New to Snails - Question on Egg Laying

[Crabby Snail]

I have kept Hermit Crabs as pets for over 25 years and about two weeks before the end of October, my brother brought me a snail he found at his job site. Since I had the crabs, he thought I’d like the snail. He said there was several empty shells on the ground like something had eaten them, but this one still had the snail in it (it came from the Eastern Ohio/Western PA section of the US).

I researched about snails and set it up in a habitat and the snail has a BIG appetite. Around the first week in November it laid eggs and over the next week it laid three different groups. They have hatched and I have a ton of cute baby snails---which I was not expecting.

I changed it into another habitat all its own and the snail actually seems happy to get away from them. My plan is to release the babies in late spring after the last chance of frost in the same area where the snail came from.

My question is if it will continue to lay eggs or stop since it will no longer have contact with other snails. I’ve read that they have both organs, but many sites say that land snails do not “self-fertilize” but they can store sperm for future use (my fingers are crossed it has used its supply up).

I really want to keep the snail if it will no longer lay eggs. It is so interesting to observe---it actually has a whole schedule for the day and night. I know by time of day if it’s going to be munching on food, climbing on its stick, or sleeping in the snail hut I made it. I’ve grown just as attached to the snail as my hermit crabs.  Every critter has a personality if you take the time to observe it.


Thanks for checking out my question and have a good day!

[pasi9]

It's good to hear you're enjoying your new friend! what kind of snail is it?

As far as I know, snails can store sperm for up to several months. Self-fertilisation is very rare, and there is some debate as to whether it even happens, so you probably don't need to worry about that.

Either way, at some point soon it will stop laying eggs. It may already have run out, as you say.

[Crabby Snail]

Thank you for your reply. 

I do have an update....My snail just laid more eggs over night yesterday, but it was about half the number of eggs it laid the last time.  I gently took a spoon and removed the eggs and placed them in the habitat with the other babies (I placed them the same way they were placed in the original habitat).  The snail went from the first week of November until now before it laid more eggs.

I'm not sure what kind of snail it is, but I used a picture of him as my profile picture/Avatar.

[littlesnaily]

If you don't plan on keeping the eggs, you can always freeze them overnight and that will kill them. You can also just crush the eggs.