New: Micro-snail info needed

[karmav]

Hi,
I'm looking for info on raising terrestrial microsnails in North America.

I live in Saskatchewan but I'm a transplant from the BC coast. I spent my childhood in the grass or leaf litter fascinated by all the small creatures. Living in a city in southern Saskatchewan I've missed the diversity of tiny animals, bugs and insects. 3 years ago, while enjoying the antics of sow bugs and centipedes I noticed very small snails. 35 years living on this residential plot of land and I had never noticed them before! That was an exciting discovery.
I brought a bunch inside in late fall and made them a terrarium. The majority survived and were a delight to spend the winter with.They
were released in spring.
I believe I have 3 different species (less than 1-5 millimeters) but it's hard to find easy to read materials to try to identify them. Research has indicated that SK had done little to identify or record them and I haven't found anyone info online raising them. Lots of info on anatomy etc but not how to feed & care for them. They are different from non-microsnails. They don't eat fresh produce but thrive on moist conditions and decaying leaves,soil as well as the limestone I powder on thier leaves.
The 2 smaller species lay single eggs and the larger lay singles or up to 4. There has been a decline in the large ones over the last 2 years. Neighbors tend rake their yards bare and spray herbicide/ pesticides where they haven't put in more cement so I can't compare my population to anything close by.(Well that and the neighbors are not going to understand me rustling through their leaves while muttering how many snails I find.)
I released my winter snails and a few extra generations that grew over the winter but I only had one of the larger ones.
In the last month I found 7 living and 23 dead.(just a search in random area of my yard so there will be more out there) I brought them in and they are doing well. Given natural predation in their natural environment (as well as what humans add) I'm hoping to build up their numbers. I also found some of their species eggs in the leaf litter. Between the two there is now about 50 eggs in the hatchery bottle. (So they don't get eaten by the adults)
So long story short:
I need Raising Microsnails for Dummies if such a thing exists.
I'm glad to find so many others who enjoy the charm of snails.
-Karma

[morningcoffee]

If you've worked out their diet and they're happy enough to be laying eggs, sounds like you're doing a pretty good job at looking after them already!
I haven't had personal experience of keeping very tiny snails - I considered it once after finding some but decided it would probably be too "fiddly".
They might like to eat tree bark or lichen possibly?

[karmav]

Thank you for the encouragement and suggestions. After reading some post on pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds I experimented and offered them soaked seeds. They really like them! I also introduced wheat berries and lentils. They're the micro snails favourite by far.
A few weeks ago I got a huge surprise while gardening. There was an Amber snail in my flowers. I know this is alarming for many gardeners but in my prairie city anything bigger than micros are rare. I've lived in this house for 36 years and this is a first. I'm wondering if it's local or came in on the new plants. I don't want to have it breed in the yard and be a garden issue so it's in a container happily laying eggs. (I had not thought this through😨)
Not sure what I'm going to do but I can't release them until I know they are native.
I still have lots of old thread to read through and I'm grateful for all the information.

[ensnailed]

Aug 26, 2020 19:51:34 GMT karmav said:

Thank you for the encouragement and suggestions. After reading some post on pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds I experimented and offered them soaked seeds. They really like them! I also introduced wheat berries and lentils. They're the micro snails favourite by far.
A few weeks ago I got a huge surprise while gardening. There was an Amber snail in my flowers. I know this is alarming for many gardeners but in my prairie city anything bigger than micros are rare. I've lived in this house for 36 years and this is a first. I'm wondering if it's local or came in on the new plants. I don't want to have it breed in the yard and be a garden issue so it's in a container happily laying eggs. (I had not thought this through😨)
Not sure what I'm going to do but I can't release them until I know they are native.
I still have lots of old thread to read through and I'm grateful for all the information.

Hi! I was wondering how your micro snails are doing, because I had a very similar experience last week. I really wanted to find some more of the medium sized snails I've been keeping, so I ventured out to see if there was any chance of finding any before the winter. While I did not find any of the ones I was after, I did find micro snails that I had no idea were around here! Thanks for sharing your tips for keeping them! I debated whether or not to bring them in, but it could be nice to give them a spoiled winter instead of the cold, underground one as long as I can do it right. I have time to release them back into the woods, though, if I notice they aren't doing well.

I don't know anything about snail identification, but it looks like I have a couple amber snails, a handful of "slippery snails" and a few with tightly coiled, flat shells that I have no idea how to ID. I hope if you still have yours that they're doing well!

[karmav]

Ensnailed,
Hi! I'm sorry I didn't see your post sooner. My snails are happily multiplying and I'm having to"store" eggs until spring.
How are yours doing? I've learned so much about the different needs of these 2 species this year. The improved results in their wellbeing has been amazing. The consequence weren't well thought out! I have about 800-900 Discus snails & 60 Amber snails that have all been laid and hatched in my snail room/art studio.
I'm looking into creating curriculum educational kits that local schools can use. I'm hoping too interest teachers in having class mico snails for classes to raise and release into leaf litter in their yards. It would be fun to share my passion for these little creatures and I'm highly motivated to find them new homes. Lol!
Would you like any advice on what I do for mine?

The flat coiled ones sound like Discus snails which are what I have so many of. I'm not sure what a slippery snail is so if you have Photos or more info is love to know what they are.
Where in the world are you? I'm in Saskatchewan, Canada. Last winter I would tramp through the snow and pull out handfuls of leaf litter to slowly thaw. The snails would slowly come back to activity and a lot of the frozen eggs hatched. Of course there were a lot of other creatures that came with them so I had a terrarium of ladybugs, micro spiders, Alfalfa bugs and a host of other entertaining Critters. This year I gathered leaves as they fell from the trees I know the snails. I placed them in plastic bags, braids them with water and turn the bags over repeatedly in the sunlight until the 1st snowfall. I bring in a small pail at a time and leave it by the heat vent to help the decay. It's been lovely to not worried about looking after other little creatures. I haven't even had nematode are fungus gnats which are often a problem with leaves left to rot outside.
Let me know if I can help. I don't know if the forum sends notifications so I'll try to check back more often.