Giant African Land Snails (or GALS for short) are fairly easy to keep and make great pets.
If you want more snails it is There are numerous different species of GALS, the most common being Achatina fulica. (pronounced aa-ka-tee-na full-ick-ka).
They can get very big; snails the size of a hand are the norm and it isn't unusual for them to get bigger. The really big Achatina achatina can grow to a foot long!
They need a secure tank (the size depends on the size and species of the snail(s)) and they need to be kept warm - either in a centrally heated room or with a heat mat on the side the tank. Temperature and humidity depend entirely on the species of snail. GALS like to burrow, so the floor of the tank should be covered with substrate at least as deep as the snail's shell. A plastic flower pot laid on it’s side, some bark or a log will provide shelter. Avoid using decorative stones or ceramic ornaments - GALS have a tendency to drop fro the roof of their enclosure and can seriously damage their shells by landing on anything too hard. Snails drop to avoid predators, although I am sure some just accidently become detached from whatever they are holding on to.
GALS eat allsorts - most fruit and vegetables will be taken, but be careful of pesticide use if gathering food from outside. Diet should be mainly vegeatables, and protein such as pinkies (baby frozen mice) should be offered once a week. GALS must have a piece of cuttlefish bone in their tank at all times as they need the calcium for their shell to grow, and to repair any damage. Water isn't necessary for the snails as long as their surroundings are humid enough, but I do recommend a bath in a bowl of water every week or so as the snails will drink from it and like to 'bathe' in it.Water must be shallow enough so the snail can easily life their pneumostome - their breathing hole - above the level of the water.
The sides of the tank should be wiped down regularly to remove substrate, slime and faecal matter, and the substrate partially changed when it starts to look dirty. Peat can be re-used by removing any visible faeces and then baking it in the oven at 150'c for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how much peat you have. You can use a bio 'clean up crew' to help clean the tank - springtails and woodlice bred in captivity are easily available online, or you can collect your own. If you do use a clean up crew then don't bake the substrate. The tank should be thoroughly cleaned every month by scrubbing with washing up liquid and hot water. Don't use abrasive cleaners on plastic tanks as these will scratch the surface. These scratches not only look unsightly, but they provide a nook for dirt and a breeding area for harmful bacteria, and make the tanks hard to keep clean.
There is only one problem with GALS - they can breed like crazy! GALS are hermaphrodites - they have both male and female organs. When snails mate they can hold onto sperm for months, and wait until conditions are right before laying their eggs. GALS can 300 or more eggs at one time, so unless you want to be completely overrun with GALS, the eggs should be destroyed by freezing them for 24 hours, or crushed and fed back to the adult. If you want to raise some babies, keep a dozen of the eggs buried in peat in a margarine tub or similar. This can be put in the airing cupboard and within two-three weeks (sometimes one week!) the eggs should have hatched. Baby snails should NOT be handled as they are very fragile. When the babies hatch keep an eye on growth and shell shape - sadly, to get healthy snails some babies who would usually be predated in the wild will have to be crushed. This sounds awful, however as a responsible breeder you must make sure that your stock is healthy and living to the best of their ability. Snails who are too small and those with abnormal shell growth can have huge health problems, from having their internal organs crushed inside them due to insufficient room within the shell, mantle collapse where the mantle of the snail becomes detached from the shell leading to a slow an painful death, oral collapse where the mouth and gut protrudes from the buccal cavity, infections within the shell and other problems. I would recommend taking stock of your babies and once every ten - fourteen days, have a look and cull the runts. The most humane way of doing this is crushing. As I said it sounds horrific but better an easy and quick death rather than be in pain for months due to physical abnormalities. If you'd like more snails by far the best way is to find a reputable breeder and purchase from them.
Snails should be handled carefully; if their shells are damaged they could die through desiccation. GALS should not be handled near the shell opening as this is where the new shell growth is, and it is very fragile and easily broken.
If your snail retreats back into it's shell or even seals itself in with a white 'door', then it isn't being kept humid or warm enough. Try raising the temperature or spraying the snail. To wake the snail up, place the snail in a shallow container of room-temperature water, however this must only be done as a last resort as it can severely stress the snail.
They can get very big; snails the size of a hand are the norm and it isn't unusual for them to get bigger. The really big Achatina achatina can grow to a foot long!
They need a secure tank (the size depends on the size and species of the snail(s)) and they need to be kept warm - either in a centrally heated room or with a heat mat on the side the tank. Temperature and humidity depend entirely on the species of snail. GALS like to burrow, so the floor of the tank should be covered with substrate at least as deep as the snail's shell. A plastic flower pot laid on it’s side, some bark or a log will provide shelter. Avoid using decorative stones or ceramic ornaments - GALS have a tendency to drop fro the roof of their enclosure and can seriously damage their shells by landing on anything too hard. Snails drop to avoid predators, although I am sure some just accidently become detached from whatever they are holding on to.
GALS eat allsorts - most fruit and vegetables will be taken, but be careful of pesticide use if gathering food from outside. Diet should be mainly vegeatables, and protein such as pinkies (baby frozen mice) should be offered once a week. GALS must have a piece of cuttlefish bone in their tank at all times as they need the calcium for their shell to grow, and to repair any damage. Water isn't necessary for the snails as long as their surroundings are humid enough, but I do recommend a bath in a bowl of water every week or so as the snails will drink from it and like to 'bathe' in it.Water must be shallow enough so the snail can easily life their pneumostome - their breathing hole - above the level of the water.
The sides of the tank should be wiped down regularly to remove substrate, slime and faecal matter, and the substrate partially changed when it starts to look dirty. Peat can be re-used by removing any visible faeces and then baking it in the oven at 150'c for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how much peat you have. You can use a bio 'clean up crew' to help clean the tank - springtails and woodlice bred in captivity are easily available online, or you can collect your own. If you do use a clean up crew then don't bake the substrate. The tank should be thoroughly cleaned every month by scrubbing with washing up liquid and hot water. Don't use abrasive cleaners on plastic tanks as these will scratch the surface. These scratches not only look unsightly, but they provide a nook for dirt and a breeding area for harmful bacteria, and make the tanks hard to keep clean.
There is only one problem with GALS - they can breed like crazy! GALS are hermaphrodites - they have both male and female organs. When snails mate they can hold onto sperm for months, and wait until conditions are right before laying their eggs. GALS can 300 or more eggs at one time, so unless you want to be completely overrun with GALS, the eggs should be destroyed by freezing them for 24 hours, or crushed and fed back to the adult. If you want to raise some babies, keep a dozen of the eggs buried in peat in a margarine tub or similar. This can be put in the airing cupboard and within two-three weeks (sometimes one week!) the eggs should have hatched. Baby snails should NOT be handled as they are very fragile. When the babies hatch keep an eye on growth and shell shape - sadly, to get healthy snails some babies who would usually be predated in the wild will have to be crushed. This sounds awful, however as a responsible breeder you must make sure that your stock is healthy and living to the best of their ability. Snails who are too small and those with abnormal shell growth can have huge health problems, from having their internal organs crushed inside them due to insufficient room within the shell, mantle collapse where the mantle of the snail becomes detached from the shell leading to a slow an painful death, oral collapse where the mouth and gut protrudes from the buccal cavity, infections within the shell and other problems. I would recommend taking stock of your babies and once every ten - fourteen days, have a look and cull the runts. The most humane way of doing this is crushing. As I said it sounds horrific but better an easy and quick death rather than be in pain for months due to physical abnormalities. If you'd like more snails by far the best way is to find a reputable breeder and purchase from them.
Snails should be handled carefully; if their shells are damaged they could die through desiccation. GALS should not be handled near the shell opening as this is where the new shell growth is, and it is very fragile and easily broken.
If your snail retreats back into it's shell or even seals itself in with a white 'door', then it isn't being kept humid or warm enough. Try raising the temperature or spraying the snail. To wake the snail up, place the snail in a shallow container of room-temperature water, however this must only be done as a last resort as it can severely stress the snail.