What to feed Achatina snails (Allowed and prohibited foods)

All snails are vegetarians. Therefore, the question of what you can feed snails implies that the diet will be based on fiber. Three main components of the diet of domestic Achatina, on which the health of the pet depends:

fiber sources;
vegetable proteins;
mineral supplements.

The main food is fruits and vegetables and lettuce. Achatina eat all kinds of herbs with pleasure, including if they grow right in their terrarium.

Buy your pet a large and beautiful house inexpensively and sow various herbs, moss and cereals there. And your pet will be happy.

Before feeding snails, all permitted products are washed well with running water without using detergents. Loving owners of Achatina should remember that the health of the snail depends on how balanced the menu is.

What do Achatina eat?

African snails in nature feed on leaves, shoots and fruits of various plants. Many species of these animals are pests in natural conditions. They can cause significant damage to crops by eating them. But in Europe and Russia, due to the climate, Achatina does not pose a threat to established ecosystems.

Achatina are vegetarians by nature. Despite the fact that their homeland is Africa, they enjoy our local vegetables and fruits, and the list of permitted products is huge. In a terrarium, they happily eat various local vegetables, fruits and herbs.

Many people include sweet fruits in snail food. In principle, shellfish can choose one product and eat it with pleasure, but still, variety should be added to their diet. It should include fiber, minerals (calcium) and proteins. Vitamin greens, dandelion leaves, etc. are especially useful. Let's find out more about this.

✅ Vegetables and fruits

Before offering vegetables and fruits to Achatina, they must be washed and cut into small pieces. Pumpkin, zucchini and other dense vegetables are grated for small snails. All products should be at room temperature.

Achatina loves the sweet pulp of bananas, but babies can’t have it. They bite into the flesh and then cannot get out of there. Snails quickly get used to bananas, and then they don’t want to eat anything else. Therefore, it is better to give bananas 1-2 times a week.

Avocados, peaches, cucumbers, non-acidic varieties of tomatoes are delicacies for Achatina. They eat these fruits with great pleasure.

Classic vegetables (carrots, beets, cabbage of all varieties, sweet peppers) can be given daily without restrictions.

You can also add any melons to your diet. Potassium, iron, vitamins, and fiber contained in watermelon will only be beneficial.

Attention ! It should be remembered that a high content of nitrates in products can lead to the death of the snail. Unscrupulous melon growers often use nitrates to speed up ripening. It is necessary to choose watermelons and other melons that have ripened naturally, without nitrate feeding.

Fruits that snails can eat:
apricots;
avocado;
a pineapple;
watermelon;
bananas;
cherry;
pears;
melon;
zucchini;
carrot;
nectarine;
cucumbers;
squash;
beet;
Bell pepper;
plums;
tomatoes;
pumpkin;
persimmon;
zucchini;
apples.

✅ Greens and herbs

Snails adore any juicy table greens. This could be parsley, celery, dill, dandelions, nettles, plantain.

What greens can Achatina eat:
White cabbage;
Brussels sprouts;
cauliflower;
clover;
nettle;
plantain leaves;
lettuce leaves;
birch foliage;
oak foliage;
linden foliage;
raspberry foliage;
currant foliage;
burdock;
alfalfa;
woodlice;
dandelions;
parsley;
chamomile;
celery;
dill;
spinach.

✅ Berries

⚫ Grapes

Snail breeders have been arguing about grapes for a long time. They came to the conclusion that it is possible to give grapes, but rarely, since Achatina quickly gets used to it and refuses other food. Grape leaves can be served fresh or dried. Grapes can be frozen for the winter and fed in small portions 1-2 times a week.

⚫ Strawberries and wild strawberries

Local species of snails adore strawberries and gobble them up in the garden beds without a twinge of conscience. This berry also attracts Achatina. You can prepare strawberries in the summer by freezing them and give them a little in the winter. Thawed berries retain all their beneficial qualities and will support shellfish during the long winter. They are rich in vitamins and minerals and have an antimicrobial effect.

⚫ Raspberry

Fresh green raspberry leaves are also beneficial for snails, as are the juicy, aromatic berries. They can be dried and used in the winter as top dressing. Fresh and defrosted berries can be safely placed in the feeder.

Berries that are allowed for Achatina:
grape;
strawberries;
strawberry;
raspberries.

✅ Dairy products

Milk is a valuable product that contains protein, calcium, and many useful microelements. Many snail breeders cannot agree on the benefits of milk for Achatina. Some say that there is no need to give dairy products to snails, because in their natural habitat they do not consume them. On the other hand, domestic Achatina are already accustomed to living with people and their diet may differ significantly from their wild relatives.

If you want to give milk to Achatina, then give low-fat milk (up to 2.5%), or even diluted milk. And then look at the pets’ reaction. In any case, it is not recommended to give dairy products daily.

Dairy
low-fat sour cream;
skimmed milk;
skim cheese.

✅ Cereals, seeds and nuts

Cereals and nuts are usually given in mixtures in ground form.

Cereals
buckwheat grain;
corn;
oats;
millet;
rice;
rye;
barley.

Seeds and nuts (raw)
Walnut;
pine nuts;
cashew nuts;
sesame;
almond;
flax seed;
sunflower seed;
pumpkin seeds;
hazelnut.

✅ What else do snails eat?

Some Achatina are very fond of mushrooms. They can be consumed raw or dried. As a rule, these are champignons or oyster mushrooms. Mushrooms are often added to the protein mixture, and some snail breeders plant mushrooms directly in the soil where their pets live.

Many people notice that snails happily eat paper. This is natural, since paper is made from cellulose, and clean, unprinted paper will not harm domestic shellfish. Do not leave pieces of newspapers or printouts from under the printer in the container.

Fish food (daphnia) may also appeal to snails. It compensates for the lack of protein in the body.

Achatina eat with great pleasure dried fruits prepared at home (apples, pears, plums, etc.).

Other
Mushrooms (edible)
Fish food (daphnia);
Dried fruits
Blank paper.

It is forbidden

Below we will present a list of what you should not feed snails. These products should not be fed to shellfish under any circumstances. Even if, out of ignorance, you fed your pets such food and they remained alive and healthy, then this is not a reason to continue conducting experiments on animals!

What not to give to snails

Snails are strictly prohibited from consuming table salt and foods containing salt, citric or other acid, sugar and starch.

Akhatins are prohibited:
legumes;
fried vegetables;
candied fruits;
smoked products;
pasta;
semolina;
salt and everything salty;
spices;
dried dried fruits (figs, raisins);
raw potatoes.

Through trial and error, it was determined that Achatina should not be fed hot and spicy herbs (onions, garlic, mustard salad, hot red peppers) and citrus fruits.

Fresh herbs

If you want, you can grow fresh herbs in winter on your windowsill in a flower pot. This will allow your home clam to feed on juicy green leaves regardless of the time of year.

You can grow not only oats, parsley, basil or dill on your windowsill, but also different varieties of lettuce, legumes and pumpkin crops, and lawn grass.

Mineral nutrition for Achatina

It has been proven that calcium is the most important mineral supplement for Achatina. Without this mineral, Achatina will not be able to grow, its shell will collapse, and eventually the snail may stop growing and become ill. It is important both for small snails and for adult individuals, since Achatina grows throughout its life. If the snails begin to have problems with the shell (it cracks, flakes, etc.), you should urgently increase the size of the mineral supplements.

This can be a pure calcium mixture:
feed chalk;
crushed egg shells;
sepia;
shell rock, etc.

You can prepare a calcium-rich mix, which is seasoned with vegetables or given separately.

✅ Recipes for calcium-rich mixture

Option 1:
50 g oat flakes;
50 g rice;
shells of 5–6 eggs;
20 g chalk;
20 g shell rock.

Option 2:
50 g buckwheat;
100 g chalk;
20 g dried mushrooms;
shells from 5 eggs;
sepia for snails (cuttlefish shell ground into powder) - 1 pc.;
1 tbsp. l. bone meal;
20-30 g sesame seeds.

Mix all ingredients and grind to form ground coffee. Store in a closed jar in a dry, dark place. Shellfish eat this mixture with great pleasure. You can also prepare a pure grain mixture from various grains.

✅ Protein feeding

Protein is essential for any living creature, and Achatina is no exception. Plant and animal proteins are the “building blocks” in the construction of body cells. For snails, you can prepare ground products containing vegetable protein:

cereals;
corn;
bran;
Champignon mushrooms);
nuts;
seeds.

Animal proteins can be useful for snails in the form of dried milk, dried daphnia, and bone meal. But you should be careful with this type of feeding. Overeating protein threatens Achatina with poisoning and death. You can give protein to snails no more than 2 times a week.

Feeding mode

Breeders believe that if we are talking about the growing body of a young Achatina, then it needs to be fed daily. And the hatched little snails are even fed several times a day so that they do not lag behind in development. Adult snails can go without food for two to three days. It is believed that Achatina herself will let you know when she is full. Here are just a few signs when you need to stop feeding your pet:

refusal of food;
sluggish and reluctant eating;
a large amount of food remains on the plate.

Domestic snails Achatina, like mammals, have food preferences. Some owners have noticed more than once how the snail refused, for example, cabbage in favor of a cucumber or banana. Taste habits can change with age. Young snails love living vegetation, while adults love rotting roots.

Conclusion: you need to feed your domestic Achatina with a variety of foods, but not spoil the animal.

How to feed snails in winter

In summer there are plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, but what to feed Achatina in winter? Top dressing can be prepared in advance and stored in a jar in a dry place. In winter, in any store you can buy pumpkin, carrots, apples, cottage cheese, sour cream, cabbage, etc. for snails. Vegetables (zucchini, tomatoes, etc.), herbs and fruits can be frozen.

A great idea would be to grow herbs and lettuce on the windowsill. You can also germinate various seeds and even mushrooms in the soil of the terrarium. Sprouted wheat or oats will be an excellent food for Achatina. You should not buy out-of-season vegetables and fruits at the store. They are grown using large amounts of fertilizers. By overeating nitrates, the snail can become poisoned and die.

List of approved products

The list of what you can feed Achatina snails is wide, despite the lack of animal proteins in it:

berries (strawberries, cherries, cherries, wild strawberries);
greens (lettuce, dill, spinach, celery, plantain);
fruits (peaches, pears, apples, bananas, apricots, kiwi);
vegetables (zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, all types of cabbage, carrots, legumes).

The most popular foods for snails are cucumbers, lettuce, zucchini and bananas.

In addition to fiber, Achatina snails can be fed with vegetable protein:

nuts;
milk;
sour cream;
Hercules;
raw mushrooms;
oatmeal;
pet food.

As a source of calcium, you will need dietary supplements such as cuttlefish shell, chalk, eggshells or shell rock. Minerals are poured in small quantities onto a plate on top of the main food.

There is no need to cook anything for snails! High temperatures kill beneficial vitamins in fresh plants. Even cereals, minced meat, and Achatina oatmeal are eaten ground to powder form, but without harmful heat treatment.

Selecting a primer

Soil performs certain functions. Based on them, you should decide what and how to choose soil for the terrarium. In terms of quality, it must correspond to its purpose:

Achatina sleeps in the soil, lays eggs, and digs through it in search of food;
the soil is saturated with moisture and retains it, which helps maintain a constant level of humidity;
if an animal falls off the wall of an artificial dwelling and falls to the bottom, the soil will soften the fall;
Living vegetation is planted in the ground.

The substrate must be kept moist at all times, and the soil should be loosened regularly. In addition, it must be safe for shellfish - no fertilizers or parasites.

In African snails, due to their inherent rapid metabolism, the soil quickly becomes dirty with waste products. Therefore, it is important that changing it is easy and quick. Experienced snail breeders know this life hack:

Take a plastic bag with a bottom that is equal in area to or slightly larger than the bottom of the terrarium.
The bottom is cut off from the bag with “sides”.
The bag is placed at the bottom of the terrarium, and soil is poured into it.
The edges can be camouflaged with snags, dry leaves and moss.

Thus, to clean the terrarium for Achatina, you just need to remove the bag of soil and replace the entire structure with a new and clean one.

Decorating the walls of the terrarium

The question of how to arrange a terrarium for the Achatina snail is also the task of fitting it into the interior of the room where the snails are kept. The main role is played by the back wall - it can be decorated with a film with a pattern, which is fixed from the outside. Pet stores offer a huge selection of landscapes; you can also order mini photo wallpapers to your liking from a printing house.

An option for craft fans is to glue moss, twigs, and pieces of tree bark onto cardboard with silicone glue. You can take a cork or bamboo panel. Natural materials for the back wall are needed, because African snails are part of wildlife.

Herbal mixtures and leaf litter

Dried leaves can be used in winter not only as terrarium bedding, but also as food for snails. Often such a “herbarium” is prepared in the summer, knowing how useful it will be in the winter. For drying, burdock, plantain, clover, nettle, alfalfa, and dandelion (herbaceous plants) are suitable. As well as leaves of trees and shrubs: birch, raspberry, grape, apple, currant, oak, linden.

Drying of leaves, previously collected in small bunches, should take place in a dry, shaded, ventilated place, in a suspended state. After 2 to 5 weeks, the leaves will become brittle. This is an indicator of their good drying. They are laid out in small tight bags and hermetically sealed.

In order for the snail to eat dried leaves, it must be crushed into powder and poured into a feeder. You can also add a calcined additive, as well as ground sesame and pumpkin seeds.

Woody mollusks require the presence of twigs and bark covered with lichen. Moss will also be very useful. But such reserves should be made in the summer, so that in winter you do not waste time and money searching for and purchasing everything you need.

Prohibited cultivated herbs

As I already said, these include all those that have a pronounced peppery, garlic, mustard taste or any other strong aroma:

watercress – has a mustard flavor
wild garlic leaves – spicy taste
arugula – has a mustard flavor
rhubarb – tart taste
Sorrel is sour and also blocks the absorption of calcium.
green onions - spicy
garlic leaves – contain many essential oils
Potato tops – may be poisonous as they contain solanine
tomato tops – very aromatic, poisonous to snails
horseradish leaves – spicy, pungent
Radish leaves are sometimes bitter, so it’s better not to risk it.