Snail dead or alive?

[luluanne]

My snail has been inactive for 2 weeks now. I thought he was just having babies so I picked him up to check. Where his body should come out of his shell, a hard surface has formed, as if sealing his body in. Is he dead? There is no horrible smell.

Thanks Lucy

[Katie]

Is the heating ok? and are you spraying him?
its not normal for them to sleep for more than 4 days.
Try breaking the hard seal GENTLY with your thumb, its possible that he is just hibernating because its cold. My snails are sleeping more now.

If their is no smell then he shouldn't be dead.


xxx

[luluanne]

Thanks for this. I will try it. I am spraying him and the other two are fine, i don't think it's too cold.

Thanks again! X

[Dusk]

Give him a warm bath, using your fingers to very gently wash away the hard coating. He should wake up with the heat. Doublecheck his tank is warm enough and if necessary add an extra heat source, as with the recent temperature drop your current heating arrangements may not be up to the task.

[luluanne]

Ok, it's good to hear people don't think he's dead

[Dusk]

It's usually pretty obvious when a snail's dead - either they're so far retracted they look like just a shell or they're really whiffy. Yours sounds like he's just gone for a long nap to escape the temperature change (and really, I think a lot of people would like to be able to do the same....)

[Rachel]

sounds like me in the mornings, does not want to get up so forms a defensive barrier of lovely warm duvet, lol . as said before, break the seal GENTLY, a nice warm bath and pop him on some food.

[luluanne]

Well my snaily is now well and truely awake! Yay! I went to check on him (i put him near the radiator) and he'd woken up. So i bathed him and he was fine! hehe

[Dusk]

Hurray! I'm glad he's okay. Keep a close eye on him in case he decides to go back to napping the winter away

[luluanne]

Yep i will do, least i know what to look for now lol. Thanks ppl!

[madhouse]

phewwww am glad the little guy's all okay