A few dozen years ago, the phrase "My pet is a land snail" could cause a real stir. And today, this phenomenon has ceased to be nonsense. Achatina are the most popular among domestic snails. They give owners great communication pleasure and aesthetic pleasure. Those who were lucky enough to get acquainted with these mollusks probably did not remain indifferent to them.
Of course, houses contain other breeds of snails. But most of them live in aquariums, most often with fish. And the arrangement of the terrarium has a completely different specificity. We’ll talk about this.
Terrarium for Achatina snail is not just a pet house. If it is properly equipped, taking into account both the needs of the animal and the aesthetic side of the issue, it will become a wonderful decoration of the interior. Let's try to understand all the subtleties.
Volume
The very first thing to remember when choosing a terrarium for a snail is the norms of space per animal. Count so that each individual has at least 10 liters of volume. Otherwise, your golden pets will begin to languish and suffer.
Material
The most popular materials from which terrariums are made are plexiglass, plexiglass, plastic, glass. Each of them has its own characteristics, but all of them are quite suitable for a snail house.
Surfaces made from plexiglass and plastic slowly cool and heat up. In such a terrarium, snails will not be subject to temperature extremes. But glass has greater transparency and is less susceptible to mechanical damage. In addition, it is neutral to most reagents. It is more pleasant to watch the snails living in a glass house, and more light penetrates through the transparent walls. Consider the features of the materials. This will help you decide which terrarium to choose for snails.
Priming
If you equip a terrarium for the Achatina snail with your own hands, take care of the substrate. It is strongly not recommended to use sand, shell rock, sawdust, needles and ground brought from the street as soil. Small particles of the substrate will adhere to the delicate leg, drag around the snail, and injure its sensitive skin. And the soil contains a huge number of living organisms that will harm your pet.
Use coconut substrate or pure peat. Such soil is safe and ideal for the life of adults and the breeding of their offspring.
Air and water
Always remember that Achatina are land creatures. There is no need to water them daily with a hose. But climate too dry does not suit them. If you decide to provide maximum comfort to the golden pet, equip the snail terrarium with a humidity sensor and a thermometer. Follow the readings of the instruments, maintain the necessary indicators. Remember: the humidity level should fluctuate between 75-90%, and the optimal temperature for Achatina is +25 ... +27 .
Take care of the influx of fresh air. To do this, cover the terrarium with a net stretched over the frame. Ideally, the mesh should be fixed with latches, otherwise the curious snails will get out and find themselves some kind of trouble.
Items and plants
It’s not just the pet’s comfort that matters. An interesting terrarium for Achatina snail (photos are presented in the article) is more reminiscent of a tropical garden, and therefore is a wonderful decoration of your home.
Therefore, think carefully about how you arrange it. Just remember a few taboos:
- ceramic cups;
- clay castles and snags;
- stones
- pots for plants;
- any decor from solid material;
- metal objects.
In no case should you put all of the above into the terrarium! Snails are sure to come up with how to wrap all this beauty for good. In the best case, they will get hurt and get scars. At worst, they will break shells, which will lead to death.
The thing is that Achatina are very active, agile and curious. They like to crawl on walls and sometimes break down. Falling on a stone even from a small height will inevitably lead to injury. But soft surfaces are safe for them.
Unlike rodents and fish, snails do not need any shelters at all, because each of them has its own house, curled on the back. Therefore, cluttering the terrarium simply does not make sense.
What then to decorate it with? The answer is simple: plant the plants. Succulents (for example, a money tree) will live happily ever after, while such "plantings" look very beautiful. Yes, and it is not easy to break his snail thanks to a sturdy stem and thick leaves. A great idea is to plant lettuce or sprouted wheat in the ground. Of course, sooner or later all this will be eaten. But for some time it will still please the eye with the color of ripe greenery.
Admire how beautiful the planted snail terrarium is! Photos give an idea of the aesthetic side of the issue, but live it looks even more impressive. And plants are useful for the health of babies.
Feeding troughs, drinking bowls, pools
Achatines are neat creatures, but through negligence they can make a terrible mess. Therefore, everything that you install in a terrarium for a snail must be securely fixed. For eating, a small bowl tightly dug in the ground is enough. And this animal does not need huge tanks for water, such as a turtle. For a terrarium with a family of snails there will be a fairly small capacity from which they can drink and where they will wet the "horns".
Bathing, by the way, gives Achatina great pleasure. Take your pet in your hands and substitute under a stream of warm water (about 30 degrees). He will come to life, begin to actively move and substitute a head under the stream. But he himself should not trust such a thing, so he does not need any pools in the terrarium.
Place in the interior
It is important not only to equip the space inside the terrarium, but also organically fit it into your interior. Usually for a snail dwelling they choose the corner of the room near the window. Organize everything so that direct sunlight does not fall on the mollusks, but there is enough light.
Terrariums mounted on racks or cabinets with shelves look great. On these shelves you can put climbing plants.
Do it yourself
Sometimes there is no possibility or sense to acquire an expensive terrarium. For example, if the owners of snails live in a rented apartment or student dormitory. In such cases, you can make a terrarium for snails with your own hands made of plastic. This will significantly save the budget.
We need a purchased container of the right volume. Great if it is also with a lid. It remains just to drill holes in the lid and add soil.
You can make a terrarium on your own from an aquarium that has failed. Water will not be poured into it, so tightness does not play a special role. The most suitable aquarium has a rectangular shape, a relatively spacious bottom and a small height.
Other breeds of snails and houses for them
In our country, lawns and grape snails are very common . For some children, and adults too, it can be difficult to pass by these striped or amber-golden beauties. Often they are brought home and tried to be kept in captivity. It is worth saying that they may well live in a large bank, but their age is short-lived, even in their natural habitat.
If you decide to settle in a small local cloister, equip it with a nest in a transparent jug or a 3-liter jar. Spread the bottom with moss or peat, add a few branches and vines, plant the plant in the ground. Such a small terrarium will brighten up the interior and bring a lot of joy from contemplating a pet.