how to get my first snail?

[Schnecke]

hello petsnailsforum!!! i have many snail questions to ask all of you very knowledgeable snail keepers....
i would love to get a land snail to keep with me when i go to college very soon, as they allow small pets in the dorms, and i have always needed to keep a little buddy with me to keep myself from getting lonely, but i am not sure about how to get one at all. i can't get one shipped to me from out of state (i am located in pennsylvania, and most of the sellers are in california which would be illegal for me to get since i cant ship the species they are selling across states), nor do i know how to go about getting a permit to get a snail shipped to me. i also do not know what species i should go with for my first snail. i have owned many slugs of varying species in the past but never a snail, so i am not sure what a good beginner species would be. i have done bunches of research on taking care of snails so i just want to find one that i can take the best care of. if there are any snails you recommend for a snail that is easy for snail beginners then the recommendation would be very appreciated. :]
thank you ahead of time for the help. i hope this post isn't a very common one that gets posted here. i wasn't able to find anyone else in the same situation as me on the forum that got answered and is recent enough for me to reply to, so my apologies if this is an annoying forum post.

[snaileyhammy]

Hello!

I am so glad you want to get a pet snail! They are amazing companions!! Most snail species have relatively the same care in the US. There are some specific species that take experience, but they are not easy to get your hands on. Anyways, some good "beginner" species are Cornu aspersum (the common brown garden snail) and Otala lactea (the milk snail). However, they are both invasive in the US, and your state may not allow them. They are only obtainable through shipping, so you will have to find a seller in your state. I believe in some parts of the US, you are able to find these snails wild, but I am not sure exactly where. If you are not Abel to find any snails for sale, another great option is to find some snails outdoors. Go on a hike and flip over logs, stones, etc, and there you will find snails! You can go on iNaturalist.org, and look through snail observations in your area, and you will see what species you can find in Pennsylvania. I will do some research a bit later, though, and see if I can find any sellers in Pennsylvania or a list of snails native there!


I hope this helps you out! Let me know if you have any more questions!

[Schnecke]

Jan 10, 2022 16:32:27 GMT snaileyhammy said:

Hello!

I am so glad you want to get a pet snail! They are amazing companions!! Most snail species have relatively the same care in the US. There are some specific species that take experience, but they are not easy to get your hands on. Anyways, some good "beginner" species are Cornu aspersum (the common brown garden snail) and Otala lactea (the milk snail). However, they are both invasive in the US, and your state may not allow them. They are only obtainable through shipping, so you will have to find a seller in your state. I believe in some parts of the US, you are able to find these snails wild, but I am not sure exactly where. If you are not Abel to find any snails for sale, another great option is to find some snails outdoors. Go on a hike and flip over logs, stones, etc, and there you will find snails! You can go on iNaturalist.org, and look through snail observations in your area, and you will see what species you can find in Pennsylvania. I will do some research a bit later, though, and see if I can find any sellers in Pennsylvania or a list of snails native there!


I hope this helps you out! Let me know if you have any more questions!

thank you so much for your reply!!!! this is very helpful. I'll have to go looking for snails soon. it's recently snowed where I am and is very cold but I will try my best to find one. I have been unable to find a seller in my state, but i will keep looking around online. Thank you so much for helping me!!!! it is very appreciated :]]

[snaileyhammy]

Of course!!

And that is awesome! I am glad you were able to find a seller in your state! I forgot that it was colder up there, so you may have to wait until spring to find some snails outdoors, but you never know, you may find some now.