Strange Head-Lifting Behavior

[chenwb]

As you know, I recently captured two wild snails, I believe to be Helix aspersa. Well, while moving today I stumbled upon another snail on the sidewalk while helping a friend move, and felt compelled to add it to the tank. It lodged its head in the crack of the Tupperware container I temporarily stored it in, so its head looked folded over. When I let it into my tank, it started incessantly "rearing" its head. It never exposed its radula, so I thought it might have got caught in its own mouth (I was unfamiliar with snail mouths, but I have a better idea now after checking my two healthy snails). I tried to help it unstick its mouth, but I think it was actually fine. Anyone know what could be wrong? It is now attached firmly to the top of the tank, as my first two were before.

Also, do any of you quarantine your snail before adding it to the community? I looked at it in the Tupperware, and there were no parasites (although as I said before it squished its head in the crack where the lid attached).

[chenwb]

OK, I decided to release him after he fell off the side of my tank (he was unhurt). These behaviors convinced me he wasn't adapting happily to tank life. He looked much better upon release, so I am not taking drastic measures to try to sanitize my tank. There were no parasites as far as I could see.

[coyote]

Hm, I'm not sure what may have been going on with that snail, other than just not adapting to the tank. I've seen a couple of my snails head-rear on occasion, but that may be a different behavior than what you saw.

I usually don't quarantine a wc snail before adding it to the tank. I look them over in the wild carefully first, though. I may come to regret this practice some day, but for now I don't generally quarantine.

[lucyjames]

He may have just been taking things in.... mine often rear their heads when I put them back in their clean house... and when they are sizing up each other they do this also...

[Dusk]

And when they're trying to get a good look at you - I think we're just too big for them to see all at once, so they look us up and down The babies especially - they seem to have this expression of mad amazement (like kittens) that something so huge can exist

[Rachel]

lol, especially if ur wearing dreads eh dusk ;D

[Dusk]

I maintain that they were not terrified and just had dreadlock-envy. The hiding was out of shame for their own lack of awesome hair.

[Rachel]

Jun 15, 2009 12:29:23 GMT Dusk said:

I maintain that they were not terrified and just had dreadlock-envy. The hiding was out of shame for their own lack of awesome hair.

either that or they (as you said before) thought you were being eaten by worms of some giant variety