Snails as a feeder

Hey guys!

So today I went over to a conservation area in my city and I found some (what i believe) garden snails, they look like this



This conservation area is restricted to public access, so i know 100% there is absolutley no toxins/pestacides there.

Would I beable to take the snails out of the shells and feed them to my chameleon, or would that be a bad idea?

Thanks for any feedback.

Is that actually legal to do?
I thought Flora and Fauna found in the conservation area (at least the one near my place) are not to be disturbed?

restricted to public access, yet you got in and stole some snails?
well, that aside, I would breed the snails, feed off the offspring once they grow up (including the shell). Feeding off the adults will risk parasites transfering to your chameleon. Also, they accumulate heavy metals in their shells. Raising your own will reduce these dangers. Perhaps Take the adults back once you have a few eggs.

problem with snails, is they carry flukes, and flukes are super hard to get rid of, unless you are breeding your own snales and get a few generations outta them, i wouldn't do it.

somewhere on the forums, someone was feeding them shell and all.

I was there for legitimate reasons, the snail snatching on the other hand probably wasn't so legal, but common? I have a chameleon at home, It's in my nature to look for varied feeders now : P

no, but really what I did was wrong, but atleast I didn't go in there to drink and get high, like most people usually do.

p.s. Is breeding/raising snails difficult? I know they breed like no tommorrow in my aquariums.

Metric said:

Is breeding/raising snails difficult? I know they breed like no tommorrow in my aquariums.

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It sure seems to be easy. I collected 10 from the organic farmers near to my mothers home (they were happy to be rid of them). I put the snails in a critter carrier plastic thing. Sand and leaf litter, lettuce, fruit, calicum, moss, etc. kept moist. Already there are baby snails in there, and its been only about a month. I moved the babies to an aquarium. It will be ages before the babies are big enough to be worthwhile. But Im not in a hurry, and besides snails are kewl.

I dont feed bad about removing my snails from "the wild" since brown garden snails and grove snails are not native to North America anyhow.

Kenya sells snails I believe. I would shoot her a PM. I've been considering getting a batch.

She also is quite knowledgeable on the snails themselves.

as far as I know only certain states allowed this..
So, selling snails interstate might get you in trouble unless you have a permit.
So, do be careful and check your local law.

anyone know what influences the different shell colours? diet maybe? One of the ones I have is pretty in pink

sandrachameleon said:

anyone know what influences the different shell colours? diet maybe? One of the ones I have is pretty in pink

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Those seem to be the same ones I found. I took your advice and their in a cricket keeper with some substrate, twigs, calcium, water, and fruits. Seems to be going well as they are eating, but will they actually consume the calcium power on its own??? seems alittle strange but i know they need to for shell development. Ahhh well, I hope I get some babies soon

chambabysitter1 said:

Kenya sells snails I believe. I would shoot her a PM. I've been considering getting a batch.

She also is quite knowledgeable on the snails themselves.

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I am not selling snails, thanks. I had a small amount to share but I do not now.

Metric said:

will they actually consume the calcium power on its own??? seems alittle strange

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Seem to, though I have usually just sprinkled a bit on the fruit. I read online to add a piece of cuttlebone, which Ive done, and which seems to be totally ignored by the snails. Whereas they seemed to move overtop the sprinkled calcium alot (dont know if they are ingesting it). I've only had these guys a little while, so I'm still trying to figure out their preferenced. Definately they like lettuce. I heard they also like buttercup, so I'm trying that tonight.

I just threw out my snail collection, it got to be a pain. I had the cuttle bone and gave them organic spring leaf mix and all they did was poop, poop and more poop. I never got a baby out of them either....

I *think* the liver fluke issue is with the aquarium snails and not the land ones which you are talking about.

So if we turn you in, is there a reward? I need to fill up my gas tank this week....

AJA said:

I just threw out my snail collection, it got to be a pain. I had the cuttle bone and gave them organic spring leaf mix and all they did was poop, poop and more poop. I never got a baby out of them either....

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Did they have a moist substrate and leaf letter to lay their eggs under?
Seems they lay eggs monthly if in the right conditions.

sandrachameleon said:

Did they have a moist substrate and leaf letter to lay their eggs under?
Seems they lay eggs monthly if in the right conditions.

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No..I didnt know that is what they needed. They were in a big plastic tub. DOH!

sandrachameleon said:

I heard they also like buttercup, so I'm trying that tonight.

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When i was in barkerville BC i was feeding chickens grass and dandilion. i picked a buttercup, but the lady said they are toxic to chickens... or something like that. so im assuming they are bad for chams too. i wouldnt do it....

Where would someone in Florida get some of these magical snails?

Dunnigan said:

Where would someone in Florida get some of these magical snails?

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Hey there! I live in Orlando and there not like those pictured in the first page, but look on the side of walls of houses/apartments. youll see lots of small sized snails. I fed em to my cham and he likes them from time to time. For smaller chams like baby veilds you would kinda have to crush the the snails. well the shells atleast. It makes it easier for the chams to digest. And is less damaging to their mouths

chameleon97 said:

When i was in barkerville BC i was feeding chickens grass and dandilion. i picked a buttercup, but the lady said they are toxic to chickens... or something like that. so im assuming they are bad for chams too. i wouldnt do it....

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Im feeding it to the snails, not the chameleons. I am not feeding these snails to the chameleons. I will be feeding their offspring to the chameleons. The offspring are in a separate aquarium, and will take months, maybe years before they are chameleon food. In the meantime, these snails are pets

sandrachameleon said:

Im feeding it to the snails, not the chameleons. I am not feeding these snails to the chameleons. I will be feeding their offspring to the chameleons. The offspring are in a separate aquarium, and will take months, maybe years before they are chameleon food. In the meantime, these snails are pets

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O lol I thought they were Chamfood