Ongoing Snail Illness Research

[Deleted]

hi my snail has been licking her shell and its very shiny i never noticed it being so shiny is this natural?

[Bumblebee]

Well snails can lick their shells to clean it of snail-slime. I think i have read too that they can begin to eat of their own shell if they cant find any calcium.

[crossless]

I have noticed they smooth their flatter side of shell so they muscle that hold new growth could change it place to end on new growth.

Snails are not that dumb to start eat own shell, I think why would they eat it if it's their only protection. That's just my opinion. I have seen baby snails trying to eat other ones shells so I keep smallest snails in their own tank until they start to move longer distance so they find they own way in big terrarium to food and cuttlebone.

[Deleted]

ok thanks ill try to get some cutlefish bone

[crossless]

Yes. Almost week since I separated sick snails. They are normal and happy. Dots don't seem to spread they seems to be larger or atleast darker now. Hmmh.. Just have to see what does happen in near future. Sometimes feels like snail that has more dots it takes sometime to get stalks really long, or then it's just my head messing with me. If something happen, I wish they would perish naturally to illness, but if suffer I will help them to get over to snail heaven. Interesting to see how everything turns out.

[coyote]

I'm glad the dots don't seem to have spread and that the snails seem normal and happy. I think as long as they are eating normally and acting normally, that is a good sign. I hope they continue to do okay.

[crossless]

I looked now with bright light they are quite dark brown dots now, snails had few days that they didn't eat anything now they eat daily. Later to day I bath them and more closely look with light has some dots gone or is there them much like always. I'm thinking if they don't fade and snails are fine, it could be somekind of cancer. To days ago these sick snails had 1year birthday have to see how long they will live.

[crossless]

Those two big fellas are still around I think nother one even layied some eggs. Dots are still in stalks seems to be brown but don't look as dark as those red dots, maybe they get better or then not. I planned that if they don't cure themselves when I get that huge tank I will house them in that tank where is now group of fulicas till I get that bigger one made for that new baby snail and 6adults. Hope I get it soon that freaking cold winter is not leaving Finnish any how, so have to wait and wait.

Yes I decided that when I visit with dad in recycle center web site says there is 100litres tank on sale i think I buy that if it is there then and half fulica group in both of tanks so everyone has nice big space to leave seems that those sick ones are not going to be any worse neither so I think it's safe put them with other if I get that tank, never know.

[crossless]

Interesting now I noticed today that the dots are really light in color, you can see them through skin still. Seems that they are fading away after all, yeey.

[coyote]

I hope they fade away completely.

[crossless]

Now happened something really weird. o.O Over night one of those who had dots, stalk has bended to really weird angle. I was all night up and I didn't heard any bangs so he could been hurt. Hmmh.. I have too their behaviour more to see what to do.

[Deleted]

If you buy a twice stabbed beetle you're in luck they ea mites but dont harm snails (unless they squirt juice or gt squashed and the acidy thing comes out)

[Deleted]

My snails eyestalks sometimes go bent im nt sure maby their trying to move their eye and pulled a tin musul i dont know.........

[crossless]

I know how normally snails stalks bend that's not the case now. There's no pests in tank neither. So few snail are still sick with mysterious illness.

[coyote]

That is very strange. Can the bent eyestalk retract at all, or it is always out?

[crossless]

They work as they should be, but that corner is really weird. I'll try to find that curvy stalk snail next time when they have long stalks, separate it for moment and try to take picture it.

[crossless]

Ok, pictures taken. Many pics, I couldn't decide few so i put all the best shots.

First few photos of that snail which stalk isn't so "bad":




Then the nother snail.. :

[Deleted]

Thats not the same as mine try touching its eyestalk then when it pops bac out it could be straight my pomatias Cream Cocoa and i dont know what to calll the 3rd one smetims have bad eyestalks Cream woke up and her eye nearly touched her shell it went like this diogram:
7@_ <- cream's eye stalk

[crossless]

Those stalks are always looking those even after pop back straight.

[coyote]

I have never seen anything like that. It's quite odd. In the second snail, it looks like the area where it bends is a little swollen. The first snail doesn't really look swollen at the bend, it just looks like a smooth bend but it could be due to the angle of the pic.

It's possible it's just the way the tissue has healed after an injury.

As long as the snails are eating well and otherwise behaving normally, I suppose there is little cause to worry.

[crossless]

Yes, they are fine. Snails are really interesting, 'cos you never can know what happens next they lay loads of egg too so I'm not too worried. Stalks do look quite thick, but have to see if some day swollen stops.

[crossless]

Update. I weight my snails as having fun with owning on gram scale, then one snail that has dots.. I noticed that stalk isn't swollen anymore, but where is the dot there's now a bump. Looks bit funny, but they are happy and doing normal snaily things.

[coyote]

That's a good sign that they are acting normally. Perhaps the bump is part of the healing process.

[crossless]

Little update. This is how we look now.

[coyote]

I have been trying to find information about the anatomical structure of the optic tentacles and can't find any details, such as if those might be lymph nodes. The pic made me think of swollen glands.

I suppose as long as your snails are eating well and otherwise behaving normally it is not a cause for concern, although it is quite odd to see.