Hibernation - fridge or just peace?

[etana]

Hi, 

I'm in Finland, where snails obviously hibernate many months per year to survive. I've collected a majority of my pet snails from outside (Arianta & Cepaea), and I want them to be able to live by their natural life cycle, but I still have a lot to learn! Thank goodness for this forum.

Anyway, here comes my question:

I definitely want to let my snails have their winter's rest, and earlier I was confident that I'd refridgerate them when the time comes. But, now all my adult Arianta have dug holes for themselves in the substrate and have been sleeping for days already (interestingly, so far the Cepaea are sleeping in plain view, and they wake up to snail around a bit too), and I'm finding myself unwilling to risk waking the Arianta up when moving them to the fridge. I want to do what's best for their health, so I'm asking the opinion of more experienced snail keepers:

Do they need the "calm weather" (which the fridge emulates just great, in there they'd get exactly the +4-+5 degrees Celsius that they get in the wild by digging a hole and having it snow on them), or is it as good if I just let them sleep in their own tank, providing bits of food & calcium in case someone can't sleep, and misting a little bit? 

[muddydragon]

i'ld be inclined to leave them where they are especially if they are exhibiting the right behaviour already. It's not like it is a consistant temperature outside in the wild. (although i should add i don't have any native species so this is not something i have done, it just seems logical)

[Zorst]

I agree with MD, your snails are behaving exactly as they should and mine do exactly the same, some do go to sleep others like your Cepaea sleep for a few days above ground then snail around a bit n go back to sleep again for a few more days. I always just make sure they have plenty of calcium n some fresh food n that they don't dry out n just let em do there thing.

Zorst

[etana]

Thanks very much, both. I'll let them sleep where they've chosen to, then, and keep the basics available. Here's hoping everyone wakes up in the spring! I miss my Rudolf, Keijo, Big Eyes and, erm, all my unnamed Arianta already.

[etana]

Hmm, I was cleaning up because there's constantly some small activity so the tank needs maintenance, and apparently I woke up a few Arianta that I hadn't seen for a long time. They look so sleepy! They move very slow, and fall asleep in the middle of things, pulling just the eyestalks in. I really hope they'll go back to deep sleep under the soil. They're eating right now.