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Post by Liguus on Dec 5, 2014 0:18:42 GMT
This is a thread about Coffee Bean snails, aka lamp snails, aka the Melampus genus. These are technically "land" snails, (terrestrial pulmonate gastropods) but their recent ancestors were sea snails. These can survive underwater for a while, but will eventually drown if they cant get out. They will spend the majority of their life on the mangroves/salt marsh grasses. Their eggs hatch into veliger larva, instead of baby snails and will spend a few weeks in the water feeding on plankton. These have eyes at the base of their head like aquatic snails, not at the tip of their tentacles like other land snails.    |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2014 6:58:14 GMT
That's so cool! Thanks for sharing. I am glad you posted because so many people (including myself) only know a few snail breeds. These snails are very pretty!
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Post by cliath on Dec 5, 2014 7:39:46 GMT
Very interesting! It's strange how much they are like water snails.  |
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mangoandlemon
Achatina tincta
Animals are not a choice for me. They are a lifestyle!
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Post by mangoandlemon on Dec 5, 2014 16:33:20 GMT
That's a really nice setup! They look really happy!
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Post by Liguus on Dec 5, 2014 17:28:26 GMT
Happy for now lol. The challenge for the next two weeks is figuring out what and how to feed them. I'm confident I'll figure it out, but there's always a chance all these won't make it.
Right now the branches have lichens, and I'll get some pond algae to put in there, but I will test if they eat fish food,lettuce, etc.
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Post by Liguus on Dec 5, 2014 17:29:54 GMT
That's so cool! Thanks for sharing. I am glad you posted because so many people (including myself) only know a few snail breeds. These snails are very pretty! Check out Helicina drop snails and Chondropoma snails! Those are really cool as well! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2014 18:47:54 GMT
That's so cool! Thanks for sharing. I am glad you posted because so many people (including myself) only know a few snail breeds. These snails are very pretty! Check out Helicina drop snails and Chondropoma snails! Those are really cool as well! I love the Chondropoma snails. Their shell reminds me of icecream or some kind of yummy food! >.< Do you know of any more pretty snails? |
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Post by Liguus on Dec 5, 2014 22:04:12 GMT
Check out Helicina drop snails and Chondropoma snails! Those are really cool as well! I love the Chondropoma snails. Their shell reminds me of icecream or some kind of yummy food! >.< Do you know of any more pretty snails? Liguus and drymaeus come to mind. Unfortunately liguus has been collected heavily due to their pretty shells, so they are a species of concern now due to the low population. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2014 22:24:01 GMT
Yeah! They are really pretty too. They remind me of the Cuban polymita snails. Their shells are super unique and marvellously beautiful so people kill them and sell the shell.
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Post by Liguus on Dec 6, 2014 0:32:44 GMT
I think what happened is that people collected a lot of the very colorful tree snails, and left behind ones with more white on their shells, so the ones living now have are primarily white colored ones. There are a BUNCH of subspecies though, heres a list with pics: www.jaxshells.org/ligbyloc.htm |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2014 1:29:41 GMT
Nice! Thank you! =3
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Post by Liguus on Dec 6, 2014 15:25:55 GMT
They are successfully grazing on fish food. Next up are the fruits and veggies.
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Post by Liguus on Dec 7, 2014 22:28:11 GMT
They seem to be eating a standard land snail diet. Now onto breeding and larval development.
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Post by Liguus on Feb 23, 2015 23:23:49 GMT
I switched the terrarium to freshwater for 4 months, and the melampus didn't react too bad. At the very end, they became a bit "lethargic" so I have returned the terrarium to a more standard ocean salinity. I have a small area with freshwater in the terarium as well, and I'm monitoring it to see how often they are in it.
I also almost completely sealed the terrarium in increase humidity to about 90%. They appear to prefer way more than the previous 50%.
No eggs yet.
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mangoandlemon
Achatina tincta
Animals are not a choice for me. They are a lifestyle!
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Post by mangoandlemon on Feb 23, 2015 23:39:51 GMT
Good luck!
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Post by Liguus on Feb 24, 2015 0:44:07 GMT
Thanks! I might have to rig up a cheap saltwater aquarium to raise the veliger larvae, but I've done that before.
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Post by Liguus on Feb 24, 2015 0:47:11 GMT
I also wanted to get some salt marsh grasses so that I can replicate the habitat better. No idea how, as i don't know if any is sold online. I have mangroves but that would require a much bigger terrarium.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2015 10:57:26 GMT
They look very happy in there It's like there own mini forrest.
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Post by Liguus on Feb 24, 2015 14:50:15 GMT
Yeah, I had to change the whole design though lol.
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Post by Liguus on Feb 24, 2015 14:57:52 GMT
current terrarium:  |
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mangoandlemon
Achatina tincta
Animals are not a choice for me. They are a lifestyle!
Posts: 671
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Post by mangoandlemon on Feb 24, 2015 20:59:36 GMT
Nice!
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Post by muddydragon on Feb 26, 2015 20:42:14 GMT
I have mangroves but that would require a much bigger terrarium. BWAHAHAHA  just a tad  (aren't you going to need a bigger house and wetter garden too? ) |
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Post by Liguus on Feb 26, 2015 20:58:08 GMT
I have mangroves but that would require a much bigger terrarium. BWAHAHAHA just a tad (aren't you going to need a bigger house and wetter garden too? ) Yeah, I need those things, but I don't know if I'll ever get them lol. |
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Post by astana on Jul 17, 2015 4:14:38 GMT
Did they ever lay eggs?
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Post by astana on Jul 17, 2015 18:32:27 GMT
Also, I know you live in the U.S..... meaning that it's very hard to 'buy' snails. Does that mean you found these guys? Where exactly did you find them?
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(aren't you going to need a bigger house and wetter garden too? 