What to feed Achatina snails at home

You’re going to love having Achatina snails in your house if you’re thinking about it! Not only do these fascinating animals make unusual pets, but they are also reasonably simple to care for. Knowing what to feed them is one of the most crucial parts of keeping them happy and healthy.

A diverse diet that resembles their natural environment is ideal for athatina snail growth. They like fresh produce, but it’s important to know which kinds are healthy and safe. To make sure they receive the correct nutrients, you should investigate the details of their dietary requirements.

Other than fruits and vegetables, shell development depends on calcium. Although many owners don’t realize this, giving them access to a calcium source can significantly improve their health. Your Achatina snails will not only survive but thrive if you provide them with the proper food!

Food Type	Description
Leafy Greens	Fresh lettuce, kale, and spinach provide essential nutrients.
Fruits	Soft fruits like bananas and apples can be a tasty treat.
Vegetables	Cooked carrots and zucchini are easy for snails to digest.
Calcium Source	Crushed eggshells or cuttlebone support shell health.
Commercial Food	Special snail food is also available for balanced nutrition.

Basic diet in winter and summer

Achatina consume nearly everything. In the wild, snails control their own diet, choosing only the items their bodies require. The mollusk’s optimal health is derived from having an adequate intake of fiber, calcium, and protein. A domestic Achatina’s owner is solely responsible for providing for its diet.

In a balanced diet, the proportion of plant food to protein-calcium supplements is 70% to 30%.

What can you feed Achatina

Juicy plant food is mollusks’ favorite treat and a good source of vitamins and fiber. You can put as much or as little of the following in their diet each day:

• Fresh vegetables: cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, bell peppers, tomatoes. Beets can be given raw or boiled. White cabbage is doused with boiling water to remove the bitter taste.
• Ripe fruits: apples, melon, pears, peaches, plums. Bananas should be given no more than once a week.
• Greens: lettuce leaves, dill, parsley, spinach, celery, dandelion and plantain leaves, nettles pre-scalded with boiling water, beet and carrot tops.

Achatina’s diet of greens is just plain required.

Video: greens in the diet of Achatina

You can pamper your pets with ripe berries: strawberries, cherries, grapes, raspberries. Some of them will like sugar watermelon or exotic coconut.

Rounded berries will not pass by Achatina.

Achatina should preferably be fed hard food; they enjoy crunching on hard pieces and do not even mind the cores.

Additionally, porridges and grain mixtures provide fiber to mollusks. Achatina benefits from buckwheat, millet, corn, barley, pearl barley, and sunflower seeds. The ground mixture can be served cold or heated through with a little bit of boiling water to steam it. Grain crops are difficult for snails to digest, so they shouldn’t be served often. It is not recommended for use in the diet of sick or weak snails or babies.

Protein is a crucial part of the snail’s diet. Insufficiency causes hazardous illnesses, sluggish growth, and decreased activity. The only species that replenishes protein reserves is Achatina, who enjoys eating boiled fish and poultry. For individuals who have opted for a vegetarian way of living, specific protein supplements are necessary:

Gammarus is a small freshwater crustacean, sold in pet stores live, frozen and dried. For one snail, 6-7 crustaceans are enough 2 times a week.

You can purchase Gammarus from any pet store.

Daphnia is a supplement of protein given to snails and fish.

Achatina’s favorite treats are topped with protein supplements. A circle of cucumber or a leaf of lettuce works well as a plate. Legumes and mushrooms are good sources of vegetable protein.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that moderation is always beneficial. Both too much and too little protein can be harmful to mollusks, leading to swelling, excessive mucus production, and eventually the animal’s demise.

Video: feeding Achatina, food additives

Substances and products that should not be given

African mollusks follow a proper diet that completely omits the following products:

• The main danger for health of achatina snails – salty food. Salt corrodes the body of the mollusk, causing it incredible suffering.
• All pickled, spicy, fried foods are strictly prohibited.
• You should not include foods with a high acid content in your pet"s diet: citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines, lemons), sorrel and rhubarb. Acid contributes to the destruction of the Achatina shell.
• Raw potatoes contain a large amount of a substance that is poisonous to snails – solanine. Potatoes can be offered in small quantities and strictly boiled.
• You cannot give mollusks bitter vegetables: onions, garlic, eggplant, radishes, ginger, hot peppers.
• Absolutely any sweets are prohibited in the diet of Achatina.
• Bread, flour products and pasta are too heavy food for delicate mollusks, caring owners avoid their use.

Naturally, Achatina should only consume food that is of the highest caliber, has not gone bad, and is free of dangerous chemicals and dyes. Food contaminated with mold, vegetables contaminated with pesticides, or household chemical residues pose a threat to the well-being and longevity of snails.

Achatina diet at home

Achatina don’t need to be fed frequently. Feeding small snails once a day is sufficient. Adults only eat three to four times a week, or every other day. Only when the pets are awake should food be added to the terrarium. It is best to carry out this task in the evening. Achatina prefer to live a nocturnal lifestyle; they typically slumber soundly in the ground during the day.

Food needs to be at a room temperature that is comfortable. Treats that are either too hot or too cold will permanently damage the snail. Food that remains uneaten after the next morning should be taken out of the terrarium. Never give stale food to snails.

Vitamins and minerals

Like all living things, mollusks require certain vitamins and minerals. You can purchase vitamin complexes made especially for Achatina at pet stores. You should pay close attention to the drug’s expiration date and carefully read the instructions for use.

Achatina require minerals and vitamins.

Sources of calcium in the snail"s diet

The primary component needed to create Achatina’s robust and exquisite shell is calcium. Supplemental calcium is a readily available source of beneficial minerals:

Chalk is used in the form of a special feed powder made from a natural mineral, and not those multi-colored crayons that children draw with on the asphalt. Any hint of chemistry in the composition of the treat will make the snail completely indifferent to it.

Snails can be fed chalk to help them form and grow a robust shell.

Snails can be fed additives singly or in combination to create helpful calcium mixtures that can be used all at once.

How often should mollusks be watered

African snails derive their life force from water. It aids in the production of protective mucus, the removal of toxins from the body, the digestion of vitamins and minerals, and temperature regulation.

Giving Achatina snails the chance to slake their thirst after each feeding is crucial. You can purchase a spray bottle for these uses, as mollusks enjoy drinking and will often lick water droplets off the terrarium’s walls. You should routinely moisten the terrarium’s soil and keep a saucer filled with clean water at room temperature to prevent Achatina from becoming dehydrated.

To survive, mollusks require water.

Selecting a container with low sides is crucial. The mollusk might choke otherwise. Use only distilled water. Its high chlorine content poses a risk to snails. Achatina can drink bottled water that has been boiled and filtered.

What to feed newborn and small snails

Achatina snails feed on their egg shells during the first few days after hatching and don’t need any extra care. Adults and grown-up babies consume the same foods. But food is chopped or grated with a knife to make it easier for them to eat. Pureed food is not recommended for small Achatinas as they may suffocate in the loose material.

Adult snails feed their grownlings the same foods.

For small snails to develop healthy eating habits and prevent pathological product addiction, it is crucial to gradually introduce a variety of treats into their diet. Starting with greens, carrots, and apples is the best option. A baby’s favorite treat is cucumber.

Food supplements containing calcium are required because Achatina require an enormous amount of calcium during their intense growth and shell formation phase.

Video: reproduction, clutch, how to care for babies

It can be satisfying to feed Achatina snails at home, especially when you witness their success. These tiny animals have particular dietary requirements, but these can be easily met with some knowledge. Offering them a well-balanced diet keeps them content as well as healthy.

Recall that diversity is essential. Nutrients that are vital are found in fresh fruits and vegetables like leafy greens, cucumbers, and carrots. Adding cuttlebone or crushed eggshells to their diet is a wise decision because calcium is essential for the development of their shells. To avoid pesticides, just make sure to thoroughly wash any produce.

Keeping an eye on how much you’re feeding them is also crucial. Overfeeding can cause unsanitary conditions in their habitat and waste accumulation. Usually, a little quantity each day is sufficient, and you can change it according to how quickly they finish their meal.

You can maintain your Achatina snails’ health and enjoy observing their distinct behavior during feeding time by providing them with an interesting and nourishing diet. Your snails can thrive in their own habitat with a little love and care.

Which particular facets of feeding Achatina snails, such as food types or nutritional requirements, are you interested in learning more about?

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