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Post by johnskillcorn on May 11, 2010 19:32:18 GMT
I've been keeping some 15 Pomatias elegans for two years. They originated from the south of the UK, although I live in the North-East. During this time they have failed to reproduce. Does anyone know if there is any special trigger needed? They are kept in a medium-sized plastic box with damp vivarium compost as the medium, which is sterilized. Although they will eat some kinds of decaying leaves, I feed them on baby-food fruit puree mixed with comparatively large amounts of finely powdered cuttle bone. They seem fine on this diet, and are diurnally active. They have been kept indoors in an unheated room during the two winters I have had them, and I wonder if they need to be subjected to much colder temperatures than this (lowest would be 15 degrees Celsius indoors). Some research has shown that they lay only one large egg, and that 'natural soil water' may be a significant factor in their reproduction. Any help you can give me on breeding this snail would be greatly appreciated.
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on May 11, 2010 21:29:15 GMT
Hi johnskillcorn, welcome to the forum. I hope there are some members knowledgeable about P. elegans who can chime in on this thread and offer some info.
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goose
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 311
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Post by goose on May 13, 2010 9:41:35 GMT
Hi and welcome to the forum. Unfortunately I don't have any experience with Pomatias elegans, though it is a species I would like to keep, they are fascinating. I can say though that the native species I keep including Helix pomatia do much better in an outside enclosure breeding wise, like you I think they need a good seasonal variation to trigger mating and egg laying. I never had any success raising Helix pomatia when I kept them indoors but since they have been moved outside they mate and lay regularly. Hopefully there is someone who can reply more specifically to your query.
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Post by johnskillcorn on May 13, 2010 12:46:15 GMT
Thank you for the information received so far. I have been reluctant to put them outside bearing in mind that I live in the North-East - I'm thinking it might be a bit of a risk temperature-wise. I may try it with half of them with the other half in the garage where the temperature rarely falls below zero. John
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on May 13, 2010 20:05:18 GMT
Depending on your tank situation, you might try putting them outdoors just during the daytime. I keep aspersas and milk snails, and I put their tanks outside in the shade on mild days. I bring the tanks into the garage in the evening, where it's cooler than in the house; I keep them in the garage on days that are too rainy or cold. (In the winter I bring the tanks into the coolest room in the house for overnight.)
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Post by crossless on May 13, 2010 21:54:42 GMT
If you have casket freezer it's nice and cool on top. I think I would take most of it's cool surface if I would have some snails that like cooler air than others. Or place them on balcany on concrete floor that is nice and cool during day time too. :] You can too buy some terrarium fans that cools air if needed.
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Post by johnskillcorn on May 25, 2010 7:38:36 GMT
Thank you Coyote and Crossless for your comments. I think I've been keeping them too warm during the winter. If they're still with me come autumn (I've had them as adults now for two years, so they must be getting on a bit!) I'll move them all to the garage - frost free but definitely cooler.
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