rosiesnail2
Achatina immaculata
3 Albino Achatina Reticulata on sale with tank ♥️
Posts: 242
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Post by rosiesnail2 on Dec 30, 2011 12:28:42 GMT
I know that this topic has probably been raised before but this is really puzzling me. Why do people hate snails? Yes they eat our crops but they can be really interesting and cute pets, not just used for food or for killing. Please reply so we can see why these cute critters are being killed and hated. Rosie
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Post by axoloa on Dec 30, 2011 14:52:59 GMT
This is a question that people who love snails probabaly ask themselfs all the time My mum hates snais just simply because they have no fure or legs. This bothers allot of peopel for some reason, but more commonly than not, people hate snails and slugs because their slimey to touch My Grandma doesent mind snails but wouldent dream of handling one, My aunt however is not botherd by their slime or the fact they have no legs or fure, but hates them anyway because they destroy so many of her crops. Theirs plenty of reasons realy why some people just cant stand them
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rosiesnail2
Achatina immaculata
3 Albino Achatina Reticulata on sale with tank ♥️
Posts: 242
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Post by rosiesnail2 on Dec 30, 2011 17:21:37 GMT
I know what you mean, when I was little as young as 4 or 5 mum used to take pictures of me with snails on my arm because I loved the touch of them. I wonder if there is a spa that put snails on your back and then you take a shower I like the touch on my hand its really funny but strangely soothing. I sound kinda weird don't I? But I do like it
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slackie
Archachatina marginata
Please excuse my bad English ;)
Posts: 26
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Post by slackie on Dec 30, 2011 18:44:28 GMT
I think the dislike is mainly because of lack of knowledge.. Many people just don´t care about them, or even don´t know about GALS at all. I was once at a scientic competition and had a project about my snails. It was in an enormous building with really lots of another people, including judges. I had my beloved Herbert (a. reticulata, died half year ago) on my hand, he was really curious, and we walked through the building to see other projects. Nearly everoyone, who saw Herbert, was really amazed and wanted to know more, asked me for letting them touch him etc. It was really beutiful experience.
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rosiesnail2
Achatina immaculata
3 Albino Achatina Reticulata on sale with tank ♥️
Posts: 242
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Post by rosiesnail2 on Dec 30, 2011 22:41:46 GMT
wow! thats amazing youve inspired me to do that although im not sure how i will!
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myrtle
Achatina achatina
Posts: 52
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Post by myrtle on Dec 31, 2011 0:41:44 GMT
My friends & neighbours are realising how cute, cuddly AND fascinating Snails are. I have quite a few and I adore them all. They have different personalities. People who would normally stand on them NOW take care not to hurt them and any rescues are brought to me ;D
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on Dec 31, 2011 3:09:53 GMT
A lot of people find it easy to hate what they don't understand or know nothing about. I think education is the key to reducing the "fear of the unknown."
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saki114
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 327
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Post by saki114 on Dec 31, 2011 21:09:28 GMT
I agree with coyote, my mum only likes seasnails to eat (not raw, of course lol ) but she dislikes them because she thinks they are ugly, disgusting, and slimy. But I actually like the sliminess of the snail.
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latebloomer
Achatina immaculata
The Snail Botherer
Posts: 251
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Post by latebloomer on Jan 4, 2012 11:01:38 GMT
People always look disgusted when I first tell them about my snails. When I show the photos of how they grow and tell of their fascinating behavior they are quite interested. I also think that it is the thought that they are cold and slimy, like garden slugs,which puts people off.
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Post by brunni on Jan 4, 2012 17:49:45 GMT
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Post by ness on Jan 4, 2012 21:05:27 GMT
I find hatred to be a strong word for Earth's creatures personally, I don't exactly like, for example, the flu virus, and yet when you look at how amazing the virus is I can genuinely admire it, and there is a beauty to it when viewed through the microscope. Similar (personally speaking) with wasps and hornets - I fear them, yet they are beautiful, fascinating.....
I have shown my snails (and stick insects and praying mantis) to pre-school groups of children, most of whom love them, but at the end of the session there are usually several Mum's who pull disgusted or bemused faces when their children drag them over to see the snail tank. Out of the children who are nervous or a little grossed out by the snails, you tend to find their mother is very much the same way.
And if not true hatred for little invertebrates there is certainly plenty of contempt. I've seen plenty of children who's immediate reaction to finding a small crawly thing is to squash it outright because that's what Mummy or Daddy does. There's no hatred in the children, they are simply doing what they think should be done. I'm then in a tricky position, because I can't really tell them that their parents are being bad people, so all I can do is try to foster an interest in the creatures instead, tell them what they do, what they eat, what eats them, where they live...... etc, hopefully help them to think of them as interesting, instead of something that should simply be squashed.
I can understand why people are slightly disgusted by snails, not that I share their views, but they're "slimey, they are 'creepy-crawlies', cold-blooded things that ooze and live in the 'dirty' soil..." you tend to find folk that are frightened/disgusted/squeemish about snails often tend to be the same way with worms, ants, spiders, beetles, woodlice etc.... It's as Coyote says, a lack of understanding. Some folk love hamsters but fear mice and rats due to their long tails, well I think in a similar sort of way lots of people find little scurrying insect legs, and anything that oozes slime, as being really creepy.
Each to their own. Personally I think they are missing the point of how wonderful this section of nature is, but we can't all be interested in the same things I guess.
And there are those who are not necessarily disgusted by them but simply feel they have no right to be in their garden - a battle between gardener and mollusc.
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Post by tsrebel on Jan 4, 2012 23:56:33 GMT
One response I've used with success is this: "Ok, so you think snails are discusting. But do you find dead snails less discusting?" My friends have discovered the beauty of my snails, and I've even recruted a snail-enthusiast.
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rosiesnail2
Achatina immaculata
3 Albino Achatina Reticulata on sale with tank ♥️
Posts: 242
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Post by rosiesnail2 on Feb 3, 2012 18:24:39 GMT
I love woodlice, worms ects. I don't like spiders and beetles though. I love snails
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Post by pinkunicorn on Feb 3, 2012 20:11:52 GMT
ness put it quite well. I, too, look at the world with the eyes of a biologist (although an amateur one; my BF can have the glory of having the degrees to prove it). I can't hate creatures that are innocent by my human standards, ie, lack the moral viewpoints that we have to understand acts that would merit hatred. There's some really "nasty" species of wasp that lay their eggs inside other living creatures, paralysing them to be the living, fresh food storages of their larvae. I guess such would count as evil acts by human standards, but the wasp's central nervous system is too simple to even begin to process such concepts. It's simply doing what it was evolved to do: procreating and ensuring its offspring have a good start to life, even if it causes pain and suffering to another creature doing so. I don't have to like it, and I don't, but I find it a fascinating example of the almost infinite ways life finds a way on this planet. When it comes to humans, I can understand being afraid of something, but killing the creature because of that? Especially if the creature is smaller than you and couldn't possibly do any harm to you... I have no understanding for people who pour salt on slugs or pull legs off ants just to see them squirm. They may not be capable of human-like rational thought, but even invertebrates feel physical pain, and we humans are capable of recognising the pain of other beings. Even if it's "just a slug" or "just an ant", it's a despicable act from someone with the brain capacity to relate to the feelings, both physical and emotional, of others. It's no less horrible than pouring acid on another human to see how they react, or to take revenge, which is the more common reason of course. Slugs tend to get a lot of hate for some reason, even from people who like snails which I guess is a matter of forgetting where slugs come from. They are just snails that lost their shell, evolving to live without it. Semi-slugs are a good reminder of what the slugs most likely have been like before their current shape, something just between a snail and a slug. What does he want to be? A snail or a slug? A semi-snail, fence-sitter with a shell that is merely decorative? This little fella is almost a slug... shall we call him the three-quarters-slug? That's a very pretty shell you got there, little slug! Show the slugs some love, they're of the same slime and blood as their shelled cousins. As for gardeners... yeah, it can be a bugger if you need to fight over your vegetables with a family of hungry snails/slugs, but there are humane ways to repel them, such as copper fencing. I would even suggest native predatory snails and slugs being introduced to the garden, and let nature go about its business as it would. I believe their slime's smell acts as a repellent to the prey animals, too. On a slightly off-topic matter, here's a very funny parody video of Sir David Attenborough that I found, as the biology-topic got me googling for some clips from his shows... Snail migration I am proud to say that I pick up earthworms that I see on exposed territory, and carry them to safe place, btw. Even if there's other people to see me do it. It has resulted in some rather embarrassing situations in the past, especially that one time that I missed my bus because I was trying to get a worm off the sidewalk... it was a futile attempt, in the end, because the poor worm got upset as I didn't manage to pick it up properly, so I eventually gave up, fearing I would be hurting it more by trying. Snails, too, of course. And slugs. And frogs. Insects, no, unless they are big enough to be actually seen like a dragonfly.
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Post by ness on Feb 3, 2012 21:34:06 GMT
Oooh totally agree PinkUnicorn. And respect to your biologist boyfriend, I was tempted to go down a similar path myself. What area does he specialise in? Love the pictures of the nearly-snails, there's quite a few species. The ones you have posted are beautiful, and there's something extra sweet about the bottom picture. I was surprised years back when I read that slugs evolved from snails, as until that point I thought it was the other way round Yes parasitic wasps are fascinating. I had the honour of an ichnuman species land on me some years ago, and I managed to fight back the nerves.... I had a whole group of ladybirds in the garden last summer, all been eaten away by wasp larvae but still alive and standing guard over the emerged wasp pupae underneath. Nature is cruel in many ways, but without predation there would be little in the way of diversity or intelligent life. It's always with mixed feelings when I watch nature documentaries and there's a chase going on. I'm glad when the prey gets away but then I feel for the predator and her young, and likewise I'm glad when the predator makes a kill, as she and her young won't go hungry, but then I'm sad for the prey..... Yay a fellow loony who goes around picking up the worms etc after the rain! I've had a few funny looks too, but also had a compliment from the buddhist who lives at the end of the street, who does the same thing as me, so that's nice
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Post by pinkunicorn on Feb 3, 2012 22:59:22 GMT
He's MSc in Neurobiology. A friend just got her PhD in Neurobiology, too, and several other folks I know did various fields... I'm basically surrounded by biologists, and I'm the odd one out (Health Sciences). Even more amazing about slugs is that many of the species aren't even closely related, but the loss of shell has happened several times in different clades, with essentially the same end result that makes it look like slugs are related to each other. And, of course, it's still happening in semi-slugs, many which are not closely related. The sluggy body shape must be a good one. Then again, so is the snaily body shape, given it has remained about the same for about 500 mil. years already. Our little lovely slimies are true evolutionary troupers, sticking to their shape and changing where it really matters, ie, species-specific weird behaviour! 65 000 gastropods, 65 000 ways to say "I love you!" I would probably freak out if I got one of those wasps on me, I admit. I'm always targeted by blood-sucking insects so a step up from that... Get it away from meeee! I can just imagine what the ladybird feels... One would wish that the paralysing poison would contain something to numb the nerves, but since it doesn't benefit the wasp in any way to make it less painful for the victim, it doubtfully happens. Even the hunting slugs and snails that push their way into the shell of the victim to eat it are "nice" compared to the paralysis! Oh, hehe, welcome to the ex-tempore biology class, everyone!
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Post by ness on Feb 4, 2012 18:52:54 GMT
Neurobiology! Neat! I love learning about the way the brain works..... Yes nature has a way of finding good designs and repeating them. For example eyes have evolved completely seperately on several different occasions - i.e. all creatures with eyes did not come from a common anscester that had the beginnings of an eye, but eveolved from several sepersate branches of eye-less creatures. This might also interest you though it's going a little off topic, it's the discovery (discovered a while back so chances are you already know about it) of a creature that doesn't require oxygen. It's an example of life that may have started totally independently from the first life that gave rise to the plants and animals inhabiting most of the planet. www.physorg.com/news189836027.htmlGoing back to slugs do you know of this? news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7498195.stm (Ghost slug). this was discovered in Wales, and Kevin on here actually found one but was pipped to the post of being the the official person to first discover it, as in someone reported it sooner than him. But still cool!
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Post by hoodooman on Feb 7, 2012 20:27:01 GMT
Wow, Semi-slugs, cool! I didn't even know they existed. The ones in the first pic with the jade-green shells are absolutely beautiful. Do you know if it is possible to keep any of them in captivity (maybe no one in the U.S. has thought of making laws against them yet )? As to the original question--I haven't encountered that much outright hatred of snails either--that seems to be reserved for slugs attacking peoples' ornamental plants (although, hey, slugs have to eat too right?) What I've mostly encountered is confusion/bafflement as to why anyone would keep a snail as a pet, or get particularly attached to one. People seem to classify them with bugs and worms and such as more or less beneath their notice. However, I do think exposure is the key. I had no idea how fascinating and wonderful creatures snails could be until I ended up with one. People just need to see more close-up pics of snails, and/or especially watch their antics for a while to get the snail thing. I do hate spiders, though, apologies to anyone who keeps pet spiders, but spiders are just wrong! ;D I actually do everything in my power to encourage the Mediterranean House Gecko population that lives on the exterior of my house, just to serve as a front line of defense against invading spiders. I saw a big, nasty ground spider lurking by my back door last summer, just waiting for a chance to get in, but then he made the mistake of wandering into one of the Geckos' favorite hiding places. He did not come out again. Go geckos!!! ;D Hoodooman (still snail-less )
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