A new snail shell?

[Deleted]

Hiya i have a sea shell collection and i have washed them all for my little snail which i found in my garden. Can a garden snail i dont know what species she is or if she was bred and let free, can a garden snail get a new shell like if it finds a empty one and likes it can it just like push its body in it and have the new shell because my snails shell is quite damadged and i dont want her to have a weak shell and she have cuttle bone.

[Bumblebee]

No, snails cant change their shells, they have the same shell they where hatched with for their entire life.

[Deleted]

oh i have been making a hole in a sea shell i found that fits my sail a bit because her shell is very weak so im gonna put her in that shell but if her orriginal shell brakes will the black shell keep her body parts and all that stuff safe? i just want my snail to be safe

[Bumblebee]

Im not sure if it would work to attach a shell to a broken snail shell. But you could always increase the calcium she gets, giving her both cuttlefish and maybe crushed oyster shells or some liquid calcium.

[Deleted]

I have bought her a whole cuttle fish bone and she is only small but would that shell work?

[danikat]

I don't think it'd be a good idea to try and put another shell over a snail.

Even if it was a perfect fit it might be too heavy for them to drag around all the time and would probably fall off as soon as they went upside down.

Your best bet is to just make sure she's always got a supply of calcium and give it time, shells heal slowly but they do heal.

[coyote]

Another creature's shell is not appropriate for a snail. Like everyone else has said, a supply of calcium is very important for your snail, and cracks and small holes can heal over time.

[Deleted]

ok thanks, insted of putting a shell over her should i use a bit of plaster of pris to make her shell hard or will it break the shell?

[danikat]

I've heard that plaster of paris can be used to repair shells but it's usually a last resort for very serious problems.

I really think you need to just give her more time. According to your old posts it was only 11 days ago you got her the cuttlefish, that will probably solve the problem and just hasn't had time to work yet. For an animal to build anything out of calcium takes time. Think of her shell like a broken bone. You wouldn't give up on someone recovering from a break after just 11 days would you?

If there's no change after a month or so then it might be worth considering other options but not yet.

[coyote]

Shell repairs take time. Danikat's comparison with a broken bone is a good one -- these kinds of things will take some time, and you need to be patient and allow the process to take place.

[Deleted]

ok thanks I hope i find another alive snail!!

[crossless]

Shell changing is impossible snails die without they shell cos of infection and that shell don't cover it's organs anymore. Sometimes in summer when it's rainy and i see snails that has broken shell 'cos of some biker etc. I'll step few times on most helpless ones and set them free from pain and throw those "bodies" to long hay so snails don't so much slimy middle of road to get food.