Can A Snail Live In A Terrarium?

A terrarium is a miniature greenhouse for growing live plants. These gardens are housed in transparent containers where there is presence of air, water and soil to aid in the process of photosynthesis and respiration. The evaporating water is collected on the walls before dropping down in the soil to moisten the roots. However, many people ponder with the question ‘can a snail live in a terrarium?’ read on to find out.

Is it possible to raise snail in a terrarium?

If you are wondering if you can raise snail in a terrarium, the answer is yes. However, not all types of snails can survive in captivity. You can only keep land based species of snails in the terrarium. The species are low maintenance and can live comfortably under captivity. You can get the species either from the wild or purchase from a snail dealer. You can go for the following species:

• Brown garden snail

• Tiger snail

• Helicodiscus snail

Before we delve deeper into how to keep snails in captivity, we need to look at the two types of terrariums on the market.

• Open terrarium. As the name suggests. Open terrariums do not have a lid. They are open and you are required to water the plants.

• Closed terrarium. This terrarium works with a closed lid. There are terrariums that are tightly shut creating a self sustaining ecosystem that depends on water cycle.

Raising snails in a terrarium is tricky. However, when you have enough information on the topic, the process will be easy. When you keep snail in a terrarium, you need to know that it needs some types of foods. This includes calcium and protein.

Also, you need to use a closed terrarium as it prevents the animal from escaping. You also need to have a water dish for the snails as well as a hole for aeration.

Foods for snail

When snails are kept in captivity, you need to feed them. The following will make a great diet for snails.

• Vegetables

• Fruits such as bananas, mangoes and berries

• Calcium

• Protein

• Water

You can feed snails daily or once a while. However, you need to ensure that all the fruits and vegetables are thoroughly washed to remove chemicals on them. And if you have hard vegetables like carrots, remember to peel off the covering.

You can add high calcium diets such as cuttle bones to help the animals build their shells. Alternatively, you can also use crushed eggshells as a source of calcium.

Replace food often

Old and dried food should not be left to rot in the terrarium. This is because they will not only produce a bad smell, but also interfere with the pH of the soil.