Preserving shells

[anjieburdett]

Hello guys,

I'm after some advice and your opinion on something really.

The 2 tiger snails that have died were sold to a lovely German girl, she would like the shells of the dead snails which is fine by me. I have a problem though.......i'm not good with dead things!! eww i can't get them out of the shell, i just can't, i couldn't pull them out i would be violently sick and extremely traumatised lol. She is suggesting i send the dead snails to her in the post, wrapped tightly in plastic. They stink a bit now, what would they be like after a few days in the post!!!

I don't know..... it just goes against the grain for me to send dead things in the post! What do you lot think.

Help me out here lol.

Anjie,x.

p.s. arno will tell you, he is still waiting for his dead margie shell lol. I left that one in the garden to rot. EWWWWW.

[Kevin]

Just asked my dad, he removed my dead GALS from their shells when my first ones died about 9 years ago

He said he put then into an ants nest and they completly cleared the shell

I still have the shells of my first snails (somewhere) I dont know if I would want to preserve the shells of the snails I have now

He also suggested boiling the shell

[anjieburdett]

Yep, Evelyn said to cook the dead snails for 10 minutes, NO WAY am i doing that!! The house would stink!

My fiance thinks i should send the snails in a ziplock bag and let evelyn deal with the bodies.

[natrat84]

Is it sunny? What about leaving them in sunlight, would that dry them up so they'd fall out Otherwise I'm not sure, I know I couldn't cook them

[natrat84]

I think the ant idea is good too.

[gail]

I have the same problem....my mum would like the shell of my dead tiger snail. He had a very beautiful shell, possibly the most tigerish of all of them. hmm does that make sense anyway at the moment hes in the garage. Dont think I could boil him, my mum did offer my dad up for the job lol his face said it all lol

Gail

[Emma]

Im majorly squeamish and the thought of sending festering corpses in the mail makes me wanna hurl! lol.
I think ur best bet it leaving them out in the sunshine. I have left my tiger that died in the back garden underneath a blackberry bush. now the unpleasant process of decomposition is out of view of others. (especially myself)

[bookitten]

if anyone has any spare shells, GIVE THEM TO ME!!!!!!! not to someone else! TO MEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


sophie

[thegreatloofa]

I have loads of spare egg shells!

You're welcome to them!

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Paul]

We talked about this briefly the other day:

petsnails.proboards3.com/index.cgi?board=misc&action=display&n=1&thread=1571&page=1

[bookitten]

EGG shells? but i meen snail shells. and GALS would be prefered, but if i see a pic of garden snail shells then i might decide.

[Val]

Hi Anjie,
I think the big problem here is how we feel personally towards the snail! If he is a PET, if you have fed him and cared for him there is NO WAY you could be expected to start tugging him out of his shell, or to put him in a pot and boil him!! And as for putting them in an ants nest............what are you to do, check every now and then to see how much of them is eaten!!!!!!
If she has paid for these snails, I would give her a refund and then I would bury the snails with the respect I beleive all animals deserve.

Val, x

[anjieburdett]

I tend to agree with you there Val, but i have told her i will send her the dead snails complete, for her to deal with!! They are going to be absolutely vile by the time they get there, but thats her choice. I know i don't HAVE to send them ... i have refunded for one and replaced the other with a margie.

I am sending the package on the understanding that its Evelyns responsibility if it gets stopped at customs and i am not putting my name or address anywhere on the parcel.

Anjie,x.

[Arno]

Anjie,what you might can do is bag them,freeze them and then put them in the parcel,and hoping the weather doesnt suddenly turns very hot.

[Leah]

I think it's good to leave it up to the ants. That way its going back to nature. That's the way things are supposed to be.

[Val]

Erm.............and how long should Anjie leave it before she checks how much of them has been eaten???

Val

[anjieburdett]

Where exactly do i find an ants nest lol.

Anjie,x.

[Val]

ebay? ;D

[anjieburdett]

lol! well, they sell most things hehe.

Its ok now, Evelyn has decided not to have the shells after all, so i don't have to deal with this.

Alls well that ends well.

Anjie,x.

[Val]

Brilliant!!!!!!!!

[bookitten]

do you still want to sell them?
if so, then do whatever you like with the snail [ants, rot, boil, whatever really. but i still think the ants are best] and then i'll have them instead! if not, then oh well ;D

[anjieburdett]

I'm going to leave them somewhere in the garden where the kids can't get hold of them. Then i think i will send an empty shell to Evelyn and you can have one Sophie.

I think. lol. We'll see.

Anjie,x.

[Deleted]

I KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO

i did this with my snail from brixton. you go in the garden, and then put it in your hand and swing it with such force that the animal falls out. its very very traumastising but its quick!!!!!!

[bookitten]

* pukes violently*

[anjieburdett]

YES MIKE!! You tried to get me to do this once before! I refused then and i still refuse now lol.

Anjie,x.