How many years do snails live?

A few decades ago, these bizarre mollusks - snails - were considered exotic, and now almost every aquarium owner has them. They perform an important function in this microenvironment - they recycle waste from fish and aquarium plants.

It is about the latter, as well as how to prolong their existence in captivity, that we will talk about in this article.

The life span of a snail on average can last from 12 months to 4 years, and there are only a few species living for more than 10 years. It can be argued that the built environment has a bad effect on the lifespan of mollusks, however, there are several factors, the presence or absence of which affects the increase in the lifespan of the snail.

• The temperature of the water in the aquarium. The normal temperature at which existence is possible should be at least 23 degrees Celsius, but not more than 27 degrees. An environment that is too cold or too hot can negatively affect the snails, wearing them out.
• Hardness of water. The water in the aquarium should have a hardness of at least 8 units, but not more than 15 units. The great softness of the water over time destroys the limescale coating of the molluscs.
• Acidity of water. Normal acidity of water is about 7 or 8 units. Too much difference in water from these values ​​can even kill snails.
• Nutrition. For normal life, snails need calcium, which forms their shells.It is imperative to include fresh vegetables in the snail menu, as well as vitamins, which can be purchased in special stores.
• Relationship with other inhabitants of the aquarium. Of course, snail-eating animals should not be placed with the snails themselves. This will not only jeopardize the habitat of snails in the aquarium, but also negatively affect other individuals who are lucky enough to avoid a sad fate.
• Relationship with other snails. Loneliness affects these molluscs quite badly. It is best to start several snails at once. They need communication with their own kind.
• Conditions inside the aquarium. Clean water, a high level of soil aeration, regular water filtration have a positive effect on the general well-being of snails, as well as on most underwater living creatures.
• Communication with a person. In general, communication with a person does not cause strong damage to snails, however, it is necessary to adhere to some rules. You cannot take a snail by the shell and in no case should the mollusc be allowed to fall. Most often, snails themselves crawl into the palm of a person, it will be enough just to substitute it.

About 100 thousand different species of snails live on Earth. Here we will consider only the main ones that people have kept in artificial reservoirs for centuries, and the care of which is relatively simple.

• Tiger snail / neretina. The average lifespan of such mollusks in an aquarium is about 4 years. They prefer to live in hard water. It got its name due to its peculiar color. It feeds on algae and does not require special care. When living at home, it can crawl out of the aquarium tank, which shortens its life, since it is fatal for it.

• Coil. These small snails are typical of the avid professional aquarium dwellers. They live for about 3 years, sometimes they can live for 4 years. They reproduce actively and often. Can swim upside down on the surface of the water.

• Ampularia. Has a bright, pleasant, yellow color. It is a relatively peaceful inhabitant of the aquarium and is mainly engaged in cleaning the aquarium from waste. Unfortunately, it lives in captivity only for about 2 years. In nature, in its homeland - the Amazon - it can exist for about 4 years.

• Phys. They have an unusual brown-spotted color. Quite small, like coils. Due to their size, they often become complementary food for some fish. Usually they are not turned on deliberately, more often they enter the aquarium by accident. They do not manage to live long - their life expectancy is about 10 months.

• Melania. Has an unusual purple color and an elongated shell. Has a reputation as a parasite in the aquarium, as it reproduces actively and rapidly. Can live up to 3 and a half years, does not require special care.

• Akhatina. A typical representative of the land snail species. These large snails should be found in terrariums.

On average, it lives about 5 years, however, with good care it will live twice as long.

• Megas. They look completely ordinary - they have an inconspicuous cream or brown color. Allocate, in comparison with Achatina, much less mucus. They can live next to a person for almost 14 years.

• Arkhahatina marginata ovum. This species represents snails in the classical sense of these mollusks in the minds of most people (exactly as they are depicted in children's books). They can be of different colors - from beige to brown. The shell pattern can be in stripes and dots. They have a large, twisted shell. They can live in captivity up to 10 years.

Other species are mainly pulmonary snails. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that they can live both on land and in water. In the aquatic environment, they prefer only fresh water bodies, with rare exceptions they can live in fresh areas of salty seas.

• Tilomelania. Looks like melania. Usually it has a corpus luteum and a dark elongated shell 13 cm long. Under normal conditions, it lives from 5 to 7 years.

• Brotia pagoda. It is a small mollusk with a swirling shell on which thorns are formed. It has a spotted body, a yellow-brown-black shell.

• Maryse. A small mollusk, the height of an adult is about 5 cm, width is about 2. It can live from 2 to 4 years. The sink is twisted into the correct funnel. Outwardly similar to a coil.

• Pokemon. Another name for a snail is a tropical pond snail. Differs in a fragile, almost transparent shell covered with sparkles. It can be beige, yellow and green. Differs in small size, lives only about a year.

In addition to implementing the factors described above, it should be remembered that it is necessary to stock the shellfish in aquariums or terrariums of a suitable size. For example, in order for one Achatina to feel comfortable, you need to purchase a terrarium of at least 10 liters.

High quality soil is also an important part of snail life. It must be at least 3 cm thick for the snail to burrow into. Without these factors, your pet's life can be significantly reduced. Of course, compliance with all the conditions will be useless if you do not monitor the health of snails and do not recognize and treat diseases in a timely manner.

In general, it can be noted that one should not expect a long existence from a snail, which is characteristic of most mammals. However, if desired and following certain rules, the life of a mollusk can be extended almost twice.

For how many Achatins live and how to care for them, see below.