Snail handeling

Snail handling has some rules to keep both you and your slimey friend safe!

DO NOT pull on the shell. If you do this to lift them may damage the snail’s body, even killing the snail. Pulling on the shell can cause mantle detach which leads to the snail struggling to regulate breathing or its own heartbeat. 

To pick them up DO slide your hand gently under its body be careful to not put pressure on the lip of the shell because it is the most fragile part of it and can easily break. If they are sucked in and you must move them stick your fingers under where the head is and gently lift from under the body or foot, or if you can wait long enough encourage it to climb onto some food or other removable object, then pick up the object with the snail on.

DO NOT wear hand-cream. Snails are very sensitive to many chemicals since they absorb things through their bodys. This also includes if there are other things on your hands such as medication, dirt, soap, ect. Make sure to thoroughly wash and rise hands before handling. Since they absorb things through their bodies don not handle them to often.

DO NOT hold or squeeze the lip of the shell where the new growth is. This is often frail and is likely to break.

Snails are different individual to individual and species to species some may like being held or handled, others may fully retract and wait until you put them back. Some may even enjoy being touched on the body while others may hate it. Be gentle with your snail and learn its preferences.

In addition snails should not be handled with dry hands and should always be held with wet or damp hands.

After handling snails it is wise to wash your hands, although snail slime IS very good for your skin!

Wild caught snails may harbour a parasite caught from rat faeces. If ingested by humans this can cause illness, and possibly even meningitis. The parasite uses the snail as a host during part of it’s life cycle. For it's next stage the parasite MUST find a mammalian host to survive, so after a few weeks (a few months being on the safe side) it is believed that the parasite will die. 

Resources for this page

www.supersnails.proboards.com/thread/1620/basic-care-sheet?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic