My new snail isn't eating, is it normal?

[toly]

Hi people! I'm new and so is my snail. I've named it Toly in memory of my mealworm. T_T
Last night, my mom and I went down with a clean empty ice cream tub and a plastic bag. We found Toly and some dried leaves and sticks. I plucked some leaves from nearby trees as well.
All of that, including some soil, went into Toly's new home--an old fishtank. I scotch-taped clingwrap onto the top and poked plenty of holes. I also moistened the substrate with a spray bottle of cooled boiled water.
Today, I noticed the fresh leaves were still there. Toly is now sleeping/hiding under some dry leaves. It was quite active last night. I put in some eggshells and cabbage leaves, dampened the soil and I'm still waiting.
Is his refusal to eat the leaves normal? I will update it when I see whether he responds to the cabbage and eggshell.

[jroberts]

Hi,
Your problem could have many contributing factors.
For one, not all species of snail are "leaf eaters". Not all tree foliage are edible to snails and not all snails like cabbage.
Its important that you get the snail identified in order to know its proper dietary requirements. Until then, I suggest giving it a range of low acid fruits, vegetables and mushroom.
If you are new to keeping snails or are in anyway in-confident about identifying your species (depending on where you live their could be 10s of species that look almost identical to in-experienced keepers),
You can download pictures of your snail onto a photo hosting site and paste a link here.
Someone on hear should be able to identify him for you.
Also egg shells are not an ideal source of calcium (especially when not powdered). But that's a discussion to be had once your snail is identified, as many land snails don't particularly go for the common alternatives either. If you can get ahold of some cuttle fish, their is no harm in trying him on that until you have a positive snail ID.

[toly]

Thanks for the suggestions jroberts! I'm quite sure that Toly is an Achatina Fulicia. I can't seem to upload photos.
I found Toly in the park downstairs, so it's pretty likely it's a tree-leaf eater. Maybe I could try feeding it some of the grass and other plants in the area? Toly hasn't woken up yet so I don't know if it likes cabbage.
I'll take your advice, and try grinding the eggshells into a fine powder and spreading it onto the soil.
I will update when Toly wakes up.
Thank you!

[toly]

Update: Toly loves cabbage! Yay!
It's very happy, roaming the tank and munching on leaves and eggshells.
I've heard that eggshells aren't too good a calcium source, advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[jroberts]

Jun 2, 2017 11:25:47 GMT toly said:

Update: Toly loves cabbage! Yay!
It's very happy, roaming the tank and munching on leaves and eggshells.
I've heard that eggshells aren't too good a calcium source, advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Its great that you got him eating.
Its not so much that egg shell is not a good source of calcium, its more down to the fact that snails find it difficult to "use" the calcium provided.
The calcium in egg shells is very hard for snails to break down. If using egg shell you should make sure that it is finely powdered (not just ground down to a fine grit), and make sure your snail is eating plenty of mushroom (for the vitamin D - helps them break down and use the calcium). 
That being said, cabbage is a good source of calcium on its own, so your snail wont be "deficient"; however its always good to have the extra calcium source for positive shell growth. 
If you can get cuttlefish aka cuttlebone this is an excellent source of calcium preferred by most snail enthusiasts. most "land snails" will readily take cuttlefish with exceptions amongst different species. Many "tree snails" will not.
If he is an Achatina Fulica like you suspected then wild caught or not, he almost certainly will go for the cuttlefish. 
Where do you live (if you don't mind me asking)?

[toly]

I don't know whether I will be able to get cuttlebone. I'll try and see. Eggshells are convenient since we eat eggs pretty often. I'm also glad to hear that cabbage is a good source.
What type of mushroom is best, and do I use raw ones or cooked ones?
Do I need to give Toly a huge variety of food, or is it fine to stick with cabbage?
Again, thank you jroberts for the help!

[jroberts]

Jun 3, 2017 10:27:55 GMT toly said:

I don't know whether I will be able to get cuttlebone. I'll try and see. Eggshells are convenient since we eat eggs pretty often. I'm also glad to hear that cabbage is a good source.
What type of mushroom is best, and do I use raw ones or cooked ones?
Do I need to give Toly a huge variety of food, or is it fine to stick with cabbage?
Again, thank you jroberts for the help!

As far as I know, most reputable pet stores sell cuttlebone (at least they do in England, Europe and America). You can also buy it online in bulk, and the postal charge is pretty cheep because of how light in weight it is (but be aware of your countries customs; cuttlebone is seen as natural matter).
You may also be able to collect cuttlebone from the beach, but this would need submerging in fresh water for 48 hours then drying out.

All mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D, but generally chestnut mushrooms keep longest and seem to be preferred by most land snail species, followed by button mushrooms. If you know your fungi agriculture, you may wish to forage for your own. Wild mushrooms will have higher levels of vitamin D because most artificially farmed mushrooms are forced to grow at speed by depriving them from the light (unlike most plants, mushrooms thrive in darker conditions). Be aware that even though snails will avoid eating poisonous mushrooms, some mushrooms produce toxins that a snail can absorb through contact, and their spurs can affect you (even from some of the safer varieties).
That being said, id stick to shop bought "grocery varieties" if you are even slightly unsure.

Cabbage is good as the bulk of your snails diet (say around 80%), but you definitely need to be offering other foods to. Try a range of leaf greens, root vegetables and low acidic fruit. Most grocery store bought vegetables are fine, but avoid things like onions, garlic, citrus fruits, pineapple, strawberries. These are not toxic per se, but will soften your snails shell or tenderise the flesh. Tomatoes are okay in small doces but should not be fed in bulk. Cucumber is enjoyed by most land snails, but is filling and doesn't contain all that much goodness (mostly just water).

If you can tell us where you live and describe the snail, someone on hear may be able to help you make positive Id on your snail and this will help you massively with what foods are better for your snail.

[toly]

Thanks for all your advice! I've set my profile pic to Toly. I live in Singapore, and this is the kind of snail one usually comes across in a park or garden.

[jroberts]

Jun 4, 2017 2:24:23 GMT toly said:

Thanks for all your advice! I've set my profile pic to Toly. I live in Singapore, and this is the kind of snail one usually comes across in a park or garden.

Great picture and lovely snail. 
Your identification was correct, I believe. He is Fulica.
You shouldn't have any problem in getting him to eat a large range of fruits and vegetables (avoiding the discussed exceptions). 
Fulica are very open to diet changes and will usually explore the majority of vegetation you give to them. Like you and me, they also have personal preferences (e.g. I used to have an 8 adult breeding colony and 1 just wouldn't eat asparagus).

[toly]

Thank you!