Best feeder snail?

[johanm]

Hi everyone!
I am new here and have a question some of you might find a bit offensive. If that is the case I apologize.

I am hopefully about to get a group of Aplopeltura boa, snail eating snakes. I am therefore looking for prolific snail/slug species to breed as feeders. From what I've heared from other keepers they don't like Achatina sp. Therefore I am looking for something else that breed a lot and easily and grow fast. Both slugs and snails would work.

Any input would be very appreciated!
Cheers!
/Johan

[LisaLQ]

I thought I'd best point out that the name of the site pretty much gives away the response you may get. Having said that, I know many of our members do use snails or their eggs as food for their exotics/fish, so I can give you an answer on this one. Achatina fulica are the most prolific - laying anywhere from 50 to into the hundreds of eggs. Problem being there's no way you'd manage to feed them all to one or two animals before they got too big - and then you'd be stuck with hundreds of snails you cant rehome (fulicas are the most commonly available species, and therefore you cant sell them - it's even hard to find homes if you give them away). Therefore I'd recommend only hatching out what you could use within a relatively short space of time.

I do want to add though that this will be a volatile subject, and may be better addressed on a general exotics site, rather than one for owners of pet snails

Best of luck.

[johanm]

Thank you for your answer.
I was thinking it might be a controversial subject, but I have been in contact to Swedish snail keepers and none of them thought it was shocking at all, so I thoght I would try here... Anyway, if anyone takes offence I am sorry.

I know that fulicas are the most prolific, however I need something else since the snakes don't like Achatina sp....

[Paul]

Perhaps the most prolific non-Achatinid is Helix aspersa. They lay eggs regularly, perhaps 3 or 4 times a year in large numbers and they don't grow too big. If they are native to your country you can release excess into the wild.

[Arno]

For slugs you couldn't go wrong with Arion species (lusitanicus for example),I know many gardeners would be happy to send you theirs ..........

[LisaLQ]

I'd like to point out though that I've had my helix for a long long time now and they've not laid once. They're nowhere near as prolific as fulica. Would it not be easier to find a different species of snake to keep? One not so fussy perhaps?

[guest]

Helix aspersa maxima are easy to rear, horribly prolific, and grow reasonably large. Would be ideal.

[johanm]

Thank you all for your input, I will try to get some Helix aspersa maxima. They don't like Arion lusitanicus which is a pity, our garden is teeming with them Apparantly they have too much defence mucus.
They do eat Cepaea sp. though, they are abundant here, I am just looking for a good species to keep them well fed during the winter as well.

lisalq said:

Would it not be easier to find a different species of snake to keep? One not so fussy perhaps?

Ha ha, well in my opinion there is no other snake as interesting as this one. Very cute and curious.