banksy
Achatina fulica
Posts: 2
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Post by banksy on May 24, 2010 23:26:25 GMT
Hi all,
My rommie brought me a pet snail (I named it Banksy) from one of her gardening jobs (we live in Portland, OR) and I made it a lovely temporary habitat, soon to create a full terrarium. I intend to get other snails in there, as well, but am wondering if there are other animals I can safely introduce into the terrarium with the snails.
Sorry if this topic has already been covered, I have found no relevant links so far.
As far as I can tell, this is an ordinary garden snail, with about a 1.5 inch shell. Mostly gray, and quite jolly for a snail, as far as I can tell.
Thanks!
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on May 25, 2010 21:09:32 GMT
Hi banksy, welcome to the forum. Congrats on your new slimy friend! I've successfully kept pillbugs (also called sowbugs, woodlice, roly-polys), slugs and small garden spiders in my snail tanks. I have not been successful keeping worms, though (not deep enough or cool enough). Were there any specific animals you had in mind to keep with your snails, or just a general curiosity? The best matches will be animals who prefer the same temperature and humidity requirements of your snails.
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Post by Hannah-Bird on Jun 8, 2010 4:54:18 GMT
The only thing you'd want to look out for in introducing other species to the habitat would be leopard slugs. They're common in the Pacific Northwest, and attractive as native pets due to their pretty colorations and high activity level. The problem they pose if kept with anything other than fellow leopard slugs is that they are omnivorous. They have very strong radulae and will attack other snails or slugs in the habitat. Other than that, you should be safe.
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banksy
Achatina fulica
Posts: 2
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Post by banksy on Jun 11, 2010 6:16:47 GMT
Thanks for the replies, both of you! I was not notified that I had any replies! Just happened to check in. I have 3 now! Banksy, Jonesy, and Moe. I created a SWEET terrarium for them, and they seem quite content. They LOOOOOVE dandelion leaves and cucumbers. Not so excited about Gala apples, however. Or strawberries. There are some insects naturally in the terrarium. I am not opposed to having insects in there, but I was thinking along the lines of other animals Hannah-Bird, thanks for the warning about leopard slugs. I haven't noticed any around here, yet. Lots of plain brown slugs! Are baby snails born w/ or w/out shells, btw? I have found a few of what I thought were young slugs in the habitat, and have just tosesed them in the garden (what's a few more slugs?!) Don't tell the gardener! LOL! Cheers _@_o<
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on Jun 11, 2010 21:22:51 GMT
Baby snails hatch from their eggs with a shell already. The first thing they do after hatching is to eat their eggshell, for the calcium. The first you will see of them, they will have a shell, and be very, very tiny! ;D
Baby slugs look just like miniature versions of adult slugs.
My snails don't like strawberries very much, either. I think they are probably too acid for them. The only apples they like are the varieties that are sweet, not tart, and have a soft, mealy texture (they don't like firm-textured foods, even if sliced very thinly).
Congrats on your 2 new slimy friends! ;D
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Post by Hannah-Bird on Jun 12, 2010 7:36:31 GMT
It's funny you should both mention that your snails don't like strawberries; mine don't either. I was so shocked because when my family grew strawberries in our garden (both in California and Washington) the snails went CRAZY for them! My mom had to put copper tape around the bed to deter them (it doesn't kill them, it just generates a very slight electrical current that they find unpleasant).
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Post by crossless on Jun 12, 2010 15:20:07 GMT
I think it depend on species of strawberry there's so many of them and some years they don't grow so well so they might taste horrible. In our coutryside we gift some of our strawberries when in one day harvest comes many litres. People really love them when they are really sweet and says that bought ones really taste horrible. Those people that sells them they don't sometimes care what they taste like people just keep buying them because they are from home country. I never buy anything if price/taste/quality don't satisfy me. My snails like strawberries that my family grows but not those that you buy from store.
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on Jun 12, 2010 19:45:34 GMT
People tend to choose the larger strawberries, and these are the ones with the least flavor. When I was a child we had wild strawberries growing in the field in back of our house, and they were very tiny and very sweet. As the fruit has been selectively bred by horticulturalists and agricultural scientists to be bigger, it has lost some of its flavor (and the acid content has increased, IMO).
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