HELP! Baby Snails!

[angel]

So my 8 year old bonded with a snail from our front yard & before I knew it we entered the world of pet snail ownership Unfortunately, after a month of taking care of her, our solo snail LAID EGGS!!! (I read a bit about self-fertilization?!?).

Anyway, we are such animal lovers, and the process is fascinating, but we absolutely CAN'T take on caring for the little guys (& gals)... husband didn't even want to take on caring for a snail to begin with.

TOTALLY LOST on what to do, since it would break my kiddo's heart to freeze them (& not see them hatch) and I'm terrified of what might happen to them if we release them into our backyard.

PLEASE HELP! I'm running out of time. Suggestions? If we release, what's their best chance for survival? Will they be OK without Mom? (cuz I KNOW my daughter won't want to release her)

I've never posted on a blog before, but seriously need help with this one...my kiddo is extremely empathic, so I need to be extra careful with this one.

Thanks in advance for sharing any info, thoughts, or advice.

[rockfish]

Are the snails native to your area? If not they could cause a problem if released as they could be considered an invasive pest. Baby snails are independent of the parent. Don't know what kind of snail you have but I put my snail eggs in a Styrofoam burger box with moist soil at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit in my basement and they hatch in about 2 weeks. If u can't release them then you will be stuck with a lot of snails to raise which I personally enjoy Lol. Which species? Best of luck

[simple]

If they're native you don't have to worry about releasing them, as rockfish said, they're independent of their parents.
If you can't, your best bet is to see if anyone is interested in them, maybe look for other snail owners in your area and ask if they want them.

[angel]

Thank you both...they are native...just a snail from our front lawn...I was just worried about predators and them having enough food, water & calcium when they are released.

We CAN'T raise them, but is it safe to let her keep one or two for company? Is there any risk of her eating them...or mating with them?

Also, can I keep them with her until we release in our yard? Any suggestions on where/how to release them?

[simple]

You can keep some if you want, snails love the company of their own species though the size difference could be a problem.
Raising them before release is also perfectly fine, just try not to get attached to them ☺

[littlegoldsnail]

If you don’t want to keep them just release them in a moist area with places for them to hide and you can even leave out some food for them to help them along (as long as they are native, if they are not native they are an invasive species an that would be illegal).

[morningcoffee]

If you hatch and release them, some will survive, some won't - that is nature. If you were concerned you could help them along outside by leaving out a calcium source and food.

IF you keep some with your current snail then yes once they reach sexual maturity they WILL mate with each other. If you do this then you will need to be vigilant about checking the tank for eggs regularly in future and freezing or destroying them if you don't want to be overrun with baby snails.