Non-adventurous feeders (new poster!)

[billie]

If snails were reared on a limited diet, would this make them unwilling to try unfamiliar foods? Star and Comet (fulica) came to me as rescues when they were 8 months old. They had been kept in very small accomodation and as they had been neglected, I guess inadequately fed. I have had them for 1 year and they have been offered a variety of foods (all listed on the info pages) but they won't touch most of it. Lettuce, some cabbage, cucmber and occasionally apple are eaten, but rarely anything else. I never feel they enjoy it!

[coyote]

I've heard it is more difficult to get a snail to eat unfamiliar foods the older it is. One way around that is to withhold their favorites, offering only the new foods for a day or two. That way they are forced into trying them.

The only way I can get my snails to eat something other than cucumber is to stop giving them cucumber! If given a choice, they will go after their familiar favorites and nothing else.

Some snails are picky about the texture. If I slice things very thinly, I can usually get my snails to at least try them. But if I just put a thick chunk of something in the tank, they don't seem to want to bother with it.

[danikat]

Witholding favourites seems to be the best option. Don't starve them of course but if you have a day of new food followed by a day of their normal stuff they should be fine.

I've also noticed some snails seem to have personal preferences. One of my original lot always went for the snail mix (various seeds and oats) whereas others would prefer tomato, lettuce or cucumber. My current two seem to love oats and sunflower seeds and cucumber but not much else.

[crossless]

When I got my first snails from petstore they had that basic salad, cucumber, carrot diet. So I had to litterally force them eat. I was just harsh and changed food when they tasted it a little, and tried dozen and dozens a things for them. I wrote down they favorites after long time I tried again when they had loads of favorites to see did they eat it to hunger or for the taste or both. Now Femi and Fulica love to try new things.

Don't offer safe food and new food at same time, I have noticed they eat safe food first then if still hungry they eat that new thing. Then I have noticed that new things should be tried again what they didn't like after long time I had noticed that some snails are like "Ah this boring thing again, I shall eat that better tasting I remember eating this short while ago and I didn't like it" some times they like it more next time they get. I usually try new things few times before I decide to leave it on their menu.

Then my nother group which I bought from pet store they had really less food like three snails with shell lenght about 5cm 1salad leave. When I first at home give them food they ate it litterally like they never seen food before. It melt my heart to see them happy and stomach full of food.

Then these group of snails which I had since they were eggs, when they was going to have huge growth sprint soon. They would eat everything they just needed so much energy for growth they didn't care they just eat what they could. And with those TeQuila, Teuila and Rambutan I have been really proud that they like almost everything only few bad tasting foods they have left untouched.

[erminea]

My two snails have been a bit picky about their food, but I just kept offering one variety at a time and they started to eat lots of different things eventually. They absolutely love pear and sweet potato!

[Deleted]

Mar 2, 2010 12:54:31 GMT danikat said:

Witholding favourites seems to be the best option. Don't starve them of course but if you have a day of new food followed by a day of their normal stuff they should be fine.

I've also noticed some snails seem to have personal preferences. One of my original lot always went for the snail mix (various seeds and oats) whereas others would prefer tomato, lettuce or cucumber. My current two seem to love oats and sunflower seeds and cucumber but not much else.

Danikat you feed your snails oats?! They must be a very strong snail because people kill snails by putting oats out...the oats inflate the snail's stomach givethem diohhera and have a painful death unless its just a special species that dies from oats.
I was once eating a oaty bar when i bit it i thought some oats went into my snails tank so i threw away the oat bar took out the snails compleetly cleaned the tank washed te snailsand then put them back in the tank.....next thing i saw was that the crumb had gone over the lid and not inside it XD i was laughing my head off when i found out it hadent gone in!

[Bumblebee]

Snail can eat oats, it just needs to be soaked first.

[crossless]

I don't give my snails any grain except corn. I made little research and same grains don't grow in Africa that we have. But it's owners choice always.

[coyote]

Grains must be well-soaked before offering to snails. I think a snail can live happily and healthily without any grains, but so can they with well-soaked grains (as long as they are not the main part of their diet).

[Deleted]

oh ok.....