46:44 GMT
Hi, Thanks for your replies! My mum is a supervisor for the local parks. The GALS were discovered by the park keeper, who alerted my mum and I was told to pick them up. They were left out in the open, not even sheltered by a container  and I have no idea how long they were left there for. I think it is disgraceful that they were just left to die!!!  I will keep an eye on the one that is left, it isnt smelling yet which i will hope is a good sign as I have had it since yesterday afternoon. I think they are only young as the shell is around 5-6cm, my daughter will be v. upset if 'he' doesnt survive. Do you think I should continue bathing it, or just leave it alone? Thanks again |
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Katie
Achatina tincta
Posts: 673
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Post by Katie on Dec 16, 2011 23:03:12 GMT
How nice of you to rescue him (:
Give the Snail a warm, moist environment (make sure its not too wet, though) and he will eventually wake up, providing he is still alive. I used to find, whenever i had Snails that had sealed themselves up like this, that giving them a nice shower under the warm tap, and then leaving them in a warm enviroment with the right ammount of humidity would allow them to wake up in their own time.
Have you tried leaving some fresh cucumber nearby, within a short distance so the snail would know that it was there, or even placing the snail ontop of the cucumber (providing the fruit has not just come out of the fridge and so is not too cold to touch)? Cucumber is a particular favourite in Snails, and any natives that i used to bring inside during winter would quickly wake up when left ontop of some.
Good luck!
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Post by axoloa on Dec 17, 2011 2:50:42 GMT
Hi, Thanks for your replies! My mum is a supervisor for the local parks. The GALS were discovered by the park keeper, who alerted my mum and I was told to pick them up. They were left out in the open, not even sheltered by a container and I have no idea how long they were left there for. I think it is disgraceful that they were just left to die!!! I will keep an eye on the one that is left, it isnt smelling yet which i will hope is a good sign as I have had it since yesterday afternoon. I think they are only young as the shell is around 5-6cm, my daughter will be v. upset if 'he' doesnt survive. Do you think I should continue bathing it, or just leave it alone? Thanks again I think the problem hear realy is that these days, many pet shops recomend GALs as a beginers pet because of how easy they are to take care of. So lots and lots of people are taking these home from pet stores and most of the time they have a deap lack of knowledge on what the snail can and cant deal with (they are only told the basics in the pet store 'subsrait, diet, calcium and best sized tank). Its highly posible that the people who left them their didnt leave them their with intensions of 'leaving them to die' as such, but maybe thought it would be ok to releise them into the wild. allot of the time this is the case and people just asume that because their a snail they can survive quiet happily in any environment that contains snails. They never think to stop and question why maybe they have never seen their spaciffic species in local habitats or in their country at all, and it just dosent seem to occur to every one that the fact that their from Africa does infact make them a tropical species that can survive only in household enclosures or in the wild of tropical countrys that dont have cold winters. the fact that they had placed these down loose in the park does surgest that this was the case. Dont get me wrong though, I dont condone any of this and I dont think that people should even think about owning snails (or any animal) that they have not deaply researched into and know how to take care of. Their are plenty of pet stores that dont even have the basic knowledge to know that the snails hybernait over winter and then throw away the stock thinking their dead when this happens. It just goes to show realy, how many people own GAL's and other snails when knowing next to nothing about them. Its the fault of people who do this that GAL's are ilegal in so many countries, and why Ecuador and a few places in India have Achatina species (usualy Achatina Fulica) in their local wildlife (along with some other countries, but I have forgotten the exact list). |
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on Dec 17, 2011 6:31:36 GMT
Hi deedee24, welcome to the forum.  Thank you for trying to help those snails, you're doing a good thing. Please keep in mind that the snail might not survive, because no one knows what its condition was before it was dumped there. Fingers crossed for it anyway! Please let us know how it's doing. |
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foghog
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 235
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Post by foghog on Dec 17, 2011 10:33:58 GMT
I think at this point you should leave it alone, but keep it under the conditions katie mentioned. and with the cucumber slice.
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Post by deedee24 on Dec 19, 2011 10:25:05 GMT
Hi guys, Thanks for all the help again. Unfortunately rescued snail number 2 is starting to emit a smell. I am still not going to dispose of it until I am entirely sure it is dead . As I say there is a slight smell but it is nowhere near as smelly as rescued snail number 1, also I cant see any leakage yet so I will continue to wait and hope for the best  |
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Post by ness on Dec 19, 2011 17:32:30 GMT
Oooh fingers crossed for number 2. Poor little snails. Some folk really are very irresponsible to say the least. A smell is not a good sign as you already know but you are wise to keep it just in case. Unfortunately though when exposed to such low temperatures it doesn't take long for a GAL to become too damaged to recover.  |
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Post by brunni on Dec 19, 2011 17:42:44 GMT
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Post by deedee24 on Dec 20, 2011 12:36:42 GMT
Thanks for replies again Unfortunately I dont think its looking good for number 2, although it does have the seal on as mentioned it looks nothing like the white papery one shown on the link brunni sent me  , it looks kind of yellowish brownish and wet looking. Also as I say there is now some smell although it is not replulsive like number 1 was. Do live snails have any smell at all? |
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Post by SnailsPace on Dec 20, 2011 16:39:12 GMT
If it smells like a sea shell/fishy then it's not good I'm afraid, have another sniff tonight and see if it's worse
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on Dec 21, 2011 3:49:55 GMT
None of my healthy snails have had any kind of smell, but sometimes an ill snail will develop a slight odor prior to passing away.
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Post by deedee24 on Dec 21, 2011 13:27:58 GMT
Unfortunately poor rescued snail number 2 never made it The smell was defo getting worse and smelled like seafood, as described by Snailspace, I also noticed that it had began to liquidise. Just thought i would let you all know the outcome. Thank you very much for all your help. I have promised my daughter that since we now have all the equipment needed to keep snails i will get her some once the post has returned to normal. A few other things I could do with some advice on please...... sorry if I should not continue here but I am unsure whether to start a new thread or not. Firstly, I was considering getting a single snail due to being scared of getting over run, however, after reading info on this forum I have decided to get a pair (quality of life etc). I am still however scared of having to dispose of eggs (silly i know) but have read somewhere that if I get different sized snails they would be unable to breed. If thats the case would they still be suitable company for each other? Also I assume that even in that case at one stage the larger one will stop growing and the smaller one will catch up? would they then breed anyway?. Secondly, I know there is a lot of info about packaging snails for postage so assume it is common practice but am still a little sceptical (wouldnt like any more sad snail stories) has anyone had 'mail order' snails and was everything ok? Sorry to have rambled and thanks again Dee |
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Post by pinkunicorn on Dec 21, 2011 16:18:00 GMT
Sorry to hear he didn't make it. But, nice that you and your daughter found a new hobby! Snails are much fun and pretty easy pets to keep. I'd think the best option with snails' quality of life in mind would be two or more snails of the same species, but I like to think allowing them to mate and lay eggs is part of "quality of life". But, based on what I've seen my little Sluggy do, living alone with four aspersas, I'd say they can enjoy the company of other species, as well as that of their own. Sluggy likes to climb on top of the aspersas' shells and often sleeps next to them, so at the very least he's not bothered or intimidated. So, to ensure you don't get eggs, you could get two snails of different species instead of just different size. Too big a size difference can be a problem, if the bigger snail hangs from the smaller snail's shell... Of course, the species need to come from similar natural environments, so their habitat can be kept the same. But I wouldn't worry too much about disposing of the eggs. If the tank is checked for eggs every time the food is changed, which is every day or every few days, you can catch them early enough before they've developed. They won't feel pain if they're frozen or boiled at an early stage, and the parents don't care about the eggs after they've been laid and buried. |
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Post by SnailsPace on Dec 21, 2011 16:52:16 GMT
I've sent and received lots in the post with no problems. If you want to wait until the cold weather has passed I can send you some for cost of post. I have jadatzi and rodatzi. They both have yellow shells, one is grey fleshed whilst the other albino. Even 2 different sized ones would breed at some point as you say though |
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Post by brunni on Dec 21, 2011 18:30:10 GMT
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Post by ness on Dec 21, 2011 20:29:51 GMT
Sometimes two different sized snails can mate but only of the same species. Jades are a variety of Achatina fulica that often do not grow large so if you buy a Jade and a normal fulica you may end up with quite a size difference once they are adults. However there is certainly no guarantee of that and they still could mate regardless.
They are highly unlikely to mate and certainly won;t produce viable eggs if they are different species though, so perhaps that is an option for you?
Keep in mind though that any snail that you buy of mating age may already have mated and you may find eggs anywhere from soon to many months after you have bought the snail (they can store sperm for many months).
You will find many snauls for sle in the warmer months, but if you would like some sooner you may perhaps be lucky to find someone near to where you live - perhaps you could try the PreLoved site?
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on Dec 22, 2011 5:13:48 GMT
I'm so sorry about snail #2, Dee. You did the right thing by trying to help them, though, and that's what's important.
If you have more than one of the same species, sooner or later they are likely to breed once they are both old enough. I try to keep different species together to minimize the risk of unwanted eggs. When I keep the same species together I keep an eye out for mating behavior and for egg-laying activity. It takes some vigilance but it is not excessively demanding.
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Post by deedee24 on Dec 22, 2011 17:22:58 GMT
Thanks for all the replies again! ;D All the advise is appreciated, sure I will need lots more over the course of being a snail owner..... I should be an expert in no time  Brunni - thanks for the info on population control, after reading that, along with the other replies I think It wil not be too hard to keep the eggs under check. Snails pace - I would very much love the snails you have offered, thank you very much! I have seen snails advertised on ebay for immediate shipping.... I thought that was a bit odd what with the useless christmas post along with the cold weather. That was the reason I was querying mail order snails in the first place. If your snails are still on offer I would much prefer them as I would assume that a member of this forum will give me snails that have been well looked after ( as i say I am trying to avoid any more sad snail stories in the near future), how big are they currently? Pinn Unicorn - great to hear about your sluggy, made me smile Also thanks to ness and coyote for your input |
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Post by SnailsPace on Dec 24, 2011 8:55:59 GMT
I have some hatchlings that will be a couple of cms by the time its warmer and I have some about 2 inches. Just remind me closer to the time so I don't forget lol, gives you time to look into them |
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and I have no idea how long they were left there for.
Thank you for trying to help those snails, you're doing a good thing.
, it looks kind of yellowish brownish and wet looking.