Arianta shell outer layer: I *may* have observed something!

[etana]

This is very exciting, but I'm not 100% sure I'm right just yet! I will be posting pictures later when I've taken some close-ups. 

I keep a bunch of Arianta arbustorum and like many others here on this forum, sometimes I observe their shell's outer layer peeling off. Adding calcium to the substrate slows down and even stops the process, but I'd thought snails simply can not repair such damage.  

Well, my Rudolf had a surprise for me!

Recently one of his own babies ate a big area of the top layer of his shell away. I was kind of angry because Rudolf has worked on his shell all winter, repairing it, smoothing out the uneven bits and shining it endlessly, so that he looks very different to when I found him - and now there was a wide grey stripe, and a satisfied baby sleeping on it.

I'm glad I did take a picture. Because, after that happened, Rudolf spent ages and ages on the cuttlebone, and then hid away for a while - and this morning he emerged from his hide, his shell looking great again! No grey at all!   

I REALLY hope I'm not wrong! I know it's just an anecdote, and my Rudolf is a unique character who does many things my other snails don't do, but maybe this shows that they are able to fix the top layer if they really want to? 

I don't want to disturb his beauty sleep but when I see him next time, the camera will be in much use! If I'm wrong, I'll be sorry and delete this thread. 

[Zorst]

Hey that sounds really interesting, let us know how it go's with Rudolf n his shell and pic s would be great to see.

Zorst

[Liguus]

The shiny top layer of the shell (periostracum) is mostly made of proteins, so maybe boosting the protein in the diet will help a bit as well.
I haven't been able to verify if snails can rebuild this layer, but in the wild it's usually only empty shells that have a high deterioration so perhaps living snails are constantly rebuilding it somehow. I haven't found any source which has tested this idea unfortunately.

[etana]

Sorry to respond sluggishly; the first night I was slightly disappointed to see that the "perfect" look was because he had just been bathing and snail shells look less worn when they're wet. However he's definitely doing something to it. I'm giving it a couple more days and then I'll compare it to the pic I took when the baby had just rasped it.

Meanwhile, he has three young snails trying to mate with him at the same time, hahaha. Oh Rudolf.

[Zorst]

Poor ole Rudolf.
Marrow the bulldozer here has had this Food God idea go to his head, he now thinks he's also a Sex God and is hitting on everyone except the /Immac's. So far every one has gone NO WAY Marrow n slimmed off as fast as they could to hide .

Poor ole frustrated Marrow.

Zorst