East Midlands Open Rescue Guide to

Giant African Land Snails

Giant African Land Snails, often referred to as GALS are native to Africa, where they are predominantly found south

of the Sahara and are often used as a source of meat. When fed on the correct diet and kept in appropriate

conditions, the shell of a GALS can grow up to 12 inches long! However, most pet snails will grow to between 5-7

inches in length.

GALS internal organs are positioned inside of their shell

and their body is a strong muscle that allows them to

move through its contractions. If

you watch your snail crawl up

the wall of his tank, you will be

able to see these contractions

ripple through his body.

GALS do not have teeth, instead they have flat

cartilaginous plates, called radula, with which they grind

off chunks of their food.

GALS are an extremely invasive species. They breed rapidly, tolerate fairly

extreme conditions and have voracious appetites, making them a significant

threat to both crops and native wildlife. As such, it is illegal to release GALS into

the wild in the UK, while in many other countries it is illegal to even keep them

as pets.

GALS are hermaphrodites, meaning that they possess both

male and female reproductive organs and are able to

fertilise each other - which can result in up to 300 eggs

being laid per snail! Most snails like to burrow before laying their eggs, so it is necessary to

thoroughly check their tank for eggs regularly. If you do not want the eggs to hatch, then they

must be disposed of responsibly; simply throwing them away is illegal. It is recommended

that you freeze all eggs for 48 hours before disposing of them. If you miss any eggs and they

subsequently hatch, any young must then be carefully moved into a secure tank away from

the adult snails, which could easily crush them. Young snails are too small to handle and instead they should be left

to crawl on to a lettuce leaf which can then be moved into a suitable sized tank. Water bowls should not be

provided for young snails, as they can easily drown. Snails can continue to lay eggs for up to several years after a

single mating.

If their environment is too cold or too dry, or food is in short supply, GALS are able to aestivate. This is a

process similar to hibernation. GALS will withdraw into their shell and form a layer of mucous across

the entrance. This layer dries to form a solid, silvery barrier between the snail and the outside world,

keeping valuable moisture inside and ensuring that they do not dehydrate. GALS are able to stay in a

state of aestivation for up to several years at a time, however in captivity there should be no need to

aestivate. If your snail ever goes into aestivation, you must not remove the protective layer, as you

could easily hurt him and damage his shell. Instead you can spray the tank with warm water and

provide fresh food, leaving him for a few hours to wake up at his own pace. If this does not wake him,

then you can put him in a bath of warm, shallow water and run a little warm water over his shell, which

will wake him more quickly.

Housing

The best home for GALS is a fish tank with a secure, ventilated lid. The

tank should be big enough to give them plenty of room to move

around and explore. Tanks should be positioned in a warm room, out

of direct sunlight.

The tank should be lined with a deep

layer of sterilised top soil (available from

most garden centres) which will allow

your snails to burrow and dig. It is

important to provide a deep substrate for

your snails as it enables them to properly

thermoregulate - allowing them to maintain a constant body temperature and prevent

moisture loss by using the soil to insulate themselves. It is best to use plain top soil

from a garden centre rather than compost which can contain added fertilisers harmful

to snails, or coir bark which can hold mould. Do not use top soil you have collected

yourself as this can be contaminated with pesticides and fertilisers, as well as a range of bacteria and pathogens.

Snails like a moist, humid environment and you can keep the tank nice and damp by spraying it daily with warm

water. Spray just enough to make the soil damp to the touch but not so much that you create a mud bath!

Snails must have constant access to fresh water for drinking and bathing. This

should be provided in a shallow dish, as it is easy for snails to drown in deeper

water. It is a good idea to put pebbles in the bottom of their water bowl so that

they can climb in and out easily.

Snails like dark, damp places, so plastic plant pots and other accessories can be

used to create areas where they can hide. Fish tank accessories such as smooth

branches and plastic plants are a good way to enrich a tank. Be sure to choose toys

that do not have any sharp pieces on which they could hurt themselves and it is

important to wash any toys before putting them into the tank. Avoid hard objects,

such as ceramic pots, as if your snail were to fall on to it, the impact could easily damage their shell.

A brilliant way of making a tank more exciting is to put living plants in there for them to

eat. Dandelions and even herbs such as parsley and basil can be planted straight into the

tank. It is very important to only use edible, non-toxic plants. If you use plants bought

from a shop or garden centre, only use those that have been organically grown, as many

will have been treated with pesticides and fertilisers that are extremely dangerous to

snails. Other suitable plants are campanulas, pansies, violas and spider plants.

Remember that snails are extremely good climbers, so it is important to keep the lid of

their tank shut!

Outdoors

Larger snails will enjoy being able to spend time in the garden in nice weather. Keep them on either grass or soil, do

not put them on tarmac or cement etc as this is very abrasive and can become too hot for them. Never put them in

a garden/area that has been treated with pesticides or slug pellets within the last eighteen months. Once outdoors

be sure to keep a close eye on them and do not leave them unattended - snails are extremely vulnerable to

predators and it is easy for them to get accidentally injured. On warm days keep them in the shade and regularly

spray them with water to prevent them from becoming dehydrated.

Diet

GALS are vegetarian and their diet should be high in fibre and rich in green vegetation.

Their daily diet should be made up of several different types of leaves, e.g. dandelion,

romaine and curly lettuce, with a thick chunk of cucumber and a vegetable, such as a baby

sweetcorn or a chunk of peeled carrot. Choose organic foods where possible, so as to

avoid exposing your pet to potentially harmful pesticides. For smaller snails it may be

necessary to cut their food into smaller pieces so that they can feed more easily.

In order for snails to grow a strong, healthy shell, they require constant access to cuttlefish. This is

extremely rich in calcium and by gnawing on it daily they will grow a strong and smooth shell. One

piece of cuttlefish will last a long time and you can get this from local pet shop quite cheaply.

• Always wash any food thoroughly before feeding.

• Do not feed the first few leaves from a regular head of lettuce, as these will have been the

most heavily exposed to pesticides – this is not a problem with organic produce.

• Spinach, kale and parsley are high in oxalates which inhibit the uptake of calcium, so they

should only be fed in limited amounts.

• Avoid citrus fruits, which are acidic.

• Do not feed cooked foods, anything salty, or animal products.

• Never feed pasta, as this causes bloating and can be fatal.

• Too much fruit can cause colic, so give things such as strawberries, water melon and honeydew melon as

treats only.

• And if you listen carefully, you may be able to hear them eating!

Foods GALS will enjoy:

Baby sweetcorn

Beans – in the pod

Blackberries

Broccoli

Brussel sprouts

Cabbage

Carrot – not leaves, as these are toxic

Cauliflower – including the leaves

Celery

Chard

Clover

Coriander

Cress

Cucumber

Dandelion leaves and flowers

Grapes – sliced in half

Grass – freshly picked only. Do not feed grass that has been through a lawn mower

Kale

Lettuce – iceberg, curly, hot house, round, romaine etc.

Melon – cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon

Mint

Parsley

Pear

Rocket

Spinach

Strawberries

Watercress

Care

Snails are cold blooded animals, meaning that they do not generate their

own body heat and instead rely entirely on their environment to regulate

their temperature. Because of this, snails are susceptible to overheating, so

to keep them happy maintain a tank temperature of 19-23C. Heat lamps or

lights should never be used, as there is no safe way to protect a snail from

severely burning themselves. If you need to increase tank temperature, a

low wattage heat mat can be attached to the outside of the tank to gently

boost the ambient temperature. When using a heat mat, always monitor

tank temperature carefully to ensure that it does not become too warm.

This photo shows the correct heat mat set up. The low wattage mat is

securely attached to the wall of the tank using sellotape stuck to the non-heating transparent edges of the mat and

an accurate thermometer is positioned close to the mat, in an easy-to-read location.

Daily care: Every day GALS need old food clearing from their tank and fresh food putting in; the inside of the tank

spraying with warm water; the water bowl washing and refilling.

Monthly care: Once a month their tank will need cleaning out and the compost changing. Once you have emptied

out all of the soil, you can wash the tank and any accessories with warm soapy water. It is very important to

thoroughly rinse these afterwards to make sure that you get rid of any traces of soap, which would irritate and

damage their skin.

Handling

Wash your hands before handling your snails and rinse them well to make sure there are no traces of soap left on

your skin. Don’t dry your hands completely but leave them damp, as this will make your skin more comfortable for

them. Always remember to thoroughly wash your hands after handling them too.

Snails shells are fragile and so they should always be handled carefully. New shell growth comes from the opening

of the shell, and the area around here is particularly delicate - it is best to avoid handling them near the shell

opening, as it is easily broken.

Snails should be picked up gently by their shell - it is best to carefully scoop them up when they are on the floor of

the tank. If a snail is on the wall of the tank, do not try to pick them up. There is a risk that you could accidentally

damage their shell or even pull the shell off. If you need to move a snail that is on the side of the tank, spray him

and the tank wall with warm water and then gently slide him off of the glass. Young snails are particularly fragile

and great care should be taken when moving them.

It is always best to handle animals while sitting down, so that if they accidentally fall they do not drop quite so far.

Do not touch your snails antennae, as this is unpleasant for them - it is a feeling akin to someone poking you in the

eye, so it is best avoided. Keep your movements slow and deliberate, so as not to startle your snail and they will

soon get used to being handled.

For young children wanting to handle snails, it is often best to put them in a small carry tank and which they can

hold instead. This will ensure that the snails are safe and are less at risk of being accidentally hurt.

Health checks

To ensure that GALS stay in good health it is important to perform a quick visual health check every day so that you

can spot any signs of illness early on. When doing this you should look for the following things:

• Are they alert and active?

• Is their skin moist and free from scratches, injuries and parasites?

• Are they eating well?

• Are their shells in good condition? They should be free from cracks,

scratches and parasites. They should be dry but solid and there should be

no areas that are discoloured or crumbling. The entrance to the shell should

be smooth and clean with no cracks, chips or excess mucous.

Shell injuries

A snails shell protects all of their vital organs and any damage to it should be considered a serious injury. Even slight

damage to the shell puts a snail at great risk of harm to their internal organs, shock, infection and loss of bodily

fluids, so it is essential that they receive treatment right away.

If a snails shell is damaged, they should be lifted by their body, rather than the shell, and carefully placed in a small

carry tank, or other ventilated plastic container, that has been sterilised using boiling water. Do not put in a

substrate, at this point it is important to keep the injury as clean as possible to prevent infection. Provide a chunk

of cucumber, or a piece of their favourite food, and some sterilised cuttlefish in the tank to encourage them to eat.

Keep movement to a minimum and keep them moist by misting them with cooled boiled water from above – use a

very fine mist only, as a jet of water will cause further damage. It is essential to get your pet to a specialist exotics

vet immediately. Damaged shells can be repaired if they are treated as soon as possible. If pieces of your snails

shell have come away from your snail, be sure to take these with you to the vet. Do not try to repair the shell

yourself – it is very easy to cause irreparable damage to vital organs with the sharp edge of a shell fragment.

In an emergency, call Chine House Veterinary Practice on 01509 812 446 for advice. They have an out of hours

service and specialist vets with experience of treating shell injuries. They are based in Sileby, Leicestershire.

Transportation

If you need to take your GALS anywhere, such as to the vets or outside in to the garden, you

can use a small plastic tank which has been especially designed for carrying small animals. Line

the base of the tank with a layer of top soil and put in cucumber chunks for them to munch on.

Make sure the lid is on securely and always carry the tank by the base, rather than the handle

on the lid. Remember not to put the tank in direct sunlight, as they will over heat quickly.

For more information on caring for Giant African Land Snail, or any other animal you can visit us online at

www.openrescue.weebly.com you can email us at openrescue@live.co.uk or call us on 07988 724 773

All written content is the intellectual property of East Midlands Open Rescue. Ref.: EMOR:GALS-0410