|
Post by molotovinprague on Nov 30, 2013 17:17:09 GMT
Hi guys, I'm new to this forum and have a question about my pet snail, a cepaea nemoralis named Arnold. I know people on this forum have talked about hibernation in the winter, but there is not a lot of advice about the duration of the hibernation. It's winter here but Arnold lives in a terrarium where temperatures are between 10-21 degrees celsius (50-70 degrees fahrenheit). Arnold has been sluggish for a few weeks and now, he has burrowed beneath some pet-store bought moss and has sealed himself up in a rather thick layer of white seal for about 8 days now :/ Is this normal?? On average, how long should we let snails sleep? How long do your snails stay sealed up in the wintertime without food or water? And if I disrupt his sleep, would that be bad for him?? Your feedback/stories would be much appreciated! I'm starting to get super worried, especially since I will be away on a trip for a week and don't want to neglect poor Arnold
|
|
|
Post by molotovinprague on Nov 30, 2013 17:41:19 GMT
Hello, I am new to this forum, and I was wondering if someone could please help me on a question I had about hibernation as well. I have a Cepaea nemoralis named who seems to be generally quite sluggish (I have had him since June this summer), but recently have sealed himself in his white seal for about 8-10 days now, after burrowing under some dirt and moss. I wanted to see if other pet snail owners have experienced this same phenomenon, but there was not a whole lot of information about how long they stay hibernated (2 weeks at a time? 1-3 months??). So my question is, is it normal for Arnold to stay sealed up for 2-3 weeks at a time? Would he starve or dry out?? I've been putting nice veggies and fruits in his terrarium, but alas to no avail I would appreciate it if other pet snail owners could share their experience with hibernation. I really want to take good care of Arnold (( Thanks in advance.
|
|
|
Post by vallery on Dec 1, 2013 12:49:21 GMT
Hi I have never had this problem with my Cepaea. What is the humidity at? How often do you mist?
|
|
|
Post by moon on Dec 1, 2013 14:04:58 GMT
My cepaeas have done this. They seem to like the conditions damper than my helix aspersas. They spend most of their time hiding away underneath something or buried in the soil. They are all awake at the moment, but a few weeks ago, 2 of them buried themselves & sealed themselves in for about a fortnight. They usually wake up by themselves when they're ready.
A dwarf aspersa hibernated for 8 weeks during the summer & I was getting a bit worried thinking he may have died. He suddenly woke up & is perfectly ok after his nap.
I think it depends how long they stay asleep for, but I just tend to leave them alone. Providing Arnold fed well beforehand & you keep the tank damp he should be fine.
|
|
|
Post by molotovinprague on Dec 1, 2013 18:22:56 GMT
Thanks for the replies. I usually mist Arnold's terrarium twice a day, once in the morning and once before going to sleep. The soil (coir) is not terribly moist though, because I'm worried that too much humidity will cause the food to spoil too quickly (especially non-leafy food, like raw sweet potato or strawberries). I may check in on him and gently wake him up by sprinkling a few drops of water on him and see if he wants to get up before I leave him at my neighbor's house for my trip.
Also, vallery, your snail looks very healthy! How do you encourage your guy to have such a healthy shell? Arnold's such a picky eater... I've tried giving him cuttle, crushed egg shells, ground oyster shells, and even coral powder from the health foods store, and I have never seen him show a lot of interest in eating calcium sources... so I'm also worried that his shell is going to deteriorate over time.
|
|
|
Post by moon on Dec 1, 2013 19:18:45 GMT
I would also be interested in hearing any info regarding calcium & cepeaes. Mine have fresh cuttlefish regularly but I've yet to see them eat any. Funnily enough, their shells seem quite strong & healthy.
|
|
|
Post by molotovinprague on Dec 1, 2013 20:01:18 GMT
That's good to hear, moon. Maybe Cepeaes obtain enough calcium through their diet.. But perhaps I shall post this inquiry in a new thread or search to see if other Cepaea owners have experience similar situations...
On second thought, I think I'll just let Arnold nap a little longer, while keeping the terrarium humid and with plenty of fresh food in case he does decide to wake up. What a sleepy head!
|
|