Roman snail (Helix pomatia) – juvenile

🐌 About the Species

The Spanish snail is absolutely suitable for beginners because it requires no special equipment. It is very active and curious: if you place it on your hand, it will quickly come out and is wonderful to watch. It is native to Germany and can live to a very old age.

Note: The Spanish snail is a protected species. Anyone who takes one in should be aware of the responsibility they are taking on – just like with any other animal.

🐌 Where Does This Snail Come From?

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

🐌 Keeping Snails

• Experience: Beginners – also well suited for beginners
• Humidity: 50–70 %
• Temperature: Room temperature (20–26 °C), no heating required
• Terrarium for a small group of adult animals: from 60 × 40 × 50 cm, well ventilated
• Add lime to the soil, always provide a cuttlebone
• Do not necessarily spray daily – it is fine to skip 1–2 days
• A water bowl is very important, and leaves and branches with lichen must be provided
• Food: e.g. lettuce, zucchini, carrots
• Life expectancy: up to 30 years
• Group size: min. 3 animals

🐌 Our Keeping 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 make sure they are of a similar size.

Healthy snails will mate. Therefore, plan in advance how you will deal with mating to prevent unwanted offspring. This applies especially to non-native, invasive species such as giant African land snails: neither animals nor eggs may 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 only rehome our snails 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 adoptions and prevents animals from being passed on carelessly, fed to other animals, or bred uncontrollably.
• It covers part of the costs that every animal incurs with us: food, lime, substrate, warmth, terrariums, and the time for care, advice, and rehoming.
• It makes our work possible: Every euro goes to the association – to the rescue station and to the care of rehomed and confiscated animals.

The amount depends on the species, size, and care required, 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 therefore be patient if it sometimes takes a little while. For the sake of the animals, we do not ship before weekends and holidays, and prefer to wait a few days during 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 let it acclimate at room temperature for half to three-quarters of an hour first. Give it the time it needs.

The cost contribution exclusively covers 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 keeping. An offer in cooperation with slimeside.de.

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

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