#snail husbandry

[snailstrailz]

I don't see a lot of people talking about Mardi Gras jesters a lot which is a little bit sad since they're my favorite jester breed (albeit they are kinda niche, since true Mardis only come from Louisiana and surrounding areas)

They are just so delightful even if they are outliers with their strict color palette and the fact that they're pretty much the only entertainus breed that wears masks instead of having facial markings.

Though, I understand why some people are hesitant to own them, they are extremely excitable for a jester breed and tend to make a lot of noise with their sheer volume of bells, picky eating habits (almost exclusively king cake) , as well as being super messy. I find plastic beads stuffed into and hanging from every imaginable place in my house (hell, I just pulled a lump of tangled beads out of a drain my jester had stuffed them into just the other day) and don't get me started on the colored powder or the *shudder* glitter.

Despite the drawbacks though they make fantastic companions and are one of, in my opinion, the prettiest breeds of jester out there.

[objecthusbandry]

i’ve been trying to think of random objects that i could ask about. . . there’s SO MANY !! all of them are so interesting hhhhh

how about shells? C:

— ☕️🪶anon

shells are a very interesting group of objects - they're a common example of just how impressive the mimicry of animals in objects is. each species mimics almost perfectly a different type of mollusk. they mainly eat soft-bodied invertebrates such as grubs, worms and the like, including the creatures they mimic. they sometimes carry small rocks to aid in cracking the shells of animals to consume their soft innards, including eggs. while there are a few terrestrial species, most shell objects are semi-aquatic and can be found near beaches - their fingers and toes are webbed to accommodate for this environment.

in antiquity shell objects were frequently believed to be born after the mollusk that originally inhabited the shell died. obviously this is not the case, as is now understood. mates are usually selected based on their colors, with more complex patterns being more favored. litters will contain on average five babies, up to seven at the maximum. siblings often resemble each other but may be entirely different colors. they reach maturity quickly at around two and a half months. as newborns their bodies are rather soft, hardening over time for about two weeks when they reach their proper firmness. this is when they're most vulnerable, so mothers are extremely protective for the first couple weeks of their babies' lives.

much like the animals they resemble, shell objects leave their hardened bodies behind after death. seashell collectors absolutely love these objects for this and it's common to find them near shores, where they often wash up on beaches. while they can be kept as pets, they're not domesticated and require very large glass tanks in captivity. i wouldn't recommend keeping one, personally, but it is possible for them to lead happy lives as pets.

[inbabylontheywept]

I would love to see a spoof version of ancient aliens where indigenous academics visit white people shit and insist that only aliens could’ve built it.

“Supposedly, the eiffel tower was built in the year 1887 by French architects, but they simply couldn’t have had the technology for it at that time. Even in the present, the French are a primitive society without knowledge of hygiene or animal husbandry, reduced to eating snails and hoping that the rain will tame, if not quell, their rank body odors. No, the only answer that makes sense to the wise man… is extra-terrestrial help."

[oldfacesnewdawnoffical]

Faction Overview: The Fenland Faction

Values:

Tenacity, Adaptability, Integrity, Devotion, Unity

Orator Succession:

[An in-depth detailed explanation HERE!]

Desirable Physical Traits:

The second-smallest of the fealty cats.

Broad faces, rounded or rectangular.

Stocky, bulky, thickset bodies.

Long and stocky legs.

Large eyes.

Either very small ears, or very large ears.

Large, thick, wide paws. Webbed paws; polydactalism.

Black claws. (Jet-black claws are said to be a trait of the Black Star, and that means the cat in question is either blessed by her, or a descendant of her)

Notably long whiskers.

Thick, shorter tails.

Pelts are most commonly dark, rich colors- black, red, chocolate and cinnamon are the most favored. Smoke, solid colors, and tabbies are also popular.

[BONUS] Scars are viewed as the mark of the stupid and conspicuous, or of malefactors. Fenlanders prefer to keep their bodies as unmarred as possible, to show that they are of incredible stealth. Many brash young cats end up with the likeness of an animal carved into their skin for killing for sport or stealing food; cheaters risk getting a brand of their partner’s choice if an affair is discovered; those who are heavily scarred are distrusted and seen as villainous.

Diet:

Cooking is significantly most commonly done by Fenlanders; they’re known for making nearly anything taste good, as they have the least to work with but with more of a reason to have an extra bite to what provides them energy, even if the other factions would never acknowledge it. They’re happy and eager to stir fry anything that they’re able to access, and stews are commonplace.

Alongside Moorsweepers and Riverwardens, they offer clay as an export, but they’re the lead when it comes to crafted cookware, utensils, and other food preparation equipment; items crafted by a Fenlander have a tendency to have a far longer lifetime than any others.

Their diet is the most broad, with herpetofauna (lizards, snakes, turtles, salamanders, frogs and toads) making up a large, significant portion of it; insects are a crunchy favorite, and commonly found in many of their dishes. Eggs of all sorts are also heavily found in Fenlander fare.

Due to the nature of their territory, they boast an impressive array of distinctive spices - though they can’t compete with the likes of the Woodruff and Riverward. Sweet flag, pickerelweed, milkweed, juniper, fennel, mint, and numerous water lilies are abundant, alongside swamp berries such as chokeberries and dewberries. The flavor of common juniper, in particular, is intense, peppery, and is featured in many meals; the spicier, the better!

As the swamplands are the most deeply affected by the cold, prey is often stored in pots to keep and sterilize it. Their inventiveness reaches bounds above the other factions.

Cherries are to never be consumed by a Fenlander.

Animal/Mindless Husbandry:

Rats (See: Notable Non-Fealty Alliances: The Reavers).

Corvids (See: Notable Non-Fealty Alliances: The Voiceless Ones).

Pickerel frogs.

Fireflies.

Turtles.

Axolotls.

Giant freshwater snails.

Trade (Exports):

Pottery, cookware, tools, utensils and clay.

Snail shell dice.

Mud.

Waterproof paints and dyes.

Wild rice and various swampland herbs and spices.

Delicacy foods such as eggs: waterfowl, turtle, frog, crocodile, lizard, fish, and platypus.

Mooncakes and moon water.

Reptile skins, scales, and limbs.

Cobweb surpluses.

Faction-Specific Holidays:

The Night of Trust — Every new moon is viewed as a time in which their Founder expresses her trust in them, closing her eye and blessing the entirety of the lands in a blanket of darkness. Oftentimes celebrated by a lighthearted hunting competition, but primarily the nights are spent enjoying the company of loved ones. Partners are often joined during this time, so that when their Founder’s eye opens again, she can cast her blessing upon them.

Crescent Seeking — Every crescent moon, those who can navigate the territory safely are invited to play a game known to the Fenland cats as “pursuit” (essentially, extremely competitive hide and seek).

The Longest Tales — The longest night of winter is devoted to the historians. As many cats that can fit will gather within the historian’s den to create heat and listen to the recounting of epic tales, notable historical lessons, and fun stories.

Leaffall Feast — To prepare for the coming winter, a festival and feast is thrown to keep morale high and share delicacies. It is customary for every cat to provide their own dish, with mooncakes and spiced tinctures being a distinctive specialty and common favorite.

Festival of Fireflies — At the end of winter, it's time for spring to begin again. Excess fireflies are released, in a show of “warming the skies”, and the camp is decorated in preserved flowers. Gifts are commonly exchanged between loved ones during this time.

Music:

Primarily Grimdark-type folk songs!

Many string instruments (such as lyres and harps) are used. However clay-carved instruments such as ocarinas are commonly found as well.

The music itself tends to be very quiet, while also being very heavy - the kind of music that weighs on your mind.

Most Valued Relations:

The relationships forged between siblings, especially littermates, are by far the most notable and exalted.

Courting/Coupling/Joining (+ Joining Ceremonies):

With their focus moreso on survival, courting habits within the Fenland are very unique and far different from any others across the fealty.

True romances are few and far between, with cats taking mates rather than partners, and usually for the sole sake of bearing strong kits to carry on bloodlines. That being said, it isn’t as though romance is dead to these cats, just… a bit harder to find and keep.

Courters will often attempt to impress one another with their strength, stealth, and hunting skills, and may even pick physical fights as a public display of interest.

Those who take mates outside their faction often will take passing unaligned rather than deal with the other factions. They commonly view taking partners within the other factions as “messy”, with the potential of leading to political conflicts, which is an extra, unneeded hit against a faction that has its own unique struggles.

Notable Non-Fealty Alliances:

The Reavers - A mischief of mindful rats that claim Carrionplace. Often “employed” by Fenlanders to root out safe fungi in exchange for protection and safe passage through their lands.

The Voiceless Ones - A conspiracy of mindful corvids (ravens and crows) that live near Sothassyrth’s lair; known to coexist with her. During rough seasons, they aid the faction in hunting or finding food, in exchange for carved trinkets and insects.

“The Pale Shadow of the Depths”, Sothassyrth - No alliance; merely a “coexisting”. An ancient albino alligator who barters her wisdom and knowledge in exchange for a full belly. Her tastes vary, but she isn’t known to be particularly picky… Often employs lookouts from the Voiceless Ones to report back to her on the daily comings-and-goings of fealty cats, the movement of prey, and general drama.

Views on Death + Burial Practices:

Only kin (blood or found family) are allowed to wish the spirit of the newly departed safe passage to the stars, and traditionally will fast for nine days after the body has been laid to rest. The orator commonly gives a grand speech that details the life, skills, and honor of the recently deceased.

The bodies are then traditionally left to the Voiceless Ones to be excarnated. Once the bones have been stripped bare, they are collected and cleansed; the skulls are carefully carved with symbols based on the cat’s final rank in life and their notable achievements. The rest of a cat’s body is to be given back to the faction, “so that their bones may continue to serve while their spirits rest”; they are commonly incorporated into the camp’s structure, or taken as decorations via the cat’s kin or loved ones.

Only the cleansed, carved skulls are then taken to the Sap Falls, where they are carefully left at the roots of an ancient, massive, white weeping cherry tree. The skulls are then slowly taken in by and encased in the tree’s sap, which quickly hardens into amber, preserving the skulls. [Highly inspired by @grainsaucer’s post and artwork HERE!]

To eat the fruit from the Sap Falls tree is to condemn your own soul. It is believed that should one eat a cherry from the Sap Falls, their spirit will be trapped inside of the amber, rather than rise to the stars.

Religious Views:

Highly religious, neck and neck with the Moorsweepers. While the Moorswept widely believes that they’re the closest to the Stars Above, so too do the Fenland, who believe that they help patrol the night skies and stars right alongside their Founder.

Incredibly superstitious as well.

Fun Facts!:

Like their real counterparts, nocturnal! Sans the day-scouts, of course.

Dark sense of humor? Absolutely. They often joke about cats going missing on their territory, and their version of “goodbye” to friends is “try not to die, okay?” Their speech and mannerisms are just generally deemed as rather crude, and they’re very big with the ideal of “respectful disrespect”.

Fealty Gesture (sign language) originated in the heart of the Fenland. While primarily due to the importance they place upon stealth and silence within their culture and very way of life, it was quickly realized that it could aid Deaf cats amongst them, alongside those who had injuries, other disabilities, or preferences against speech.

Bonus: Most Fenlanders are multilingual! They’re typically fluent in Common, Gesture, and Ornithomance.

[spidermilkshake]

Alright Fishblr...

Is it better to have a more cube-shaped standard 5-gallon aquarium for potential betta, plant, and snail buddies, or to seek the largest possible aquarium size that still fits in the space you have set aside (7.5 gallon) even though it's a little odd in construction and you likely will need to buy a different, less deadly-powerful filter for it?

My dream is to at least start with a nice planted little tank with one betta fish and either some snails or a pair of smaller corydoras to be buddies and cleaners. Maybe later graduating to have like a proper big 30 gallon community tank somewhere more central in the house and not on the empty part of my desk. I've had a betta before (with some embarrassingly bad husbandry during young tweenage years before upgrading slightly and having my Chompy live a good 6 years despite being a shoplifted sickly Walmart fish). Family have had a number of freshwater fish before---from Kissing Gourami to Common Pleco to guppies to Upside-down catfish to Shubunkin Goldfish (sadly, I can't find the larger tanks stored anywhere so I think mom or dad tossed them).

I've done some significant research in what companions are alright for betta fish, what time frame to cycle a small tank, and some into how to introduce plants to a tank and keep them healthy. My question for fishblr is: Does brand matter more than overall volume in tanks? Would a more tried-and-true 5 gallon be better than a more ordinary 7 or 8 gallon option?

[rainsnires]

had the most autistic achievement in my whole life today i found out i was labeled a "top contributer" in the facebook group Land Snails - Advancing Husbandry 😭😭😭 like goddamn fb just call me a slur at this point

[asegbolu]

Exploring the Nutritional Classification of Non-Ruminant Farm Animals Animal Husbandry SS 1 First Term Lesson Notes Week 3

Animal Husbandry SS 1 First Term Lesson Notes – Week 3 Subject: Animal Husbandry Class: SS 1 Term: First Term Week: 3 Age: 14 – 16 years Topic: Classification of Farm Animals II Sub-Topic: Classification Based on Nutrition Non-Ruminants a. Horses or Donkeys b. Snails c. Bees d. Grass Cutters Duration: 40 minutes Behavioral Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students should be able…

[charanchula]

Wanna get into breeding 'garden snails' for my Cuban false chameleon/bearded anole once I get him.

GALS will probably be too large, and I wanna have a semi-steady supply of little guys for the little guy.

Easy to keep, easy to rear, easy husbandry (especially if you add springtails), waste reduction and free lizard food: perfect!

[fruitmaddie]

you know how a lot of dog breeds have jobs bred into them? I wonder if all surface life on earth was wiped out and only sea life was left if octopi would eventually do something similar to that with sea creatures.

Like training certain fish to scout for prey, or doing husbandry for sea snails.

[zookazooks]

oh, you wanted an autistic girl who doesn't know she's a lesbian yet?? lemme see what i can do

Wednesdays were her Mondays, the gate lock creaking when she turned the key, the hinges complaining as she shuttled it aside and away from the front door of the shop. The city had been awake for hours, the road well-traveled all morning, but when one owns a business with dedicated and nigh-on guaranteed clientele one can choose one's hours, and Kim Ami liked the hours when people could come in the most easily best.

That meant lunch time on weekdays, 5 to 9 in the evening, all day all weekend, and, of course, open by appointment. Very little of her stock was likely to be urgently required, and so she made simple stable business within the confines of the little shop.

The warm humid air hit her as she stepped over the threshold from the sidewalk into the shop, leaving the cold outside to nip at someone else's ears, and she took her coat off as she walked through the dark front room, pausing just a moment at the wall to hit the lights.

The little fish shop lit up in pockets of glow, planted tanks humming and green, oxygen pearling from each blade of vallisneria, each round leaf of bacopa caroliniana. The indoor cichlid pond roiled with blue and gold— ("Okay, okay, let me set down my bag, I get it, you're hungy babies...") —the goldfish swarmed, each tank of little jeweled guppies wiggled a late morning greeting of permanently hungry optimism.

The auto-feeders went off as she walked past, pellets dropping into the water of a few dozen high-turnover aquariums taking care of the lion’s share of the work, but there was still easily another half an hour of painstaking feeding - the portioning of brine shrimp, the snails into the puffer tank, stick-on tablets and algae wafers and making sure the betta on the bottom of the sorority hierarchy got her breakfast, delivered sneakily behind the dwarf lily with a turkey baster and the power of distraction.

She was in the middle of topping off the co2 in the black moscow tank (packed to the gills with pogostemon stellatus as it was) when the bell over the door tinkled merrily, and if she hadn’t known exactly who it would be she might have looked up. “I’m sorry to say this,” she said, “but I’m unable to sate your strange desires today.”

“My what?”

What Ami had expected was a man named Seokjin, a person as friendly as he was beautiful and who had Opinions about koi husbandry which she may or may not have shared, (she didn’t, but mostly because she didn’t care about koi that much; her ideal koi came in the form of a plakat betta, thank you, and if a carp really wanted to get fancy then the least it could do was be an oranda about it), but the bell had not tinkled to announce the presence of an old friend - it had tinkled to announce the presence of someone significantly… newer.

Newer, yes, and shorter too. Narrow shoulders, hips at a slant, legs that could have just walked straight out of a girl group, sleepy eyes and a mouth that looked like mostly what it did was pout and sigh and (probably) drink too much coffee.

“You’re not Jin,” Ami said, a paragon of awareness and subtlety.

“I’m not, no,” said the girl in her shop. She looked at Ami. She looked at the fish tank. “Is it s’posed to be bubbling that much?”

“Not really,” Ami replied nonchalantly, extremely calmly scrambling to shut off the co2 and unhook the pipe from the bottle without upending the entire aquarium right there on the floor. (Which would be a tragedy of the highest order. Some of the bacteria in that substrate was older than she was.) “Um, that’s— sorry, hold on—“

“Holding,” said the girl in her shop. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Do you, uh… need any help?”

“Usually! Ha ha!” Oh god, she wasn’t a funny person and that hadn’t sounded like a joke. “It— it’s fine, just gimme a second…“

In the end she required more than a second, and instead took almost four full minutes to dramatically fight the co2 canister, airline, and hook back into the closet where the entire kit belonged, and so it was that by the time she turned finally to pay attention to the new person in her little fish shop she was sweaty and stupid and, unfortunately, very very useless.

“Hello,” said Ami, the dumbest person on the planet. “Hi. I’m… hello.” (Oh god.) “Can I help you? With anything?” (Oh, god.) “That you might need?”

“M’not really in need of anything,” the girl said, shrugging. “Just came over to say hi. I’m—“ She laughed, shook her head. “Sorry, I’m Yoonji. Min Yoonji. I just signed the lease on the space next door.”

The space next door.

Somewhere on Ami’s kitchen counter lay an envelope from her building manager that she’d been meaning to open for… a little while, sure, but not too long, right? No more than a week. Two weeks? Regardless of the timing, Ami at this point felt reasonably confident that whatever information she might find inside that envelope would likely be primarily in regard to the space next door, its lease, and subsequent signing of same by the girl standing in front of her.

“Right!” said Ami, like she knew to expect this. (Incredible theatrical skill. Breathtaking.) “Of course. That’s great, it felt weird to have it empty.” She shrugged. “I dunno, like it was unlucky somehow. I’m Ami, by the way.”

“Ami, huh?” Yoonji stared at her for a few blank and empty seconds, then laughed— glancing away like she didn’t want to make eye contact. “I dunno if me showing up here will bring a whole lotta luck,” she said, and turned, looking around the shop. “I thought this was like a house plant store or something, but…” She reached up, almost but not quite brushing her fingertips over the glass of a tank populated with dozens of cherry neocaridina flickering among thick drifts of java moss. “Are these… fish?”

There was a part of Ami that had a filter. (But what kind? HOB? UGF? Sponge? Canister? Sump? Matten? What about the biomedia? And please don’t tell me you’re putting activated charcoal into the filter for a planted tank…) That part of her could do things like go to the grocery store, talk to tellers at the bank, stuff like that, but that filter ended where aquariums began, and so it was that Yoonji’s unfortunate question mark clipped short Ami’s ability to shut, as it were, the fuck up.

Time passed, during which Ami explained to Yoonji everything about the care, feeding, ecological role, ethical breeding practices (“I just can’t get behind the orange-eyed tigers,” she said. “Hindering a living being’s natural functions for the sake of human aesthetics? Feels icky.“), and historical significance of neocaridina versus caridina freshwater shrimp in the aquarist hobby, and it wasn’t until she had moved on to how the mineral and pH requirements of neocaridina make them good tankmates for a small livebearer breeding colony (“Endlers are very hardy, and there are new hybrid color morphs coming out practically every day!”) that she looked up at Yoonji again and saw the dazed expression on this near stranger’s face and realized, horribly and suddenly like an ice bath in the morning, how fucking dumb she was. This poor stranger didn’t need a crash course on water parameters. This poor stranger just came in to say hi.

“… Sorry,” she said, stuttering to a halt. “Um. I get… excited.”

“It’s exciting stuff,” Yoonji replied, looking heavy-lidded and sarcastic but sounding unexpectedly sincere. “That’s cool about the… you know, the shrimp. I didn’t know that there were freshwater shrimp.” She hadn’t looked away from the tank, eyes tracking the flitting movements of miniscule invertebrates exploring a dense and soggy jungle, and the light cast green and blue over her face. “The red looks pretty on the green.”

Ami took in a breath to say something - probably something stupid, like you look pretty on the green - but was saved from herself by the sound of the bell over the door.

“Darling,” boomed Seokjin, standing in the door like the demigod he was. “Please tell me you have what I desire.” He took a step inside. “Who’s this? Are you cheating on me?”

“Oppa!”

“Woops,” Yoonji muttered under her breath, recoiling from Ami like they had suddenly become two magnets of identical polarity. “Um, I’ll— I’ll see you around? Prob’ly. I mean I’m next door, so—“ On her escape out the door she came extremely briefly face to face with Seokjin, to which she reacted by going pale and almost tripping over her own feet. “Cool, bye!”

Ami and Seokjin stood in the shop in silence for a few moments, the quiet broken only by the noise of cars on the street and the door to the space next door opening quickly and then slamming shut. “She seems nice,” Seokjin said brightly.

“Your book hasn’t come in yet,” Ami said, “but I got in some new betta boys that I need to jar if you want to hang out and talk shit about blood parrot breeders until you have to go back to work.”

Seokjin placed one hand over his heart. “Ami,” he said, “that’s the sexiest thing a woman has ever said to me.”

[evoldir]

Fwd: Postdoc: Parkville_Australia.SnailSystematics

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@evol.biology.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Postdoc: Parkville_Australia.SnailSystematics > Date: 28 January 2023 at 05:17:36 GMT > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > > Parasitology/Malacology postdoctoral position > > https://ift.tt/JX15OVd > > Job no: 0057817 > Location: Parkville > Role type: Full time; Fixed-term for 2 years > Faculty: Faculty of Science > Department/School: Melbourne Veterinary School > Salary: Level A - $77,171 - $104,717 p.a. plus 17% super > > About the Role > The successful applicant will work on an Australian Research Council > (ARC)-funded international collaborative research project (AU-UK) to > undertake field and laboratory work that will result in the taxonomic > revision of aquatic snails and their parasites, define the complete > genomes of key representative snail genotypes and use transcriptomics > to elucidate the molecular interactions between a snail host and a > parasite. Expected outcomes from this project are the creation of novel > molecular resources for important snail species and to verify their roles > as key vectors of flatworm parasites. The candidate will be supervised > by Drs Neil Young and Anson Koehler, and work with Dr Bonnie Webster > (Natural History Museum, London) and Professor Emeritus Winston Ponder > (Australian Museum, Sydney) and members of the Parasitology Group within > the Faculty of Science. > > Requirements: > Applicants must have completed a PhD thesis that aligns with one or more > of the research aims. > > About You > To be successful in this role, skills in parasitology, malacology, > genomics, transcriptomics, bioinformatics, statistical analyses and/or > aquatic invertebrate animal husbandry would be an advantage. The > incumbent will demonstrated excellence in research through high-quality > publications, and excellent communication skills. > > About the University > The University of Melbourne is consistently ranked amongst the leading > universities in the world. We are proud of our people, our commitment > to research and teaching excellence, and our global engagement. > https://ift.tt/JX15OVd > > > anson.koehler@unimelb.edu.au > > (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to > golding@mcmaster.ca

[stripeysnail]

(sorry to bombard you with questions) what would you advise as a water dish? If one at all? I assume they would need one and have put a lil makeshift one out but not sure if it's good? Should I just send u a pic of my tank setup and see if it's good? I want the best life for these dudes but info is so limited

A slice of cucumber or lettuce and a gentle misting is all they need to keep hydrated! Don’t offer them water in a dish, though, they may drown.

[should-be-sleeping]

i've been considering a Helix Pomatia but can't exactly find any good, large terrariums :/ do you perhaps know of any?

I wrote a whole post about Helix Pomatia husbandry, but basically what you’re looking for is a glass or acrylic aquarium with a full, heavy lid (snails are surprisingly strong). Of course you will want the lid to be vented, but the grating should not be too large or any baby snails will escape (if you keep more than 1 snail, eggs will be an eventuality). Aquariums designed for small reptiles and amphibians work well but bear in mind you want at least 1 gallon per snail, if not more. I’ll reblog the general husbandry post after this also.Enclosures meant for larger reptiles and amphibians, for fish, or for rodents tend not to work as they all have cut-outs either in the acrylic/glass itself or the lid for filters, humidifiers, or water bottles and your snails will absolutely escape out of these cut-outs regardless of any homemade deterrents you craft up. lol. Something like this or this would work. You can use those tiny beta tanks so long as they are all-enclosed and you intend to handle and allow your snails to free roam (supervised) at least 30 minutes a day.Ironically you cannot use those beta tanks for actual betas.

[arts-butthound]

I have been summoned from the void of silence...and I don't know fifteen people here so...@daisywalletchains I boop thee, should you desire to be booped. Are You Named After Anyone? My Paternal Grandfather, who I never met! My dad wanted to honor him, so he slapped Granddad's name on the back of mine. When was the last time you cried?

2 days ago. The overthinking had me in a choke hold, among other things. What sports do you play/have you played? Uhh...I don't think I've ever been on a sports team. I was part of a swimming class as a kid, does that count? Sports and me never got along very well. Do you have kids? No. I am not in a position to be raising pudding people. I need to get my financial crap put together and nab myself a husband first. Do you use sarcasm?

Yes. One does not survive my family if you do not wield sarcasm. It's our dry love language. What is the first thing you notice about people? Ooo, there's a question... I think I'm too busy trying to act normal/appear pleasant to at first note anything...Maybe the sounds of their voice and trying to judge the conversation on tone?...You can tell I don't get out often. What's your eye color? Hazel, baby Scary Movies or happy endings? Depends on my mood. I'm not huge on horror movies, and sometimes I need that soft happy ending. But I mean...as long as the story sticks the landing how they wanted to, I'm good to follow through. Bittersweet, sad, nuanced, when it's supposed to make you angry-I just appreciate good story telling. Though, I do tend to stick to happy or nuanced. Ya gotta be in a good mental place for those sad endings. Any talents? You mean the many things I do to keep myself occupied? I can crochet, I'm learning to knit, I used to draw (I miss drawing), I can weave small baskets, I paint, I sculpt, I write-writing is the major skill of mine. Where were you born? California, USA What are your hobbies? Most of my hobbies are the skills I got up there. I also play video games, read books, and do some animal husbandry. Do you have any pets?

1 fish, 2 snails, 2 frogs, 1 dog, and a cat who lives with my parents How tall are you?

5'5, or a 165 cm. To make that interesting, my younger sister is taller than me. Favorite subject in school? That was a mash up of English, History, and Science. Loved learning about literature, bothered my teachers to read my latest story and tell me what they thought. History was cool, as long as it was anything before WW2. Loved learning about far away cultures. And Science was biology mostly. Loved learning about critters and how they worked around their environments, also-rocks. Yeah, gimme the rocks. Dream Job? If I could make a comfortable living as an author, I would be very grateful. I don't really know how to manage online stores or marketing or advertising to sell all the things I make. All that is very overwhelming. I just want to put my imaginary dolls on the page and watch people have as much fun with them as I did. It'd also be super cool if I could get a job at a zoo. I like critters and don't mind the labor that goes into caring for them.

15 questions for 15 friends

yay, got tagged by @dandenbo :D months ago but... i'm here

I can't think of 15 people but I'm tagging @noirchotic @skeknya @reikiajakoiranruohoja @messydiabolical @arts-butthound and if YOU want to do this thing too, do it.

ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?: A relative I never met ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?: Today and I already forgot why.

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?: Nope! Never wanted any.

WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED?: Only whatever I was forced to play as a kid, lmao. Never enjoyed any. Hate physical contact, hate getting hurt, hate consistently letting the team down. I was pretty good at Mass Effect 3's multiplayer at one point though? :D

DO YOU USE SARCASM?: Not much on the internet, I always worry people might think I'm being serious. I think I use sarcasm more when speaking Finnish.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?: Uhhh in real life it's whether they seem like a threat or not. I don't mean a literal, physical threat, necessarily, it's more of a general "is that person likely to make my day worse" thing. I have the brain of an anxious prey animal.

WHAT'S YOUR EYE COLOUR?: Blue

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?: Eh, I don't need happy endings. Don't hate them either but I think bad/nuanced endings are more likely to leave a lasting impression on me. Also when it comes to scary movies, it's probably not a surprise that I really like well-designed monsters. Not a fan of jump scares though!

ANY TALENTS?: Behold my talents

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?: Finland

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?: Video games, art.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?: Nah, I'm allergic to everything furry and generally worried I wouldn't be able to care for a pet well enough. But if someday I do decide to get pets, I'll probably go for a small aquarium.

HOW TALL ARE YOU?: 169cm or 5'7", i think. I have to google it every time. I hate inches. They're too imprecise. screw inches

FAVOURITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL?: I had a really cool and supportive art teacher in middle school so art was my favorite subject even though I was only really interested in one of the many topics we were taught (drawing). Also loved biology! Especially gene charts and cells and space stuff.

DREAM JOB?: I don't have one. The only work I've ever truly enjoyed is doing the occasional art commission. It's very rewarding to be able to illustrate a scene that previously only existed in someone else's head, and sort of make their idea real. I love getting to know people's characters through these types of projects.

[savageboar]

i think ppl just need to realize that animals can and will die. and there's not a single human on earth that will perform 100% perfect animal husbandry. and very often shit hits the fan and there was no way you could stop it. this is not to excuse ppl who just neglect animals but y'all gotta stop acting like bc something went wrong out of someone's control and their animal dies that they're an animal abuser. the number 1 law of the universe is: shit happens.

[tser]

This caresheet was originally written in ‘97, and was the first caresheet I ever wrote. Here is an updated version that isn’t formatted like a defunct Geocities site mirror. Most of this information is based on personal experience, with some gleaned from websites, books, and information from those who keep snails raised for food.

Note that this primarily applies to temperate species of terrestrial slugs and snails. It is US-centric since that is where I live. It does not apply to Giant African Land Snails, which are popular pets in other countries but illegal here in the US. For care and keeping of Giant African Land Snails, I suggest finding a species-specific caresheet!

Please note that keeping slugs and snails is not legal everywhere. Some are classed as pest animals and require a permit. Others only require a permit for sales, breeding, or transporting over state lines. Please check your local laws and be a responsible pet keeper.

Also a trigger warning: This caresheet will refer to h*rm*phr*d*tism, which, though a biologically acceptable way of describing slug reproduction, may be triggering for some people for whom it is used as a slur.

Supplies:

Waterproof enclosure

Substrate; optional drainage layer material

Organically raised plants, if desired

Rocks, branches, moss (or hamster tubes, plastic houses) and other cage "furniture"

A clean, new mister bottle

Distilled or dechlorinated water

Veggies and other food

Slug Anatomy

Slugs and snails are molluscs of the class gastropod (”stomach foot”). Snail generally refers to gastropods which can full retract into their shells; slugs are those which have no shell, an internal shell, or a very reduced shell.

They sense their world through two sets of tentacles, which they can retract. The mantle covers their genitals and anus. They ripple along using contractions of their foot. 

Their pneumostome, a large opening on the side of their mantle, is how they breathe.

All slugs and snails produce a mucous which helps keep them moist and clean. They shed debris behind them in their mucous, leaving a trail which varies by species.

Slugs and snails do not have teeth. Instead they have a rasp-like radula, which they scrape away at food with.

Many slug and snail species are simultaneous hermaphroditic, able to produce both sperm and eggs at the same time. Some species are able to self-fertilize (apomixis), creating offspring without another present, and this should be kept in mind when keeping them as pets.

Housing

The home for your slug or snail should be escape proof, large, watertight, and have ventilation. For a single, small slug (1" or under), a large canning jar (1 gallon or more) will work for a short time, but they should be moved to something better as soon as possible. 

Slugs and snails, as omnivorous detrivores, are high bioload animals. They eat a lot and poop a lot. This means that they need more space than it might seem by size.

Do not overcrowd your slugs and snails! It will make them sick and die.

Ideal is a small aquarium or “critter keeper” style plastic enclosure. The perfect size for a couple small slugs or snails would be five or ten gallons (banana slugs and other large species need a lot of space and a 10 gallon minimum). 

Another option is a plastic storage tub with holes for ventilation. The lid should be very secure with clips or similar security.

For an aquarium, you should use a tight-fitting screen lid, preferably with locks or clips to hold it in place. Ideally, use the integrated sliding style screen lids. Do not underestimate a slug’s strength or ability to escape! 

Slugs are surprisingly strong for their size, and remarkably squishy, they just sort of push their way out of things. A hole the size of a hole punch is easy for even large slugs to escape through! 

Snails are not as likely to escape through holes because their shells get in the way, but can still push open insecure lids.

A secure lid will also to keep your pet safe from outside forces.

Any holes for ventilation should be very small or covered in mesh. The typical hole created by a soldering iron or drill, typical for keeping animals in plastic tubs, may be large enough for many slugs to escape through, and hot glue should be used to attach fiberglass screen over these holes. 

If you intend to allow your slugs to breed, you will need the very finest mesh or even fabric to keep your baby slugs from escaping.

Parameters

Temperate terrestrial slugs and snails like cooler temperatures. 60-75 degrees, depending on where you got your slug or snail, is a good bet. Hot, dry weather will cause slugs and snails to die, or to go into estivation (inactivity during hot weather, sort of a summer version of hibernation). Too cold will make them hibernate. If you find your slug contracted, buried, and surrounded by mucous, it may be estivating or hibernating. 

They need humidity on the higher side. 50% humidity with humid hides and micro-climates is generally good. Higher spikes (such as when misting) are fine.

Substrate

An ideal substrate for terrestrial slugs and snails is moisture retentive and resistant to decay, as slugs need high humidity enclosures. 

A good option for substrate is Atlanta Botanical Gardens (ABG) Mix. You can purchase this from terrarium stores, or mix your own using recipes found online. Another option are other pre-mixed substrates safe for reptiles and invertebrates available from vivarium supply stores, such as The BioDude’s Terra Fauna, or NEHerp’s Vivarium Substrates 1 or 2. There are many other recipes online for bioactive humid vivariums.

Be sure the substrate you use is free of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Do not use potting soil, even organic. Even organic substrate often has fertilizers, rewetting agents, and other natural additives which may cause problems in a terrarium. If you use soil from outside, it is generally best to sterilize it by baking it in the oven first.

Simple substrates are also appropriate for slugs, but may need to be replaced more often. Coco fiber (Eco Earth), coco chips, long fiber sphagnum moss, and cypress mulch (Forest Floor) are all safe for slugs and maintain the humidity they need.

Do not use pine or cedar shavings. It is toxic to slugs.

Aspen does not hold up in the humidity necessary for slugs.

Planted Vivs for Slugs

Planting a slug’s enclosure is optional, and difficult to maintain due to the voraciousness of slugs.

If you would like to do a traditional terrarium with plantings, first put a drainage layer (approximately two inches) in the terrarium. This helps protect the roots from getting too wet and rotting. Options for a drainage layer include LECA, NEHerp’s LDL, or Hydroballs. Gravel is another option (such as aquarium gravel) but is very heavy. Over the drainage layer, place a layer of fiberglass screen to keep the substrate from mixing into the drainage layer.

Over this, place several inches of substrate.  

Choose plants appropriate to the humidity and light level of your enclosure. Choose only organically raised plants -- remember, pesticides are specifically designed to kill slugs. When planting, bare root the plant, removing all potting soil that came with the plant, and rinse the plants well. For tougher plants, you may want to soak them for 15 minutes in clean water, then give them a two to three minute soak in diluted bleach, then rinse them extremely well. This will remove any possible pests you might introduce to your terrarium.

Keep in mind that your slugs and snails will likely nibble all but the toughest plants, and they may need to be replaced. Tough plants that slugs seem to ignore (mostly) include leathery ferns and bromeliads.

Since you may need to replace them often, you may choose to sink them into the soil in pots, rather than plant them directly. This makes them easy to remove and replace. 

Bioactive

Bioactive is a good choice for slugs, since they are high waste animals. If you would like to go bioactive with slugs, you will need to use a mixed vivarium substrate. A drainage layer is optional but may be helpful.

Clean up crew appropriate to a slug enclosure includes springtails and various species of isopod. Keep in mind that isopods may prey on slug and snail eggs. 

Springtails are amazing at keeping down mold in humid habitats and I highly recommend them.

I suggest doing more research into bioactive if you wish to keep your slug in this manner.

Habitat Decor

Decor for your slugs doesn’t need to look natural! This is Squelchie’s enclosure. This includes two hamster hides, one of which is stuffed with damp sphagnum moss.

Decor is important for your slug to self-regulate its moisture needs, and find places to hide. 

You can decorate with rocks, branches and flat pieces of bark. Wood that holds up well in humid enclosures includes ghostwood, manzanita, Malaysian driftwood, mopani, and cork bark. Do not use raw pine or cedar. 

You need not be limited to naturalistic decor, however. Hamster tubes and hides or brightly colored plastic containers make slug mazes, balconies and alleys! Half buried new terra cotta flower pots or plastic flower pots are cheap and effective choices. Glassware is also a good and safe choice. Ceramics work very well but glazes should be food safe, and avoid copper glazes and metal lusters. Make sure that the containers are new or thoroughly cleaned so they do not have any soap residue.

You can also use fake plastic or silk plants (also sold at pet stores), an easier and less chompable choice than natural plants.

Anything you choose should be appropriate for a humid habitat.

It's fairly important to have at least one hide; an enclosed plastic container, a flat piece of wood or cork bark, or something similar that the slug or snail can hide under. For snails, cork flats should be elevated at one end by a rock or another piece of wood to accommodate their shell. Natural and artificial hides in the reptile sections at pet stores are quite suitable, as well as plastic rodent hides (which are far less suitable for hamsters than they are for slugs). Slugs and snails hide for safety and moisture regulation.

One very useful natural addition to your terrarium is moss. Sphagnum or terrarium moss at the pet store in the reptile and amphibian section works well. This helps keep the moisture in the terrarium, and create humid micro-climates. Leaf litter, such as oak or magnolia, is also useful, as it helps retain moisture in the substrate.

Water

Use dechlorinated, distilled, or R/O water. The treatment chemicals in tap water, such as chlorine and chloramine, can kill slugs and snails.

If you choose to treat water with a dechlorinator I recommend Prime or AquaSafe. 

Slugs and snails need to be kept humid and can dry out easily. You should mist the enclosure daily. Their substrate should be kept damp but not wet. 

Don't put any water dishes or pools in your terrarium. Although its unlikely the slugs would drown (but possible), it's unnecessary, and quickly gets filthy. Slugs and snails get moisture from the food they eat and from water collecting on the sides when you regularly mist the habitat.

If you want to go all out, an alternative to the mister bottle is a misting set up, such as the Mist King, ReptiRain, or Monsoon system, sold for reptiles and amphibians. It will mist your slug on a timer, freeing you from the chore. 

Feeding

Squelchie about to eat some cucumber out of their ceramic dish.

Feed either on a clean flat rock (or slate tile), or a small dish (ceramic, glass, or resin are all appropriate). Slugs often leave a mess where they eat, and this is for cleaning ease. 

Feeding your slug is fairly simple and actually quite fun. Slugs and snails should be fed organic produce. Pesticides are designed specifically to kill slugs! If you can’t purchase all organic, it is best to follow these guidelines in choosing which fruits and vegetables are safer when conventionally grown.  Conventionally grown vegetables should be peeled, if possible, as well as washed, before giving them to your slugs. Wash all food, organic or conventionally grown, carefully before giving it to your slugs or snails.

Try all sorts of vegetables, fruits, and plants on your slug or snail. Slugs and snails seem most partial to soft fruits and vegetables such as cucumber, summer squash, and zucchini (sliced); leafy greens like lettuce, mustard greens, and dandelion greens; and fruit like strawberries and peaches. Ornamental plants like hostas, oxalis, and similar are also an option. Different species have different preferences; it’s best to experiment.

Commercial invertebrate food is also an option for feeding slugs. Repashy’s Bug Burger is usually accepted by slugs. Ken’s Premium Veggie Sticks with Calcium are a great choice, especially for snails.

Slugs can also eat small amounts of high protein food like fish food or dog food. Some species need more protein in their diet than others. (Some species are entirely predatory; be sure to look up the species you wish to keep.)

Commercial food should be supplemented with a variety of fresh food.

Slugs and especially snails must have a piece of cuttlebone (find it at your local petstore, in the bird section) to gnaw on and keep their shells strong. A calcium powder purchased at the pet store and sprinkled over the food is another option, and some people even feed them crushed tums.

Be careful not to overfeed.

Other Care and Cleaning

You will need to keep your slug's habitat clean or it will begin to smell rancid and also attract pests like fruit flies.

Do not use chemicals or soap the habitat or on decor. Soap and cleaning products will kill slugs.

Clean out uneaten food every day. Unless you have a bioactive vivarium with a false bottom or drainage layer, don't let the habitat develop standing water, or it will start to smell sour.

Rocks and many sticks and bark can be rinsed thoroughly in hot water and baked or boiled to sterilize.

A good choice for a cleaner for slug habitats is vinegar. It can be used diluted as a mild disinfectant. Simply rinse thoroughly afterwards.

In non-bioactive habitats, replace the substrate every month or so. 

In bioactive enclosures with a large enough substrate area to support the inhabitants, with a healthy clean up crew, the clean up crew will keep the substrate fresh for years. However, these habitats are not maintenance free. You will still need to clean above-substrate decor of slime trails and waste weekly. Most CUC do not climb.

Slugs and snails absorb everything through their skin. Do not use hairsprays, spray cleaners, or other sprays around your slugs and snails (even in the same room). 

Handling

Slugs and snails are delicate creatures. Even the snail's shell is fragile. Handle them gently, if at all, and always with freshly washed, clean hands that are wet with water, free of hand lotion or perfume. Do not attempt to peel them off furniture or the sides of their terrarium unless absolutely necessary. To peel them off, spray them with your misting bottle, then gently slide your hand under their heads and body. Do not grasp them by their shell or back and pull!

To remove slug slime from your hands, wait for it to dry, and rub it off with a dry cloth, then wash your hands. Adding water will often make the slime worse.

An alternative to touching the slug is using a piece of bark or large leaf to move them.

Wash your hands both before and after handling snails and slugs, as you would (hopefully) with any animal. 

Breeding

I do not encourage breeding slugs and snails, because they have hundreds of babies that will be impossible to rehome, as well as difficult to provide the right environment for. However, I am including this information as slugs and snails do breed very readily, and a keeper may be faced with babies -- even if they only keep one slug or snail, in some cases.

Generally, breeding slugs and snails is as easy as putting together two of the same species, and providing an ideal habitat. 

The first thing to keep in mind is that mating can be very hard on your slug or snail, and some (about a third) do not survive after laying eggs. Keep this in mind if you intend to keep more than one slug or snail together. Most of this information is gathered from breeding snails (which are kept in captivity and bred as a food source for humans) but much of it applies to slugs as well.

There is no guarantee your slugs or snails will breed, but if they do so it will generally happen when the conditions in their habitat mimic those of late spring and early summer in their native environment (temperature, humidity, and length of daylight).

Slugs and snails are often simultaneous hermaphrodites, meaning that each slug can both produce sperm and eggs. Because of this, any pair can breed. In some species, they are sequentional hermaphrodites, meaning that they will produce sperm in one mating, and receive sperm to fertilize eggs in another mating. 

In certain species, such as banana slugs, apophallation is common. In these cases, the penis of one slug becomes trapped in the other, and they will chew their penis, or their mate’s, off. The slug can still mate as the egg producer in the future.

If you intend to breed your slugs or snails, they should have deep, loose soil to lay their eggs in (at least two inches deep). They dig holes and lay 30 - 90 eggs in them. Some lay in one hole, others dig several holes and distribute their eggs. The genital opening from which they lay their eggs is right behind their head. Slugs and snails will not be able to lay their eggs in soil that is too heavy (such as clay), or too dry. Soil should be 20 - 40% organic material, and 65 to 80 degrees Farenheit (preferably 70 F). Soil moisture levels should be high, about 80% humidity.

Eggs are usually laid within weeks of mating, though some species can store sperm for up to a year (which means that sometimes if you receive or catch a slug it may already be gravid). It can take them a day or more to lay their eggs, and sometimes they take a break between laying, up to several weeks. Eggs hatch anywhere from 10 to 30 days after laying (varying by species, temperature and other factors).

Baby snails especially need a good source of calcium! They need it to grow their shells. They can grow very fast so slugs and snails need plenty of food and calcium in their youth.

Keep in mind many slug and snail species have absolutely tiny offspring, which can get out of the tiniest holes. Mesh as fine as fabric may be necessary to keep them in.

To prevent reproduction, finding and destroying eggs is the easiest choice.

Finally, it may be legal to keep slugs and snails but not breed them. Be sure to look up your local laws on the subject.

Buying Slugs

One of the most common questions I get asked, especially in the winter, is where one can purchase terrestrial slugs and snails. There is no easy way to do so.

Selling and buying most terrestrial slugs and snails is regulated by the government. In order to buy or sell them in many states, you must have a USDA permit. If you do wish to apply for such a permit (and succeed in getting one), you can then purchase the land slugs and snails specified in your application from biological supply companies such as Carolina Biological Supply or Niles Biological Supply.

Alternately, you may be interested in keeping aquatic snails. Some breed too readily and become pests, but others, like nerite, apple, and mystery snails, are quite manageable. Most have no regulations attached to their purchase or sale, and many can be acquired at a local pet shop. Mystery snails even come in a variety of colors. If you are interested in purchasing and keeping an aquatic snail, Applesnail.net has excellent information on caring for them.