stunted growth

[siobhanc54]

I have a baby fulica that is remaining from a batch of snails I bought that died, when they arrived this snail was 1cm shell size so guessing the age 1 month old anyway after all the trouble I had with the others dying I managed to save this one and have now had her for 3 1/2 months so 4 and a half months old approx and her shell size is just over 1 cm, I know that during the time the snails were ill getting her to eat was more than a challenge but now she has been eating well and even coming out for walks for a little over a month now but is yet to grow.
I know the stunted growth has something to do with her being ill, but has anyone similar experiences of such serious stunted growth? and will she ever get any bigger? I have just put her in with my other snails now she's well to cheer her up because I think she was lonely all on her own in a little tank and she is far more active now but still no growth

[Katie]

I bought two baby Fuli's last year from a reptile shop down the road, both of which were very small. Neither of them grew at all whilst I had them, and I have also had this problem with other snails I have bought from pet shops.
Sometimes I think it depends on where they came from, what their genetics are etc etc.
Perhaps your snail is just waiting for a big growth spurt? I've heard this has happened if they haven't grown for a while. If she is eating well and seems alright, then she should be Ok?

Katie x

[Rachel]

Sometimes when snails are ill treated (as often does happen in petshops) it does appear to affect their growth, but she may also be inbred, petshops just let snails breed, no effoert to ensure its from different bloodlines. I think she will grow, just very slowly and never to a huge size.

[siobhanc54]

I don't mind if she doesn't grow think she was lucky to have survived she didn't eat for the best part of a month while she was ill and with being small I didn't think she would have been able to live that long with no food.

[vikingsnail]

My fuli is just over 2 years now, and his shell is only around 2 inches long, if that. His shell is also quite rough, it's quite thick but grows with lots of 'ridges' in, so it's almost stripey.
We got him from a pet shop when he was small (my avatar is a few weeks after we got him) and he has grown, but not to the size you'd expect! The conditions in the pet shop were quite crowded - and as others have said many fulis are inbred.

My fuli also had mites when he was fairly young, which are thought to stunt/affect growth, so whether it was mites or he was just a 'runt', I don't know.
Either way, he may be small but he's still happy, active and healthy

[muddydragon]

i have 4 'dwarf' GALS they just dont grow much atall, but they seem happy they're just small. I think this can effec tthe age they live to (shorter life span) but so far these guys are happy!

[siobhanc54]

well to update my little snail is still has no new growth at all, she is 12 mm shell size and approx 5 and a half months old, she is very active and eating well, and have managed to socialise her now so she doesn't shoot back in her shell every time i pick her up.
I definately think her stunted size is down to her illness at the beginning, and I don't know if she is going to grow at all now but if she doesn't I don't mind because it's like having a cute baby snail that never grows up.

[coyote]

Glad to hear she's doing well in spite of not being full-sized.

[siobhanc54]

She's tiny