Garden snail (Cornu aspersum) – juvenile

🐌 About the Species

The garden snail (Cornu aspersum) is a great species for beginners, as it requires no special equipment. It is very active and curious and is easy to observe. Originally native to the Mediterranean region, it can now be found anywhere with a mild climate.

🐌 Where Does This Snail Come From?

This snail is captive-bred. We obtain captive-bred animals exclusively from qualified breeders with whom we are in regular contact. This helps prevent people from taking animals from the wild – and hopefully, the number of wild-caught animals will continue to decline.

🐌 Care

• Experience: Beginners – also well-suited for beginners
• Humidity: moderate – neither too damp nor too dry
• Temperature: room temperature, no heating required
• Terrarium for a small group of adult animals: at least 60 × 45 × 60 cm (a terrarium is better than a box)
• Add lime to soil with 95% calcium carbonate; always provide a cuttlebone
• Do not necessarily spray daily – it is fine to skip 1–2 days
• A water bowl is very important; leaves and branches with lichen should not be missing
• Food: e.g. salad (not iceberg lettuce), zucchini, sweet potato
• Offspring: sexually mature at around 6 months, approximately 30 eggs per clutch
• Life expectancy: up to 16 years
• Shell diameter: up to approximately 4 cm
• Group size: at least 3 animals

🐌 Our Care Recommendations

We rehome each snail individually. Nevertheless, snails should never be kept alone. They need companions of the same species to feel comfortable. Please do not keep different species together.

Introduce new animals carefully to the group and ensure they are of a similar size.

Healthy snails will mate. Therefore, plan in advance how you will handle clutches so that no unwanted offspring are produced. This is especially important for non-native, invasive species such as agate snails: neither animals nor eggs should ever be released into the wild.

We are happy to help you if you have any questions.

🐌 Why a Protection Fee?

Like every dog, cat, and reptile rehomed from the animal shelter, we also rehome our snails only for a protection fee. It is not a purchase price – our animals are not merchandise.

• It protects the animals: Anyone who pays a protection fee has generally given careful thought to taking in an animal. This helps prevent impulsive acquisitions and prevents animals from being passed on carelessly, fed to other animals, or bred uncontrollably.
• It covers part of the costs incurred by each animal with us: food, lime, substrate, warmth, terrariums, and the time spent on care, advice, and rehoming.
• It makes our work possible: Every euro goes to the association – to the rescue station and to the care of surrendered and confiscated animals.

The amount depends on the species, size, and care requirements, and is always per animal.

🐌 Shipping & Cost Contribution

Our snails travel with a special private overnight animal courier. As soon as your snail is on its way, we will send you an email – it will arrive the following day. Unfortunately, live tracking is not possible with this type of transport.

To keep the cost contribution for transport as low as possible, we arrange for the animals to be collected together. Please be patient, as this can sometimes take a little while. For the well-being of the animals, we do not ship before weekends and holidays, and we prefer to wait a few days during periods of extreme heat or cold.

In cold temperatures, the animals travel in a Styrofoam box with a heat pack – this is included in the cost contribution.

When your snail arrives, please allow it to acclimate at room temperature for half to three-quarters of an hour first. Give it the time it needs.

The cost contribution covers only the courier and animal-friendly packaging – we do not make any profit from it.

Tip for Association Members+: As an Association Member+, the snail call is free for you – a personal video consultation on species selection, setup, and care. An offer in cooperation with slimeside.de.

In cooperation with Slimeside: On slimeside.de you will find everything we consider suitable and appropriate for keeping snails – from soil and lime to the right terrarium. Our snails already live with these products and are accustomed to them – this will make their move to your home easier.

The photos show the species. Every animal is an individual and may differ in color, markings, and minor imperfections.