Wild caught snails

[KathyM]

I'm opening this thread because I took the topic on news and announcements off topic a bit (sorry).

Can someone explain to me the risks of keeping wild caught and captive bred snails together?

And also why CB offpsring from wild caught specimens are seen as safe? Does this mean snails cannot pass on illnesses/parasites to their eggs?

Thanks

[section8angel]

I don't know if it would be possible for things to pass to the eggs.
I know humans pass things to a baby through the placenta but the baby is already alive, so I don't know if something could pass to the eggs as they were formed?

Can you find the link you read about someone finding parasites in an egg?

I think that maybe the reason CB offspring would be deemed safe from WC parents -if- things can be passed to them, might be because -if- things get passed to the egg or young snail, there isn't enough for them to survive on? So maybe they would have to move from the babies to adults to live?

I hated science, so if I'm wrong, don't sue me Lol

As for the risk of keeping WC and CB together, I think it's mainly because of "outside" parasites/diseases etc that the WC's could have but would be used to, but the CB wont so it could effect them worse than the WC.
That's why it's safer not to keep garden snails with gals also.

Did I make any sense? lol
Edit - I don't know if I made sense but I made typos LOL

[KathyM]

Thanks Sian - it does make sense. I'm glad someone understood what I was asking *lol*.

Is the risk purely parasitic then?

copigeon said:

I'd imagine parasites would not be transfered through egg, for the simple reason that a parasite that did... would kill the snail in the egg before it hatched? No infected juvenille... pointless practice for the parasite?

Thanks copigeon - that's what I thought having read about these eggs (the parasites were in eggs that didn't go on to hatch) but it made me wonder whether some nematode-type organisms can make it through the eggs development and into the young.

admin said:

I asked a number of people about this and most parasites (eg. rat-lung worm) can't be passed from snail to egg. Like co-pigeon said, there are parasites that attack eggs but I've not heard of any penetrating an egg to infect a foetus. That's not to say they don't exist, but I think snail eggs are the end of 99% of pest risks, if they hatch away from the parents.

Thanks Paul - very interesting stuff!

valerie said:

I agree with sarah on this point, I think it would be very unlikely that the snail would pass a parasite IN the egg!!!

Val

Well, I read yesterday that parasites were found IN the egg, so much as you disagree that it's possible, I'm only going on what I read

[section8angel]

Huzzah I made sense lol. We must think alike! lol

Did you find the link to where they said about them IN the egg? Or was it not online lol. It would be interesting to read.

[KathyM]

You know what? Lisa and I were looking online for ages yesterday and I can't for the life of me remember where I read it - it could've been on here! Or on one of the other gazillion sites. It may have even been on another reptile board that popped up in a google search. Will go and have a search.....

[KathyM]

Found it!!

www.livefoodshop.co.uk/forum/lofiversion/index.php?t28072.html

Scroll down to thedreadedone's reply.

[Paul]

I've seen that before and I wondered about it then. Unfortunately it doesn't give details of the parasites and it doesn't mention if the eggs were completely unpenetrated. The eggs could have been attacked by external parasites from the soil for example. Those flatworms you get in aquariums can attack eggs apparently. What were the parasites; worms, maggots, mites, bugs what? I'm not saying it isn't possible, it certainly suggests it is and seeing as they are created internally there's no reason why some things couldn't manage to get into an egg. But without more information it isn't that useful.

[KathyM]

That's exactly why I asked - genuine curiosity