Keeping snails in school

[schoolsnails]

Hello!

I am a teacher and I just got two beautiful Cornu Aspersum as a surprise gift. We decided to keep them in the classroom as the class pets, but are completely new to snail parenting. We’ve done the best we can with the information we can find but we still have some questions.

1. Heating the tank- we have tried two different heat pads, and neither one has warmed the tank much. The classroom is heated throughout the day and even still, with the heat pad affixed to the tank the temperature in the tank does not go above 72°, with an average of 68°. I’d prefer the temperature in the tank to be at least 70° at all times but the heating pad only heats the wall of the tank, it does not distribute heat throughout. At night, the classroom is not heated and I imagine it gets quite cold. I was hoping for some suggestions on how to keep them warm overnight as well.

2. Humidity levels- I spray the tank at least 5x per day, completely saturating the walls and soil. Even with this amount of spraying, the humidity depletes very quickly. Within a few hours the humidity levels in the tank will be down to 50% or lower. I worry a lot about them overnight as I am not in school to spray them. I was thinking of making a box out of insulation boards to cover the tank with when I leave each afternoon to keep in the humidity and heat but I worry that they won’t get enough oxygen.

3. Weekends- I live an hour from school and it would be extremely difficult to bring them to and from school for the weekends. Does anyone have some tips for leaving snails for the weekend? (Considering that I live in a temperate climate and the school is not heated overnight and on weekends).

Thank you so much in advance for your response.

[pasi9]

What a lovely idea for a class pet!

Fortunately, Cornu Aspersum are actually fairly simple to look after. They aren't tropical/giant snails, so they shouldn't need a heating pad at all. I don't know what country you live in, but if you live in a temperate climate then you probably have plenty of wild ones living outside already.

It's similar with the humidity. They won't need a tropical type of environment, so you don't need to worry about keeping them very humid all the time. They will be fine overnight.

In terms of leaving them over the weekend, it's not ideal but cornu aspersum are reasonably hardy, low-maintenance snails and they will be fine if left alone for a couple of days. If it's too cold/dry, they usually just seal up and sleep until conditions are more favourable.

For moisture, you could try putting a shallow plastic dish of water in the tank over the weekend. It is very important that it is shallow, so their breathing hole isn't covered if they go in the dish(don't assume they are smart enough to avoid drowning). It is also important it's made of plastic, as a harder material could break their shell if they fell on it.


A cuttlebone, some food that doesn't go off quickly(carrot or sweet potato is good for this) and a little water dish and they should be just fine for the weekends. I have(unintentionally) left my snails alone for a couple of weeks before and they were fine.


By the way, have you seen this thread? petsnails.proboards.com/thread/9416/feed-snails?page=1&scrollTo=85574 It's very helpful when it comes to feeding ideas.

[SuspiciousBagel]

Hi!
Pasi9 has given some really good info. The only few things I can add is that yes, if the humidity is depleting so quickly its worth insulating the tank- its not healthy for the snails to have constantly fluctuating levels of humidity and can drive them to seal themselves up in their shells and then not come out until conditions improve- its very common and happened to my snail when i first got them! Snails don't need much oxygen, far less than a dog or cat or person, so as long as there are a few holes to let it in I wouldn't worry. Also, are you using a hygrometer to measure the humidity? Theyre notoriously inaccurate, I would just go off of how damp the walls look. You want some moisture on them at all times.

Secondly- regarding heating- are you using a thermostat with the heat pad? This will let you control the temperature it heats to a lot better. Heat pads without thermostats are dangerous because they can overheat and may hurt your snail, or at worst start an electrical fire. If you look up 'reptile thermostat' online, you can buy ones where essentially you plug the heat pad into it and from the thermostat you control the temperature the heat pad warms the tank to- they should come with a temperature probe that you put into the snail's tank on whatever wall the heat pad is attached to the outside of. If you don't have one, I strongly suggest it to prevent your snail potentially overheating and to actually be able to control how effective the heat pad is. This may be able to warm your snail's tank better too- and if it doesn't, try insulating the outside of the tank with bubblewrap and cardboard! It might not look very nice but it'll keep heat in well. Just make sure you leave a wall or two uncovered so the snail can get some light in.

One last thing- does the snail get protein? Its a pretty important part of a snail's diet- you can feed them rehydrated (sold dry) mealworms or shrimp one a week, its usually sold to feed to fish.

[schoolsnails]

Thank you both so much for your responses! The information you shared has been so helpful. I am feeling much more confident about being a snail parent now. Thanks again!