# Giant African Land Snail substrate



## BlackRose (Jul 8, 2007)

Eco earth ok for giant african land snails. Hoping to have one from spidergirl, but if not I wanna get one at some point. Looking at caresheets and a link Spidergirl very kindly gave me. Ive always researched them, but didnt bother looking up the substrate in the past cos I was never allowed one, but now Im not at home haha!!
They grow up to 10inches and get full size in about a year so they grow quick and noticably ever month dont they?
My local reptile shop seels diff size tanks for spiders etc, so I can easily get a reasonably priced one for when the time comes. I really want two lol, but the tank would have to be huge then woudlnt it? And not sure if shops would take the eggs.


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## Drummerkid (Sep 24, 2007)

you can always destroy the eggs if you dont want them, and I dont think the tank has to be that big (if my reptile shops anything to go by!)

My mate uses eco earth :no1:


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## BlackRose (Jul 8, 2007)

cool might get two then. may aswell. plus my shops always sell these huge underbed storage conatiners for a fiver anyway if I do end up getting two and needing a huge cage. And the sub can be really deep in there too. Are they heavy when theyre really big and they dont bite do they? I used to handle garden snails as a kid and always save their lives if I find them on the road or soemthing, so I love em.


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## Drummerkid (Sep 24, 2007)

the besy way to handle them is to wet your hands with cool water but dont try them.

then just pick him up by the shell and place him on your hand.

WARNING - don't pull off them off when they're on the glass, because you may rip the shell off!!

you can take them off the glass but caution is needed


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## BlackRose (Jul 8, 2007)

thankyou. i know not to hold them on the part of the shell thats closest to the body too. I am getting two now lol 
So they dont bite then and they arnt too heavy when adult? They take about a year to get really big?
The ones Im getting are about 3cm atm.


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## rosiethetarantula (Oct 12, 2007)

It will take longer than a year to grow to an adult. I keep giant african land snails. There are many different breeds and some do not grow as big as others. My Archachatina marginata (margie's) are only about 3-4" shell length where as my Achatina achatina (tiger snails) are the biggest and mine has a shell length of about 8". I have had a fulica from a tiny baby and he is almost a year old but he isn't fully grown - quite far from it infact.
They are great pets and love a warm bath - gets them out every time! For my substrate I use an organic coir which you can buy on ebay. 
Any info wanted just ask I'd be happy to help : victory:


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## rosiethetarantula (Oct 12, 2007)

Oh and no they can't bite - not even if they wanted to!! I give mine the occasional drop of beer (which they love) but I just dip my finger in and give it them to lick off. I don't feel much from the smaller ones but my big ones go for it and I can feeling them sucking - it tickles!! 

They aren't to heavy to hold. My kids hold mine all the time and help me bath them and change them and they are 3,4,4 and 6. Even my 1 year old has them sat on her hand but I have to watch her as she likes to poke Peanut's eye when he looks at her. He seems to not mind too much as he doesn't go in just looks at her as if to say "oh it's you again". One of my others goes completely in if the kids hold her and refuses to come out (if only I had a shell :whistling2::whistling2::whistling2


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## BlackRose (Jul 8, 2007)

lol thankyou.
Well, I am getting two this saturday, and my sis is too. They are coming from Sam (spidergirl33 on here I believe - poor thing she got 70 of them lol) and they will arrive between 2pm-5pm.
They are only tiny atm at about 3cm or so, but will soon grow im sure. She said that at around 7months one of hers was quite noticable big and you could tell it wasnt a normal garden snail.
Ive always wanted one, but want one that will grow big like your big ones. 
The Achatina achatina I believe you said? 
Are they the ones that are most commonly sold in pet shops or do they normally sell the ones that get to about 4inches?
The mother or the baby snails that im getting is about 4inches in shell length and is about 3years old, and Sam says its not fully grown yet. Could it still be the smaller species of snail?


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## rosiethetarantula (Oct 12, 2007)

BlackRose said:


> lol thankyou.
> Well, I am getting two this saturday, and my sis is too. They are coming from Sam (spidergirl33 on here I believe - poor thing she got 70 of them lol) and they will arrive between 2pm-5pm.
> They are only tiny atm at about 3cm or so, but will soon grow im sure. She said that at around 7months one of hers was quite noticable big and you could tell it wasnt a normal garden snail.
> Ive always wanted one, but want one that will grow big like your big ones.
> ...


Most probably it will be the fulica as these are very common. They grow to good sizes I have 2 that are big - peanut has a shell length of about 6" so he reaches 9" or so when he pops right out!
More than likely it will be a fulica but it's hard to tell as there are so many out there.
You will definetely notice they are bigger than normal garden snails by about 2 months. My sister had one of my babies and that is about an inch and she's had it about 2 months. They grow quicker with a bit of heat to be honest and are more active. pm anytime x


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## BlackRose (Jul 8, 2007)

thanks 
That is a good size. i got a spare heat mat my gecko isnt using, but to be honest my local shop said that my room from my description should be more than warm enough even now in winter. 
They will be living in the spare room where my T's and crestie is. 
It is where we have the pc, which is on all day and night tbh lol, and also the dialysis machine is in there and thats on every other day for about 6 hours in total and it heats it up nicely. it doesnt get too hot, but i do have to take my jumper off even now in this weather. We do open the window. 
If its the fulica's, are they more sensitive to spraying? I know these snails have to have it very humid and you have to spray them alot every day and add a water bowl when older, but on the net it said one species of GAL is particularly sensitive and will die if over sprayed or too hot?

Cant wait till they get big and I can give em a bath 
I think they are coming in something like cricket tubs, so this'll be ok for a while for them wont it?


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## BlackRose (Jul 8, 2007)

oh and also forgot to ask if we are overun woth eggs can my beardie eat them? or do they have to be babies? they wont harm the beardie will they? hes about 10inches, normally fed on watercress and mealies, and crickets when he'll eat them.
Im gonna take eggs to my local shop, cos dont wanna kill em or hatch em. sounds so cruel tho, feedin em.


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## corpselight (Jan 10, 2008)

that's an interesting idea about harvesting the eggs as food for other creatures! if that's a good idea, does anyone know what other sorts of creatures would eat the eggs? any T's or scorpions for that matter? probably not, but no harm asking.


i've kept my three GAL's on compost from the garden shop. you just need to ask for soil that's chemical free.
unfortunately i have to re-think this now, as no garden shop in my area is selling soil anymore?:2wallbang::cussing::censor:

but regardless, one thing to do is add loads of woodlice. you can get them from the garden. in fact, woodlice can be in just about any container, and are a great way to cut down on flies, mould, having to clean, etc. they naturally eat all the waste and clean up after things. you can chuck in a dead cricket or bug occasionally for protein as well, and they'll just keep things nice and clean. the snails won't eat them, so you can put them straight in and use that as the quarantine period before you start putting them into other tanks.

i don't know exactly what species my GAL's are, but they are about 6 inches and i am fairly sure full grown. the guess from the previous owners was that they were from East Africa, if i have remembered correctly.


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## rosiethetarantula (Oct 12, 2007)

Yea east africa are fulica's. They are great snails and probably the easiest to keep. I just make sure I spray once a day in the tank and they have have a water bowl too although mine think its funny to knock it over all the time! You can bath them from any age really as long as you can pick them up without squashing them between your fingers. When they are babies they are more likely to hide from you at the slightest noise or movement they dart back in their shell but the bigger they get they get better. One of mine is still quite shy and will go in and refuse to come out - until I put her in the bath. Peanut stays out regardless if my 1 year old pokes him in the eye - he's my favourite!
They don't like it too hot and if too hot you could slowly cook them and believe me the smell of a dead snail is vile. One of my massive 7" snails died and I never noticed until I walked in my house to this almighty stench. It was like rotten fish as I followed the smell it lead me to the tank. The snail had been in his shell for 2 days so obviously died but as they can stay in for weeks I didn't pay much attention. Now if they are in their shell longer than 24 hours I check and give them a bath to get them back out.

I did have 6 different species of the snails with over 100 in my collection including albino's but I sold them all off as I had far too many tanks around the house as I kept species seperate and my hubby hated them. I now keep just a few as I like my snakes now and I don't have the time to care for so many.


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