Joshuaa
Achatina immaculata
look... its kate and frank ^ . ^
Posts: 237
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Post by Joshuaa on May 8, 2007 18:35:06 GMT
hello all... i would like to kno wot is rong with my snailies once and for all... and i hope yoo dont shout or be mad at me  il start the story from the begining in the cold winter months, my heating broke and i didnt have a heatmat... so i spoke to a friend who has kept snails for years (so he said) and he told me to let them hibernate as it would be the best thing for them. a week later i asked him when they should wake up and he told me that they could hibernate for months at a time. about 3 months later i have come on here asking for help... because i dont know if they are dead or wot is rong with them three of them are so far retracted that i cant see them and they smell reely bad. mo is quite far retracted back but does not smell and isnt as far in as his siblings. pleese can somebody help me and tell me if they are all dead or just ill or wotever? thank yoo all for reeding and i hope yoo can help me Josh |
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Post by katherineh on May 8, 2007 18:39:39 GMT
Sounds like you've been given some poor advice there, Josh. The smelly ones are probably dead. The last one, does he have a seal over his shell? Have you tried the warm baths as discussed before?
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Joshuaa
Achatina immaculata
look... its kate and frank ^ . ^
Posts: 237
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Post by Joshuaa on May 8, 2007 18:40:48 GMT
yeh sorry i forgot to mention that, i have been giving them half hour baths since thursday or friday last week
mo doesnt have a seal but i think he might have a seal further in his shell ? :S
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Post by katherineh on May 8, 2007 18:43:55 GMT
I don't know what else to suggest. Mine have always come out after bathing, and it should be warm enough without a heat mat at this time of year.
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Joshuaa
Achatina immaculata
look... its kate and frank ^ . ^
Posts: 237
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Post by Joshuaa on May 8, 2007 18:47:59 GMT
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LisaLQ
Archachatina papyracea
Old friend (emphasis on the "old")
Posts: 2,995
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Post by LisaLQ on May 8, 2007 18:57:52 GMT
I think it's safe to assume the smelly ones are dead. I'd remove them before they attract mites/worms. I'm sorry - but usually retracted + smelly is a sure fire indicator that they're dead Ps. Your friend gave you some really cack advice there too - land snails dont need to hibernate at all, let alone for months on end. |
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Joshuaa
Achatina immaculata
look... its kate and frank ^ . ^
Posts: 237
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Post by Joshuaa on May 8, 2007 19:01:15 GMT
awww i will remove them then shud i keep mo just in case? |
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LisaLQ
Archachatina papyracea
Old friend (emphasis on the "old")
Posts: 2,995
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Post by LisaLQ on May 8, 2007 19:08:36 GMT
Yeah - if he's not smelly yet, then keep trying with him  |
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Post by Paul on May 8, 2007 19:29:24 GMT
Snails can hibernate for long periods of time providing the conditions are acceptable. Snails can even survive 0°C for short periods of time (search google for cases of Achatina fulica imported to Germany in Winter) if the temperature is arrived at slowly enough.
While they hibernate, their metabolism and breathing is slowed but they will lose weight over time and could die. 3 months doesn't sound that long when you consider it matches the length of a traditional cold season.
However, once the temperature rises and is stable at what snails consider acceptable they should emerge from dormancy. At the current temps in the UK, without heating they should be up and about now.
Some of my tigers which like warmth will go dormant below about 12°C but will stay above ground but sluggish and with a lessened appetite at temperatures above that.
The best way to tell if a snail is dead is to smell it, you can't miss it. It stinks like rotting fish so you're smelly ones are definitely dead I'm afraid. If you have a good sniff and it doesn't make you gag they're not dead.
Assuming the last one is still alive, let's see what can be done...
It may need some encouragement to come out of such a long dormancy. Perhaps it does feel the temperature is too cold. If the average person could comfortably wear a t-shirt in the room and not feel a chill, this to me, seems unlikely to be the problem.
It may be weak after not feeding for so long, although that also seems unlikely because wild snails manage it.
In my experience, if heat and humidity isn't bringing it out of its shell it's probably dying. When mine have had that retraction illness they slowly waste away and become less and less responsive. I'm not saying yours have had this illness, though it is a possibility; we'll never know because we can't rule out the heating/hibernating issue. Either way, malnutrition seems to go beyond the point of no return.
All you can do is keep trying warmth, baths, humidity and disturbance (try stroking the flesh with a wet finger), followed by periods of leaving it undisturbed for a while so it can build confidence and hope it responds. Then smell it daily...
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Joshuaa
Achatina immaculata
look... its kate and frank ^ . ^
Posts: 237
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Post by Joshuaa on May 8, 2007 19:48:12 GMT
oki...  il giv them all a proper funeral and bury them next to bubbles (my old guinea pig) i hope mo wakes up |
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