snails for box turtles

[jojodesca]

I read a few articles where ppl have given aquarium snails to RES..however I was wondering about box turtles...also I cant seem to find any online stores that sell snails and slugs...IDK if I should get from my garden because of pesticides..(not me but neighbors)

 

[dmmj]

You can collect the snails and then wait 3 days if they are still alive then they should be pesticide free. My boxes love snails and lsugs.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I used to have box turtles and a redfoot tortoise, and they loved snails and slugs. Boxies are omnivorous, so these mollusks are very nutritious for them, especially snails because they provide additional calcium for the shell (as long as they are pesticide free, as mentioned above). Redfoots are mostly herbivorous, but less so than most other tortoises, so they benefit from snails, too. The snails and slugs I used were terrestrial species that I found in the garden. However, since box turtles are actually terrestrial pond turtles that can still feed underwater, I would think aquarium snails would be fine. As long as they are small and thin-shelled enough, the turtle should be able to either crack them open or swallow them whole safely. Rams horn and pond snails would probably serve this purpose well. I would probably avoid trumpet-shaped melania snails, and larger species like mystery apple snails, both of which have thicker, harder shells. They might be fine if they're small enough, but just to be on the safe side, I would personally avoid them.

 

[turtlemann2]

yup just as an earlier post said simply purge them for a few days and feed em good greens such as dandelion for the few days to "gut load" just be careful where you get them from but after a few days purging they should be fine : )

 

[Len B]

I keep slugs and snails in a couple of enclosures and have found them eating cuttle bone.So now I make sure that all the slugs and snails I keep for future food have access to moist cuttle bone at all times.I believe this may be a good way to get calcium into my tortoises and turtles that eat slugs and snails in a more natural way.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

yup just as an earlier post said simply purge them for a few days and feed em good greens such as dandelion for the few days to "gut load" just be careful where you get them from but after a few days purging they should be fine

I am skeptical about the value of purging. What I mean is, sure, if there are toxins directly in the gut of the snail, then yes, waiting a few days will help ensure they have been expelled. However, as with most animals, if the snail has been eating a staple diet of pesticide-laden plants, then the stuff is probably going to be embedded in his tissues, in which case no amount of waiting is going to get rid of it. In other words, we should not be feeding our turtles any kind of prey or vegetation that has been exposed to pesticides or herbicides, because it's going to accumulate in the turtle and eventually make him sick or even kill him.

That's why I think that feeding snails is good, but only if the snails have been eating well themselves. This is true for any prey, really, whether it's crickets, worms, or in our case, cattle.

 

[turtlemann2]

"just be careful where you get them"

 

[jojodesca]

I will be searching online to buy some..I have heard you can order them especially for feeding

 

[zesty_17]

i use can'o'snails and my ornates will eat some, 3-toed's are not fond of them, but the softshells go nuts for them! You can also raise your own apple snails pretty easily too, if you want a live source. Have done this for caiman lizards, it is pretty neat to watch them lay eggs, etc.

 

[pryncesssc]

I would be careful also because snails are part of the lifecycle for a whole host of parasites !! I would stick with the can o snails or perhaps cooking/steaming them yourself to ensure any parasites are killed off ...

 

[Tccarolina]

I would be careful also because snails are part of the lifecycle for a whole host of parasites !! I would stick with the can o snails or perhaps cooking/steaming them yourself to ensure any parasites are killed off ...

I have to agree with this. I used to feed snails extensively to my EBT's, because they were free and I could get lots of them from safe areas. Besides, I reasoned since I live in central CA I don't have any native turtles that would be cycling parasites into my snail source's populations.
However, I was constantly dealing with what appeared to be parasite issues. It may not have been from the snails, it may have been due to other factors (too many tomatoes), but since I switched to a prepared diet I don't feed snails as a regular part of my turtles diets anymore, and they are much, much healthier. Stools are firm, weights have increased and feeding has become more regular.

This is total hearsay, of course, and cutting out snails may not have played any part in my turtles improvements, but I do view them as risky for me and they are known carriers of flukes and other parasites.
Otherwise, they are quite nutritious, I believe, and box turtles LOVE them.

Steve