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Snails' Basic Diet

At each feeding, the pet’s food is sprinkled with ground sepia, make sure

the hard crumbs of the shell do not fall into the cooked sepia flour.

In 2016-2017

In 2018-2019

In 2019-2020

Sepia has sharp edges which can damage the growth of

a new shell or leave a scar. Polish the sharp and hard

edges of sepia well. When the snail eats the sepia flesh,

the hard and sharp edges of the cuttlefish shell again protrude.

At each feeding, the pet’s food is garnished with ground eggshell, and then sprinkled lightly with water. As usual calcium are sprinkled

on neutral vegetables; sometimes it can eat only calcium from them as from an edible "bowl". We advise not to change the natural smell

and taste of the fruits from the Additional vegetables and fruits list.

A couple of fresh pieces of sepia are laid with each feeding, the pieces

of sepia must be completely cleaned of hard shell and wiped.

Whole sepia piece is laid, the sharp and protruding edges of the shell are rub

out as sepia is eaten, need to be changed at the first sign of getting bad.

Remove getting bad sepia from the terrarium,

remember that on the bad food occur harmful

bacteria. Sepia spoilagedepends on the terrarium

life conditions and the pet's need for calcium.

Gammarus and protein mixture are sprinkled on food only as an supplement (limited amount, not often). Mind (!) do not overfeed

with protein and serve it not more than 1 time (max. 2 times) per week (and only in a small amount). As usual gammarus and grain

mix are sprinkled on neutral vegetables. We advise not to change the natural smell and taste of the fruits from the Additional

vegetables and fruits list.

A snail uses the foot-wings as a kind

of paws, holding food and pieces

of calcium, and also draw food to

the mouth when desire.

The growth of a new shell needs to be protected from the jutting bowl edges.

There is a breathing hole under the shell of the snail, a water level in a bowl should not reach the pet's spiracles

and block access to oxygen. It should be taken into consideration when feeding the pet, as when eating juicy fruits

and vegetables juice is naturally released, which can partially fill the bowl (including cooked fruit and vegetable mush).

Gammarus is an animal protein and is a special kind of small dried shrimp.

Alternate animal and herbal supplements, offer the pet one week gammarus

and another week grain mix. Thus, you do not overfeed the pet and it will get

all the most necessary components for growth and development.

... and some other useful and nutritious ingredients of plant origin.

Cereal mixtures are based on grains, seeds ...

Health cereal combos are mixtures tested over the years on different snail species at different ages

(recipes can be protected from copying).

... chop the chicken eggshell into powder. Chicken eggshells are harder than the snail’s

newborn shells, which they eat at once after hatching out. So not powdered chicken eggshell

can damage the organs of the pet.

... boil and ...

Peel well from the membrane ...

... and on the other side — soft and easy gnawing calcium.

Sepia piece is placed into the terrarium with the soft side up.

To build its shell there must be anytime access to calcium in the terrarium where the snail lives (obligatory in the terrarium, optional

for a transportation box). It is better to place calcium of various shapes and types: best solution is sepia in pieces and eggshell ground powder.

The snail’s "teeth" grind food like a rubbing board. But it does not mean that the pet is able to grind everything. Only a high-quality mixer can

grind a hard shell of chicken eggs into powder.

Sepia is a shell of cuttlefish, on one side sepia has a hard shell that is not suitable for food ...

"Food hunting": place food randomly in different parts of the terrarium, create different combinations of fruits and vegetables smells. The snail while wandering

around and exploring the area stumbles upon nice smelling objects and eat them up. Always lay down a couple of slices of each vegetable and fruit, the snail most

likely will not eat everything, but the fullness and rich choice of a tidbit positively affects the pet’s mood. Keep in mind that fruit and vegetable mush takes away

snail’s choice to get only necessary and useful components and avoid what it does not need.

Bowls: due to its biological characteristics a pet is more interested in hunting for food in different corners of a terrarium. If you use a bowl, then choose

a special one with well-rounded streamlined edges as in the photo, with the edges of the bowl not protruding or touching the growth of the shell.

Avoid rubber bowl-food covers. A pet can nibble a piece of a rubber bowl-food covers, if it decides it smells of food.

Water and drinking bowls: it is better to use purchased, drinking water. Ordinary tap water can be a source of white mould on the shell. It is enough to spray

the walls of he terrarium to water a pet. It is more naturally for the snail to lick the drops than to look for a bowl-drinker. But if your choice is a drinking

bowl – fill only the bottom of the bowl with water to avoid choking and drowning of the pet.

If your pet refuses food:

Snail needs protein for proper development and weight gaining.

But serve it to a pet in very limited quantities and not often.

High protein food is not the main food and is only used as

an dietary supplement. Gammarus and cereal mixtures

are safe source of protein against other available foods.

sepia (cuttlefish shell), sepia in pieces, ground sepia,

chicken and quail ground eggshell.

Protein supplements (rarely and few):

Calcium should always be included into the Basic diet

for the snail’s shell growing.

Correct calcium supplements (anytime access in the pet’s terrarium):

The vegetables and fruits are recommended to be offered to the pet along with

neutral vegetables. Try alternate products from the list. A tidbit that a pet ate

with appetite yesterday may not be touched today and a couple other feedings.

Mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower,

asparagus, banana, apple (rarely), pear, mango, avocado,

grapes and some berries (rarely), apricot, peaches, cherries,

papaya, watermelon, melon, lettuce.

Varieties of zucchini, ripe varieties of pumpkin with tender flesh.

Less cucumbers (try for bitterness first), highly depends on variety.

Nutrient supplement of fruits and vegetables:

Daily snail diet should include at least one item with soft flesh,

no saturated or peculiar flavor. In case one fails with the food,

a pet will be full by this extra.

Neutral vegetables:

A snail's main organs of perception is touch and smell, so some vegetables and fruits may seem quite harsh to it.

Due to the flavor, saturated peculiar taste, acidity, astringency, etc. a pet may refuse to have them or eat once in a while.

Suitable are only fresh, ripe vegetables and fruits, not sour, but sweet varieties. Vegetables and fruits that require special

attention are listed in "Additional vegetables and fruits" and it is strongly recommended to offer them to a pet coupled

with more neutral vegetables available on the "Neutral Vegetables" list.

Neutral vegetables:

Zucchini and its varieties does not have

sourness, has a slightly perceptibly

sweet taste, almost neutral, with easily

assimilated nutritious soft flesh.

Neutral vegetables:

Pumpkin usually does not go bad quickly

like other items of neutral vegetables

and does not lose its nutritional value

the next day, such vegetables can be left

in a pet's terrarium for one (two days).

Neutral vegetables:

Among cucumbers and its varieties,

may come across bitter or harsh fruits,

as well as fruits with an acidic seed

middle. For sure taste a vegetable

and cut off the seed if it is acidic.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Peel all vegetables and fruits,

and water them well before feeding.

As the peel of some vegetables

and fruits can be sprayed with some

chemicals and harm the snail.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

There are varieties of vegetables

and fruits that gives a strong acidity

and are not suitable for feeding a pet.

If your choice is apples, then make sure

that this variety is sweet and suitable,

wash, peel the apple and remove

the middle with seeds from apple slices.

Do not offer apples to your pet often.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Some varieties of vegetables and fruits

may turn out to be quite harsh, it is not

as harmful as sour, but most likely snails

will not eat such fruit. Often harsh taste

is found in some varieties of pears.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Mushrooms are a good source of vegetable

albumen. Usual mushroom champignon

is mostly used in feeding. Remove a top

skin from the mushroom's cap, and

the black plates under the cap, which

often go with sand and crumbs of ground.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Ones with thin and soft skins,

like peppers, can be washed with clean

water and then scald. Choose only sweet

pepper varieties that must be cleaned

of seeds first.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

A watermelon before feeding a snail

is peeled, cleaned of seeds and must

be cut into thin plates (especially for

a baby snail) to avoid a pet's choking

during feeding, due to the watery

structure of the flesh.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Remember some vegetables and fruits

can go bad quickly, especially in humid

and warm terrarium conditions, such

as bananas, and they need to be removed

the next day. Neutral vegetables do not

oxidize and do not ferment quickly.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Sometimes not only a vegetable/fruit

variety can be sour, but also some part

of it. Tomato should be cleaned from sour

contents (namely, the seed part with

the liquid) and include in a pet's diet

only the non-acidic fleshy part.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

If you want to offer to a snail berries,

such as grapes, remove the berries

from the bunch and rinse them well

under the stream water. Each grape

berry must be cut (for a pet reaches

to reach flesh) and remove the seeds

(offer seedless varieties).

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Always taste even well-known vegetables

or fruits, as one of them may turn out

to be unripe even if it looks ripe.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Blueberries and huckleberries

are apparently similar berries,

blueberries are with strong and rich

taste, and huckleberries are more

often watery and sour. Do not clean

the seeds if are enough soft.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Dewberry has very hard seeds, so you

should offer your pet only the whitening

flesh that is hidden inside the berry.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Carrot is a solid crispy vegetable,

it is offered to pets chopped, ground

or grated. Both early and old carrots

are suitable for feeding, but if you have

a choice, then give preference to early

carrots, juicier, sweeter and healthier.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Broccoli divide into inflorescences

and soaked for a while (about an hour),

then the inflorescences are washed

and offered to a pet. Snails usually

nibble the deep green tops.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

There is no way to get rid of raspberry

seeds, but they are much softer than

blackberry's seeds. Among the ripe

and sweet raspberries, there are berries

with sourness. Do not offer raspberries

to your pet often and taste a piece of exact

the berry that you are going to serve.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Red-ripe mango is peeled, the flesh is cut

in slices from a large seed, placed along

the entire fruit.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Serve only red-ripe and sweet peaches

and nectarines. A feature of a peach is

a rough and fluffy surface, be sure

to peel the fruits.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Lettuce is included in the basic die

of some rare decorative species.

Before serving, each lettuce leaf

is separated and washed well

in cold water.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

A melon is cut, cleaned of seeds, washed

well and cut into thin slices.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Avocado get dark and go bad quickly.

Two varieties of avocado are more common

and both are suitable: ordinary green

and hass (dark). It is worth choosing

not too hard or too soft fruit. A hard fruit will

be unripe, and a too soft fruit will be rotten.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Cauliflower is divided into inflorescences like

broccoli, soaked for a while and washed well.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

When choosing a plum, pay attention

to its variety and ripeness, peel and clean

of the seed. Fruits quickly go bad and begin

to ferment due to the acid content; when

serving fruit find your sense of proportion

and make a greater emphasis on healthy,

neutral foods.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Asparagus, its tops may be bitter,

so cut it off as well as the rough lower

part of the stem. When feeding a pet,

use only a middle of the stem, which

was cut along.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

Offer a snail a ripe and sweet apricot.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

When choosing a cherries, pay attention

to its ripeness and clean of the seeds.

Additional vegetables and fruits:

If you want to include herbs in your pet's diet,

avoid spicy, flavory and bitter herbs.

The pet does not like the housing conditions and it can refuse food till the conditions in the terrarium become more suitable.

Once you face negative signs as walkoff deep into the shell, meal refuse, etc. needs pay more attention to the living conditions and a pet diet.

Useful and interesting information:

If a snail eats a product that most snail kippers distrust or it is opened to further question, it means it needs some vitamins from the item, but not

the product itself, which probably may harm the pet immediately or over time. Try to meet snail’s needs from the Basic Diet list.

If your pet refuses food: it does not feel well because ate something out if the diet and its body is trying to cope with it;

If the pet has not eaten one of the products during feeding, it can have it the next time he feels the need for it. Each individual has different taste

preferences, but basically it is food without a pronounced taste and smell – neutral.

If your pet refuses food: food is too flavour, sour or sweet; or the vegetable/fruit is not interesting to it at the moment;

Snails eat in proportion to their size and depending on the species (fast-growing species eat more, snail babies of slow-growing species can eat less).

If your pet refuses food: maybe it already ate before (more often at night) and can calmly digest food for a couple of days;

Drinking water

(just spray a terrarium every other day)

Protein supplements

(rarely and few)

All your pet needs:

... and a pet you gonna have:

For a lot of years our team has been successfully growing popular and rare species of snails (subspecies and all their colour variations):

Development, testing and description made by the MegaPets team, 2014-2022.

Sepia feeding method:

The way to serve the eggshell:

Protein & Vitamin supplements:

Calcium supplement - sepia (cuttlefish shell):

Calcium supplement - chicken and quail ground eggshell.:

The described list of vegetables and fruits is offered to the snails as the basic diet throughout the world and is not a matter of dispute.

If a product is not listed, it means its effect on a pet's health has not been studied much or may harm a snail.

Snails information section

Snail breeding notation system:

Snails' Basic Diet ...

Calcium

(anytime access in the pet’s terrarium)

Nutrient supplement of fruits and vegetables

(recommended to be offered to the pet along

with neutral vegetables)

Neutral vegetables

(daily access)