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G.A.L.S are omnivores and require a varied diet that includes vegetables, a calcium source, protein and a bit of fruits. There are miss conceptions that G.A.L.S. only eat vegetables, or that they only eat lettuce and cucumber, this is wrong. Below you will find a long and detailed list of food you can feed your snails.
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Some snail keepers feed their snails daily, others feed once a week, & others anything in between. Any of these ways of feeding is acceptable, but it is advised to keep a set routine. Your snails will quickly become accustomed to your routine.
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Remember the more varied and balanced their diet is, the healthier your snails will be.
G.A.L.S diet should be made up of :
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Don’t worry about food is a little bit past it’s best before date, snails like to eat slightly rotting vegetables & fruit, so don’t worry about leaving food over night or more , but never leave moldy food in the enclosure. Don’t worry if your snails don’t eat for a few days, snails will not eat for various reasons such as during a growth spurt or after a big protein meal or if their surroundings have changed & they are settling. But if you notice that your snails are acting unusual & have not eaten for no apparent reason, it could be a sign of bad health. For more about snail health please got to : HEALTH ISSUES
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VEGETABLES &
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CUTTLEFISH BONE
Also known as Cuttlebone is a hard, brittle white shell. It is an internal shell found in all members of the Sepiidae spices, commonly known as Cuttlefish which is a creature similar to a Squid or an Octopus. Therefore despite it’s name a Cuttlefish bone is not really a bone nor does it come from a fish! Cuttlefish bone is the most commonly provided calcium source, by snail keepers. It can be bought from most local and online pet shops or aviaries. Please use only real Cuttlefish bones without any additives. To give it to your snails simply lay it facing upwards in the enclosure.
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LIMESTONE FLOWER / CALCIUM POWDER
Limestone Flour and Calcium powder both come in white powder form and are used as a supplementary source of calcium for many animals from horses to lizards. |
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Limestone Flour / Calcium powder should be served as a paste or a cake.
Limestone / Calcium Paste is created by adding some water to the flower and mixing it till it forms a thick paste. It is then placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. Most snail keepers do this as a treat for their snails together with a regular calcium source. Limestone / Calcium Cakes are created by adding water to the flower till a paste is formed and then it is placed in mold shape, ice tray or cupcake liners and left to dry and harden (this could take up to 72 hours). The ‘cakes’ are then removed from their molds or holdings, and placed in snails enclosure, on a plastic saucer. |
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OYSTER GRIT
Oyster grit is made up of crushed oyster shells. It is very commonly used as a calcium supplement for chickens. Not all snails enjoy Oyster grit, but the ones that do usually prefer the finer crushed one, as there are a few different types. Please make sure you buy pure Oyster grit without any additives. When offering it to your snails it should be placed on a plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. |
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CRUSHED EGGSHELLS
Normal hen cooking eggshells can be used a calcium source though it is the least advised from the ones mentioned. Eggshells should be washed very well, dried and then crushed. It is up to you how fine you want to crush the shells, though not necessary, the finer they are crushed the more snails seem to like them. The crushed shells should then be placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. Most Snail keepers do not use egg shells as the only source of calcium for their G.A.L.S. Some G.A.L.S keepers will mix the crushed egg shells to Oyster grit in calcium cakes. |
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Dog Biscuits:
Dog biscuit that don’t contained any added salts or other bad additives can be fed to snails. Please be careful and always check all ingredients and nutritional values. The Purina brand, Bonio original Dog biscuits are the most commonly fed to snails. The biscuit should be soaked in water and left for a few minutes till it is fully moist and mushy. It can then be placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. |
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Fish food/ Algae Flakes with under 40% protein
- (fish food with higher protein content is discussed a few points down) There are many brands and different types of fish flakes available in the market. Please choose the ones without any extra additives such as color enhancement, Always check the ingredients on the label, and do not buy fish food without a label. Fish food that contain roughly 15% protein should be fed twice a week. The flakes should be soaked in water and left for a few minutes till they are fully moist and mushy. It can then be placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. Snails tent to love fish food and will eat it quickly. |
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Peas :
Fresh or frozen peas can be fed to snails. If frozen make sure the peas are left to thaw before serving. G.A.L.S. tend to prefer peas cut in half or mashed. Avoid canned peas. |
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Snail Mix:
Snail mix can be made or bought. It is created by finely crushing and mixing many ingredients together to form a powder mix. Snail mix can contain any of the following:
Snail mix should be mixed with water and left for a few minutes till it is fully moist and mushy. It can then be placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. There are a few online sellers of Snail mix. Please always look at ingredients listed and reviews before buying. We highly advice the snail mix found at : SN@ILPETS |
ACHATINA FULICA eating Snail Mix - Special Thanks to : Michelle Harold
ACHATINA RETICULATA eating Snail Mix - Special Thanks to : Michelle Harold
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Blood worms: Commonly use as fish bait or as fish food is a good source of protein for snails. There are different ways blood worms are packed. Some come frozen or dried. If frozen make sure the worms are left to thaw before serving. If dried the worms should be mixed with a bit of water and left for a few minutes till they are fully moist and mushy. They can then be placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. |
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Fish food/ Algae Flakes with 40%+ protein
There are many brands and different types of fish food available in the market. Please choose the ones without any extra additives such as color enhancement. The fish food that contain roughly 40% protein can be fed once a week. The flakes/pellets should be soaked in water and left for a few minutes till they are fully moist and mushy. It can then be placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. Snails tent to love fish food and will eat it quickly. |
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Spirulina: Spirulina is a type of algae. It can be bought as a tablet or a powder. We advice buying the powder as it is easier to soak. Spirulina I extremely high in protein,(around 65%) we advice mixing it with other foods when feeding and only feeding very small quantities. Spirulina should be soaked in water and left till fully moist and mushy. It can then be placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. |
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Raw Meat: G.A.L.S. can eat a variety of meats including: Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Goat, Duck, and Pork. Please only feed raw meat and avoid fatty bits. Do not feed any cured or salty meats such as: Bacon, Ham and Fish. Always make sure there are no additives to the meats. Mince meat is a Snail favorite, others really like chicken on the bone and chicken legs, snails will eat the bones too. |
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Whole Animal: Pinkies, Mice and Chicks are commonly fed too many exotic animals; including G.A.L.S. Adult snails can eat all parts of these meals; skin, bone, hair and feathers. Mice are bread to be feeders for reptiles such as snakes. Pinkies are new born mice predominantly used to feed small reptiles, and are a big favourite for G.A.L.S. Chicks are chicken hatchlings. These are usually fed to birds of prey and snakes. They are a bi-product of the farming industry. Any of these can be obtained from exotic pet shops. |
We understand that the sight of these animals being eaten might be disturbing for some, so we have chosen to place the images on a different page: Here |
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Please note this list is only about the fruit & not about any other part of the plant. In some cases the fruit is fine to feed but the leaves are not safe. Please always inform yourself before feeding any leaves or other part of plants. |
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No Not Feed
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Best Avoided
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