How do you take care for HELIX ASPERSA?

[snailsareawesome2]

Hi! This is my first post so please forgive meh if it's messy.

I found a Helix Aspersa in our garden. Any ways how to take care of it?
Thanks for reading!

[morningcoffee]

Jan 31, 2014 11:09:23 GMT snailsareawesome2 said:

Hi! This is my first post so please forgive meh if it's messy.

I found a Helix Aspersa in our garden. Any ways how to take care of it?
Thanks for reading!

Welcome to the forum

Check the snail carefully to make sure it doesn't have visible mites (tiny white bugs crawling quickly over the snail's body).
You need a tank or other suitable enclosure like a clear plastic storage box or large tupperware, with a few airholes added (not too many or the tank will not be humid). It must have a firmly attached lid. Make sure it's been cleaned well with hot water.
Put about 1-2 inches of moist soil or other substrate (coir, sphagnum moss) in the bottom of the tank.
Provide a hiding space, like a plant pot turned on its side.
Give the snail food daily (fruits and vegetables, not onions or garlic - you can use vegetable peelings or small pieces of fruit/veg from your kitchen or garden) and make sure it has a varied diet. Snails also enjoy pieces of brown bread that have been soaked in water, soaked oats, soaked cat/dog biscuits, and sources of protein like boiled eggs or meat.
Provide a source of calcium like cuttlefish bone, limestone flour, ground oystershells, or cleaned eggshells.
Spray the tank lightly once a daily with a spray bottle that can "mist". This keeps the environment moist and humid. The substrate should be slightly damp but not wet.
You can provide a shallow dish of water if you like (you could use something like a jamjar lid), some snails enjoy this.

Remove any snail poop and food that's going rotten/mouldy regularly (once every two days or so) and wipe the tank walls with a damp clean cloth or sponge about once a week.

[snailsareawesome2]

Thanks! I got a hermit crab cage and put some decor in it and it's doing great! Thanks morning cofee.

[Deleted]

Hi! I am pretty much in the same situation as you. I found a baby snail going around in mid-winter! So I brought him in. Morning coffee has pretty much said it all. my Helix Aspersa enjoys climbing sticks, but mostly sleeps. You could try the sticks. Good luck with your snail!