How can i get GALS?

[gasmaskman]

Hey Guys. Ive been interested in getting some Giant African Land Snails, but i live in America. Im rather Young, and i have no permits. Can anyone give me some advice? Please reply soon. Thank you.

[coyote]

I don't know of any way to get a GALS legally in the US without a permit. It's my understanding that to get a permit you must be either an educator or researcher, and be able to show credentials.

It's also my understanding that "educator" can mean more than just a schoolroom teacher or a professor. For instance, if you regularly gave talks to schools (or other groups) educating them about snails, that would qualify as an educator because you engaged in educating people about a specialized topic. But I'm also pretty sure that you have to have a track record of doing that first, to establish yourself in that field, before applying for a permit (but I could be wrong).

[Neo53]

I went into this when I lived in America, and getting a permit for them wasn't easy and quite expensive. I just gave up.

[morningcoffee]

Unfortunately as others have said, the chances of getting a permit to keep them aren't good without a lot of time and expense.

Giant snails are wonderful, but there's lots of other lovely smaller species that are native to the US. I know somehow it doesn't seem as "exciting" as having a really huge snail, but species like Cepaea hortensis and nemoralis, Helix aspersa etc. can be really pretty and fun to keep. I had native British snails for a while and they were lovely

[gasmaskman]

thanks guys. i'll look into some snails native to US. Anyone know of any? im looking for Land snails, because the aquatic ones i have are kind of boring. i couldnt find anything.

EDIT: Found one. Helix Aspera. Are those legal? if so, where can i get it? heres a pic of what it looks like:

[coyote]

If aspersas are not considered to be an agricultural pest in your area, there should be no legal problems in keeping them as pets. It is probably not a good idea to release any hatchlings into the wild, though (if yours wind up laying eggs), because aspersas are not native to North America in the first place.

Aspersas are quite easy to keep -- they need the same care as GALS except they do not need supplemental heat (they like it cooler than GALS and would just estivate at temperatures comfortable for GALS), and they would not need as large a tank either.

Check out local nature preserves, wildlife refuges and natural history museums in your area to find out about local native snails.