Just found a snail, want to keep it as a pet!

[snailman88]

Hey,
This is my first post, I just found a snail crawling inside my house and I decided to keep it as a pet.

So I put the snail inside a box with mud I collected from a pot (plant) outside and I put some leaves and lettuce in it for the snail to eat.

I named him Slow!

I've attached a photograph of the snail, I wanted to know
1. What Snail is it?
2. Is the mud alright for its habitat?
3. What leaves/plants should I put in it for Slow to eat?
4. What is their average life span? How old does this one look?
5. How do I look after it?

I have already sprayed the mud with water, made the leaves misty and the mud damp. I sprayed some filtered water on Slow too, he doesn't seem to be enjoying it too much.

It doesn't seem to be having a good time in the mud, it seems to be slugging around alot rather the fluid movement it had earlier. The mud seems to be sticking to it.

Also, there are some very tiny white worms crawling in the mud, would they cause any harm to Slow?

Any help would be much appreciated,
TIA,
snailMan

Attachments:

[snailman88]

It seems to enjoy being on the leaf more, its tentacles point like arrows and it moves faster, on the mud, it just seems to lie there. What's up with Slow?

[slimeballsquidget]

Hi and welcome - cute snail

You might have made the soil too wet to actually allow your snail to move on. I'm new too snails as well - but do have one of my own, Squidget. I'm not sure what type of snail your one is, but I think it is as case of too much moisture.

Snails like mainly leafy foods - like cabbage and plantain stuffs, but also like cucumber (although don't feed this too much as it wont want much else), pear and lots of other things as well. Take a look at the forum website - www.petsnails.co.uk - and it'll give you loads more information as well.

Hope this helps

Slimeballsquidget x

[coyote]

Congrats on your new slimy friend! I recommend not keeping the soil so wet that it is mud. Keeping some leaves in the tank is a good idea, and you can find feeding information here.

Your snail will also need a source of calcium to keep its shell healthy, so a piece of cuttlebone or some powdered limestone in the tank is essential. Some plastic aquarium plants in the tank are nice as well, so the snail can feel safe with some foliage to hide in (you can also try live plants in the tank if you have a green thumb).

I'm not sure what species your snail is, and it's hard to tell if it is an adult from the pic. To narrow down the identification, please let us know your geographical location and what the habitat is like around your house (near a stream or creek, a farm, a suburban landscape?). It would also help if you could measure the diameter of the shell, if possible.

[whitney01]

i am so happy to know that you want the snail to keep us your pet. Take care of your new snail pet..