Grape snail (Helix romatia) - terrestrial species gastropod, belonging to the order of pulmonary snails and the family Helicidae. Today it is the largest snail in Europe.
Description of the grape snail
The body of the grape snail, along with other representatives of the Gastropod class, is externally divided into parts such as a shell and a body, consisting of a leg and a head. Internal organs snails are surrounded by a special protective mantle, some of which is quite clearly visible even from the outside.
Appearance
Sink adult has an average diameter of 3.0-4.5 cm, and its volume is quite sufficient to fully accommodate the torso. The shell is distinguished by a spiral curve of 4.5 turns. Shell coloration can vary from light tan to attractive brownish-white shades.
Along the entire length of the first two or three whorls there are five dark and the same number of light stripes. The saturation of color directly depends on the soil and climatic conditions in the habitat, the characteristics of the diet and the intensity of lighting.
This is interesting! The shell of a grape snail is distinguished by clearly visible ribbing, due to which it increases total area surfaces and significantly increase strength indicators.
As a rule, the total length of the leg of a fully adult individual does not exceed 3.5-5.0 cm, but such a mollusk can easily stretch up to 8-9 cm. The body of a grape snail is characterized by increased elasticity, and the color can vary from beige with a brownish tint to a dark gray color.
The surface of the body is covered with numerous wrinkles, the areas between which have appearance quadrangles. This feature allows the mollusk to retain moisture very effectively.
A pair of tentacles is located above the mouth opening, and their length may vary. The size of the labial or olfactory tentacles is 2.5-4.5 mm, and the eye ones do not exceed 10-20 mm. Vision allows the snail to clearly distinguish the intensity of light, as well as see objects located at a distance of no more than 10 mm.
Along with other numerous representatives of the Gastropod class, the grape snail has a digestive system represented by an ectodermal foregut and an endodermal midgut. The type of respiration of the above-ground mollusk is pulmonary. The heart is located above the hindgut, and includes the left atrium, ventricle and pericardium. Snail blood has no color. Reproductive system The grape snail is hermaphroditic, therefore, to obtain offspring, the mollusk undergoes cross-fertilization.
Lifestyle and character
In the warm summer period, during the daytime, grape snails try to hide in a shady and damp corner of the garden or forest, and often hide in various cracks or holes. When night falls, the snail leaves its shelter and goes in search of food.
Snails that live in the area central Europe, fall into natural hibernation a couple of times a year in winter and summer. Hibernation is similar to the torpor into which a land mollusk enters when it climbs inside its shell. In too cold or hot periods, the grape snail remains inside its shell, and the abundantly secreted mucus serves as a fairly dense protective film for the mollusk.
Lifespan
Grape snails are not among the long-lived pets. As a rule, under conditions of proper care, average duration The life of such a domestic mollusk is no more than eight years. However, record life expectancy was recorded in Sweden. In this country, the grape snail has gained fame because it lived for just over three decades.
Range and habitats
The natural habitat of the grape snail is represented by valleys and mountains, forest edges deciduous forests, park areas, meadows and ravines overgrown with bushes, as well as vineyards and alkaline soils.
On dry and hot days, the very moisture-loving snail is able to hide under stones or in the shade of vegetation, and often burrows into cool, damp moss. Such an unusual pet may well be plunged into a state of torpor by high and too low temperature conditions.
This is interesting! Grape snails may well go into so-called hibernation not only individually, but also in large snail colonies, and the weight loss of the mollusk at this time is about 10%.
With the onset of spring, grape snails wake up en masse, but, as practice shows, most Such mollusks spend their lives exclusively in a state of hibernation, and wakefulness takes no more than five months a year. Before plunging into natural hibernation, a large colony of snails is able to gather in one place, choosing for this purpose the space under a stone or fallen leaves.
In the summer, just before sunrise, such snails stick to the trunk of a tree or on a bush, which allows the mollusk to easily wait out the midday heat. In the place where such a snail crawled, you can easily see the trail of mucus it left behind. The snail, thanks to its mucus glands, is able to glide very smoothly over the surface. The presence of mucus protects the snail's body from receiving all kinds of damage.
Grape snails as a pet are so unpretentious that keeping them is quite affordable even for beginners. Purchasing accessories and housing for keeping such a snail will also not be ruinous.
Aquarium selection and filling
To keep a snail at home, you can use a glass or plastic container that has enough large area bottom part and very good ventilation. A moistened mixture based on six parts soil and one part activated carbon is placed at the bottom. It is very important to regularly clean glass and walls, as well as remove mucus from their interior. It is recommended to provide your pet with a daytime temperature of 20-22 o C, and a night temperature within 19 o C.
A terrarium or aquarium for keeping a snail should be equipped so that the terrestrial mollusk feels as if it were in its natural habitat. It is quite possible to decorate inner part small green twigs or almost any living plants securely fixed in the ground.
It is also very important to install a shallow pond inside for bathing such an unusual pet and some moistened moss. To strengthen the shell of a grape snail, you need to pour it into the aquarium or terrarium. a large number of limestone. The terrarium should be covered tightly enough with a lid that will not allow the snail to crawl out. It is imperative to make small holes in the lid through which a sufficient amount of air will flow.
Important! It is very important to keep the habitat of the domestic grape snail constantly moist, performing mandatory spraying of all internal surfaces from a regular household spray bottle a couple of times a day .
Grape snail diet
The nutrition of a grape snail at home should be as close as possible to natural environment . The herbivorous terrestrial mollusk readily eats almost any vegetation, including grass, foliage and even humus.
Care and hygiene, cleaning
In the process of keeping grape snails at home, it is very important to completely eliminate the risk of damage to the shells, and also to observe following rules care:
- use only fresh and high-quality food for feeding plant foods, and also make your pet’s diet as varied as possible;
- regularly give the grape snails crushed eggshells, as well as any other components containing a sufficient amount of calcium;
- daily, preferably at evening hours, spray the terrarium walls and soil clean water at room temperature from a spray bottle;
- carefully monitor the humidity levels, avoiding excessive drying out of the litter soil or its waterlogging with the accumulation of a large amount of liquid at the bottom;
- the water in the bath installed in the terrarium must be replaced daily;
- replacement of fillers and soil inside the terrarium or aquarium is carried out as necessary, partially or completely, depending on the degree of contamination;
- the terrarium for the grape snail should not be placed under straight lines sun rays, as well as near heating appliances.
It should be noted that the inside of a terrarium or aquarium with grape snails must be maintained as clean as possible, which will reduce the risk of infecting pets with nematodes or mites, as well as various pathogenic microflora that provoke the development of diseases.
Snail breeding
All snails are hermaphroditic creatures, combining not only male but also female sexual characteristics. In order to lay eggs, adult and fully mature individuals of the grape snail must necessarily exchange sex cells with other individuals. There are two breeding periods for the domestic grape snail:
- from March to the beginning of June;
- from the first ten days of September until the onset of October.
First of all, the maturation of male germ cells occurs, which are transmitted to partners and stored inside special seminal receptacles until the maturation of the germ cells female type. Mating games, as a rule, last for several minutes or hours, during which the grape snails feel their partners, wrap their bodies around them and squeeze their soles.
Subsequently, the snails lay eggs, surrounded by a gelatinous substance that allows them to be held together into cocoons or clusters. When born, newborn snails have transparent shells with only a couple of turns. With age, the number of such turns on the shell gradually increases.
Today it is becoming fashionable to keep unusual pets at home. And here - who has enough imagination and for what. Some people have a crocodile living in their bathroom, others have exotic fish, and still others have cockroaches, scorpions and spiders. This is all for everyone, but you can’t take a fish or a poisonous scorpion out of the aquarium to pet it, and the dog needs to be walked at least twice a day. Therefore, many are looking for an alternative, and there really is one. The grape snail feels great at home, willingly crawls into the arms and takes a shower in the owner’s arms, and does not require much care. And if the conditions of your life suddenly change, for example, you are moving, you can simply release it in the garden. Most likely, she will successfully adapt to free conditions.
Where can I get a snail?
They are sold in pet stores, so buying yourself a new friend will not be much of a problem. But it must be taken into account that they are large quantities are found in the south of Russia, so if you are going on vacation in Sochi, then you have a good chance of bringing a pet from there. At the same time, the grape snail is so unpretentious at home that its maintenance is accessible to any beginner. Today we will look at what these snails eat and what conditions they require, so that the future owner can easily cope with caring for a new pet.
But let's get back to the topic of how to catch a snail yourself. The child will be happy to support this idea, especially since the process itself is more than fascinating. To do this, in the vineyard, of which there are plenty in the south of Russia, you need to leave a juicy fruit, preferably overripe and aromatic, during the day. In the evening, the mollusks begin to crawl out of their hiding places - now you can start hunting. Therefore, when darkness falls, grab a flashlight and go searching. Most likely, several individuals will already be sitting on your fruit. By the way, the grape snail at home is quite voracious, so if you do not live in the south, where fruit is available all year round, think about whether you need such a pet. When choosing a snail, you should not take small ones; these could be young or sick individuals. Make sure that there are no cracks on the sink; such a simple selection will allow you to bring home a friend who will live long enough.
A new home for a snail
First of all, you need to take care of where the grape snail will live at home. An old aquarium or a large, transparent box is best suited for these purposes. The volume should allow the snail to move normally, so you should not keep it in a very small box or jar. Be sure to close the jar with a lid so that the mollusk cannot escape. However, make sure that there are air holes in the lid.
What to feed a grape snail?
Grape snail care
We have already said that the walls of the aquarium in which snails live are periodically covered with mucus. They need to be wiped, otherwise it will be difficult for you to observe the life of your ward. Uneaten fruits and vegetables should be thrown away promptly, otherwise flies will infest them. It is very convenient to have a special saucer for feeding. Then all the scraps will be in one place.
Few pets love water as much as the grape snail. Keeping these mollusks requires the presence of a small swimming pool in the enclosure, only a shallow one, because the snail cannot swim. She really doesn’t like dry air, it’s not for nothing that she habitat habitats are damp, shady thickets, vineyards, where it crawls out in the evening and actively crawls in search of food until the morning. Therefore, you need to purchase a spray bottle and spray the walls and ground in the aquarium, as well as the snails themselves, every day.
Interaction with snails
Why has the grape snail become so popular? Home content Handling this mollusk is quite simple; you can pick up the snail and stroke it. Over time, she will get used to the hands and will feel them with her antennae-horns. You can feed it by hand; the snail will happily eat fresh fruit. If you need to leave, you can put her to bed. To do this, you need to choose a cool place and stop feeding her. The mollusk will perceive this as the onset of cold weather, go into the shell and cover itself with a special film. In nature, snail suspended animation lasts up to 3 months. It's easy enough to wake her up when she returns. Move the aquarium to a warm place and wash the snail in warm water. It is especially necessary to withstand hibernation if you want to get offspring.
Snail breeding
Today, many pet stores sell grape snails. The price of such a pet is from 50 to 500 rubles, depending on the size and region. To get offspring, you will need at least 2 individuals. Snails usually mate in autumn and spring. At favorable conditions they can reproduce several times a month. Usually, a snail ready for mating begins to travel around the aquarium, strongly stretching its body. She examines him in search of a partner, when two snails meet, love play begins. The process can last up to 6 hours, and the act of mating itself can last about two hours. During mating, the snails press their soles tightly against each other. At the end of sexual intercourse, the snails connect the genitals and exchange male cells. After this, the snails go about their business to lay eggs.
Care of offspring
Growing grape snails is not difficult. Adults lay eggs white underground, in a previously prepared place. After this, 3-4 weeks pass before the offspring hatch. A newborn snail first eats the shell of the egg from which it emerged, and then heads upward. After about ten days, the snail climbs out. All this time they feed on useful substances that are in the soil. At this time, it is necessary for her shell to become stronger so that she can hide in it in times of danger. Babies are fed finely grated fruits and vegetables to help them grow faster. It is also necessary to give mineral supplements.
Growing snails on an industrial scale
Grape snail farm - it sounds quite strange. However, there is demand - there is supply. Since many people want to keep shellfish at home, it means they will be sold on the market. However, resourceful entrepreneurs supply snails not only to pet stores. Snail meat has become in great demand. This is a fashionable novelty that restaurants and cafes are happy to use to attract customers. Moreover, it is the grape snail that has a special, refined taste, much better than the giant Achatina.
Profitability of a snail farm
How much profit can a grape snail give? The price of one brood specimen is 3 dollars. To start production, you need at least 300 pieces. To feed them you will need at least 2 kg of feed, the cost of each kilogram is about 300 rubles. Several times a month, each individual (they are hermaphrodites, but the mating process is necessary) lays 20-50 eggs, from which young snails emerge after 3-4 weeks. They ripen in about 6 months, after which they can be sold to restaurants. Each kilogram of shellfish costs about $10. Snail caviar is even more expensive; it is purchased at prices starting from $120 per 50 g.
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(see photo in the text) is part of the Helicidae family, which includes more than 300 genera of terrestrial mollusks. The Helix genus is one of the most widespread. These snails live in Australia and in countries temperate zone, including in the south of Russia.
In nature, grape snails prefer to settle in meadows, in small degraded forests with dense ground cover vegetation, in gardens with chalk or limestone soil that has an alkaline reaction. In dry weather, snails hide under stones, in the shade of plants or in damp moss.
The winter dormant period of the grape snail lasts up to 3 months. Under the natural conditions of Belarus - at least 5 months, while mollusks with a period of suspended animation of less than 60 days under experimental conditions were characterized by reduced fertility or did not produce eggs at all.
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In preparation for wintering, the snail attaches itself to the substrate with the lower part of its leg - the sole - and then curls up inside the shell. Still holding on to the surface with the tip of its leg, the snail, with a film of mucus, covers the space between the surface of the substrate and the edges of the mouth of the shell, after which it removes the remaining part of the leg, covering the hole with folds of the mantle. The film hardens, turning into a hard lid.
During hibernation, the snail loses about 10% of its weight, which is restored 4-6 weeks after awakening. In the spring, when the air temperature rises to +6-8"C, the animal awakens and leaves its winter shelter. The grape snail can tolerate low temperatures, for example, a temperature of -7"C for several hours.
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The round, almost spherical limestone shell of the grape snail reliably protects the soft body of the mollusk from enemies. The spiral whorls of the shell are convex, their outer part is smooth. The last turn is large and swollen. The shell is colored uniformly, usually orange-yellowish. The snail's head stands out noticeably and bears two pairs of tentacles; at the tips of one of the pairs are the eyes of the mollusk.
Big leg, muscular. The grape snail moves with the help of this leg. With the help of muscle contractions, the animal, sliding, pushes off the surface. When moving, mucus is secreted, which softens friction and facilitates movement along the substrate. The glands that secrete mucus are located in the front of the body. average speed movement is about 1.5 mm per second. It can settle on both horizontal (for example, on the ground under a stone) and vertical (on the walls of buildings, on the side glass of a molluscar at home) surface.
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Natural enemies Snails include hedgehogs, shrews, lizards, moles and some other animals. They are different kinds beetles that can crawl inside through the breathing hole, and some types of predatory snails. This animal is the enemy Agriculture, primarily because it feeds on young shoots of agricultural crops, in particular grapes. In a number of countries it is intensively exterminated, and in some, in particular the countries of Northern and South America, the import of these shellfish is prohibited.
Grape snails have been bred since ancient times. According to Pliny the Elder, Fulvius Lippinus was the first to breed them. Now in a number of countries there are so-called “snail farms”, where these gastropods are bred in large quantities for subsequent preparation or export, creating favorable conditions for them.
Their meat contains 10% protein, 30% fat, 5% carbohydrates, as well as vitamins B6, B12, iron, calcium, magnesium. The air-dry substance of grape snail meat, according to the Institute of Fisheries of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, contains 60-65% protein, about 5% fat, the rest is low-molecular organic matter and mineral compounds - ash.
In Spain, France and Italy, these mollusks are often eaten. In France they are cooked in the shell in vegetable oil, seasoned with parsley. It is believed that its taste is superior to that of other edible snails. In France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, it is considered rare and protected by law, it is imported from Greece and other countries where it is collected, or specially bred on farms. Even in Russia, in the Kaliningrad region, snails are quite widely bred for sale to restaurants, for the pharmaceutical industry, and for sale in stores.
Grape snail - content.
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IN Lately Some hobbyists began to keep more “exotic” animals, such as invertebrates, in their home terrariums instead of the now familiar amphibians or reptiles.
Grape snails are herbivores, feed mainly on living plants, causing significant damage to them. Decaying vegetation makes up only a small part of their diet. The diet of grape snails in captivity can be limited to vegetables and fruits, which must be added to the terrarium as they are eaten. Mollusks have a very long digestive tract and rarely suffer from lack of appetite. Food should be given in small portions, cut into thin slices, and rotting, decomposing food should be removed immediately. Grape snails love bananas, apples, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkin, carrots, potatoes, radishes, cabbage, beets, dandelion leaves, sorrel, horseradish, burdock and nettle leaves. A special treat for snails is soaked bread, but it is more suitable as a feed.
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For keeping at home, a glass or plastic container with large area bottom, with good ventilation. A mixture of damp (not wet, since the snails can drown) earth and granular activated carbon in a ratio of 6.5:1 is placed at the bottom. Constant cleaning of glass, walls and other objects from mucus is necessary. Recommended daytime temperature is 20-22"C, nighttime - 19"C. When the temperature drops below 7"C, the snails hibernate.
The terrarium is equipped in such a way as to recreate natural living conditions. You can decorate it with green twigs or living plants, on which the snails will crawl and, if desired, can feast on them. And don’t forget to provide a shallow pond for them to swim in. It would be nice to build a limestone slide, which will provide the snails with the nutrition they need to strengthen their shells. You can also add some damp moss to the terrarium. The terrarium must be tightly covered with a lid to prevent snails from crawling out, but it must contain small holes for air to enter. It is important to constantly moisten the habitat of grape snails; this can be achieved by spraying the internal surfaces of the terrarium with a spray bottle once or twice a day.
Grape snail - breeding.
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Grape snails are hermaphrodites, therefore, for breeding at home, it is enough to have two mature individuals. The desire to mate can be determined by behavior. The animal crawls slowly, as if looking for something, often stops and stands in one place for a long time, slightly raising the front part of its body. If two such snails meet, they immediately begin the “love game”. They stretch upward one against the other and take a position characteristic of reproduction, touching parts of the sole and feeling each other with tentacles. These movements stop after a short time, the snails fall and, pressing their soles tightly against each other, remain motionless for 15-30 minutes. After a period of rest, the game resumes again. This whole process lasts about two hours, until the snail, having achieved greater arousal, inserts a love arrow into the body of its partner, which also increases his arousal. After a short pause, the act of copulation occurs, in which each snail simultaneously plays the role of both male and female. Only after the exchange of spermatophores do the snails spread out in different directions.
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For breeding grape snails in industrial scale needed temperate climate 15 – 24 degrees Celsius with high humidity (75%-95%), although most species can tolerate a wider range of temperatures. Optimal temperature for many types 21C. At 12C, snails become inactive, and at 10C, they stop growing. When the temperature rises to just over 26 C or conditions become too dry, the animals hibernate.
Wind is also harmful to them because it accelerates the loss of moisture, and mollusks must retain it; they need a moist environment. But although snails need high humidity, it is necessary to remove excess water. Snails breathe atmospheric air and may die in an overly humid environment. The most favorable soil moisture level is 80%. At night, air humidity of more than 80% enhances the vital activity and growth of snails.
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After mating, the grape snail can retain spermatophores for a year. To lay eggs, she digs a hole or uses natural shelters (the base of plant stems). After a hole of the required depth has been dug, the snail begins to carefully finish the walls of the nest. They are compacted and the soil is released through the intestines to the surface. The clutch contains about 40 pearly white, shiny eggs (diameter 4-7 mm). After finishing the masonry, the hole is filled up.
After the breeding season, about one third of the producers die. The laid eggs hatch into small snails that look very similar to adults. Young snails have a small, smooth, transparent shell with only one and a half turns. After 8-10 days, young snails leave the nest and crawl to the surface in search of food. Under favorable conditions, snails grow very quickly - within a month they can become four times larger than at birth. Of all snails born, only about 5% reach sexual maturity.
Cooking grape snails.
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Well, for a snack, here are a couple of recipes for preparing grape snails. The result should be approximately the same as in the photo.
Snails in Burgundy style
100 snails, 1 liter of white wine, 200 g of three percent vinegar, 3 tbsp. tablespoons flour, 2 carrots, 2 large onions, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, salt, 800 g snail oil.
Place the prepared grape snails in a saucepan, pour cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Rinse them with cold water, dry them with a clean cloth or towel, remove the snail from the house with a tailor’s pin (in France there is a special “tool for this”, it resembles a tailor’s pin) and cut off its black tip. Wash the snails cleaned in this way again and put them in a saucepan, pour in dry white wine and the same amount of water so that all the snails are covered with liquid. Add 2 chopped carrots, chopped onions, thyme, parsley root, celery stick, green onions. Add salt at the rate of 10 g per liter and cook for 4 hours. Then remove from heat and leave to cool in this broth. While the snails are boiling, wash and boil the shells in soda water. Then rinse them with clean water and dry.
Snail oil: chop very finely (you can grate) 100 g of onion, 3 large cloves of garlic, add 80 g of chopped parsley, 25 g of salt, 5 g of ground pepper, 700 g of butter, soft but not melted. Mix everything well in a bowl.
Place a nut of prepared oil on the bottom of the sink, then a snail, covering the top with a good portion of the same oil. Place the stuffed shells, oil side up, on a plate and place them in a hot oven for 7-8 minutes before serving. Hissing aromatic dish serve immediately.
Limousin snails
6 dozen Burgundy snails, 1 cup vinegar, 300 g peeled walnuts, 200 g butter, 1 clove of garlic, several sprigs of parsley, salt, pepper.
For the broth: 0.5 liters of dry white wine, 1 carrot, 1 onion, bay leaf, celery, parsley, salt, pepper.
Dip the grape snails, prepared in advance, as indicated above, into water acidified with vinegar. During this time, peel 1 carrot and onion, chop them, and prepare the greens. Now put them in a spacious saucepan, pour in white wine and water so that they are completely covered. Salt and pepper, add chopped carrots and onions, herbs and cook for 3-4 hours. While they are boiling, prepare snail oil, for which you peel the nuts and garlic, wash the parsley, chop everything finely; pass the rye bread crumb through a meat grinder; butter put in a bowl, add chopped nuts and other herbs and bread crumbs, pepper and mix everything well to get a homogeneous mass. When the snails are cooked, drain the broth, remove the snails from their shells with a pin, and cut off the black dots on the tip of their body. Stuff the shells in the same way as in the previous recipe: put a piece of snail oil the size of a nut on the bottom of the shell, then a snail and, finally, another piece of prepared butter.
Place the stuffed snails in a refractory dish, oil side up, add a few drops of white wine to each of them and place in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
People are always trying to imitate the skill and talent of a productively growing business, and even some ideas are objectively profitable in terms of income. Thus, breeding grape snails at home is a hot topic for those who are not afraid to take on a new project. Many would like to have such a business at home, but when trying to find the right path to realizing their plans, they fail. Let's look at all aspects of this business, what pitfalls there may be, and what to pay attention to.
Despite being a little-known food, snails are considered exotic and are not bought cheaply by prestigious restaurants in the country. Hence the unprecedented demand from consumers in the restaurant business, which influences the financial growth of the sellers themselves. By the way, we would like to note that only grape snails can be edible, and a dozen other species have nothing to do with food. At the initial planning stage, do your research on the snail trade. It is important to know that restaurant dishes are quite expensive, which means they are not very interesting to ordinary society and will not be in demand. Place bets only on wealthy, high-ranking people, or industrial organizations in the culinary and medical industries.
Even in this situation, invertebrates have become a worthy replacement for other exotic animals, for example, amphibians. This indisputable fact has a basis. Firstly, snails create a minimum of problems, they are silent, not fussy, and not harmful. Secondly, they eat only vegetation, animal feed, fruits and vegetables. And thirdly, they require minimal care compared to other animals. home breeding, only 1-2 hours a day.
Grape snails (French: Helix pomatia) are called “escargot” and are a soft-bodied delicacy. Very popular in countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece and France. In these countries you can find snails on the shelves of any supermarket.
What benefits do this little “horned delicacy” bring?
Therapeutic effect. Surprisingly, but true, snail meat is the basis for many industrial medicinal products. Extracts from snails for anti-aging products have become especially popular.
Culinary sphere. Snails, whose body practically consists of meat, contain a large amount of protein, vitamins (B6, B12), and iron. This delicacy enriches a person beneficial properties. Easy meat for everyday consumption, improves performance intestinal tract, normalizes stomach functions and bone tissue. It is especially useful for men for potency, pregnant women and the elderly.
Creating a business plan
In order for your snail breeding business to begin to grow productively, the first thing you should do is understand whether it will be interesting to you, since doing what you love means not working a day. Let's make a plan:
- Make a drawing with two columns: “expenses”, “income”;
- Revenue is what you receive from clients as part of the contract program;
- Expenses - current expenses for keeping snails, purchases, probable transportation costs;
- The farmer must have appropriate land plot or a place for a terrarium;
- Consider the maturation period of snails from six months to 3 years.
Breeding grape snails attracts more and more people every year who want to have a profitable, serene farm. It’s not for nothing that this type of activity is called a business for the lazy. Let's look at the initial steps to create a full-fledged process.
Paperwork
The set of documents is small, but mandatory. First of all, register a private enterprise or limited liability company. In addition, you should obtain permission from the fire and sanitary services. The most important thing is veterinary, where a mandatory inspection document is a quality certificate. Without it, you will be prohibited from doing business or supplying shellfish to restaurants.
Main features of the purchase
One of current issues breeding is considered the price of an adult snail itself. The approximate cost of one individual is 4 dollars, in bulk this price drops, so count on 2.75-3. The initial purchase should be 300-400 pieces. Obviously, you will need at least $1,200 for the first time.
The question of which manufacturer to buy snails from is controversial; often the countries are Germany, Tunisia, Poland, and the Czech Republic. The best option trust experienced suppliers who have been on the sales market for several years and can fully justify high quality of the supplied goods. This business is more developed in Poland, so it is in this country that you can find the best quality specimens.
Solving financial issues
Financial issues arise when you just decide to create a grape snail farm. As part of the purchase you will need:
- Broodstock (700 snails) - multiply by an average of $3;
- Equipment, depending on what and where, if for a greenhouse, then in total it will cost you about $500;
- Feed - $1200;
- If you do not have your own plot, you will have to pay for the land, the amount varies depending on the owner's area.
Let's do a rough calculation. Let's take for example one hundred square meters of land, from it you will get 100-110 kg finished goods. Experts say that one snail can produce an average of 1 kg of offspring. Today the price for 1 kg is 3-3.5 euros. A snail stock pays for itself in 1.5 years. During all this time, a herd of 100 kg will produce an offspring of 4 tons. This is provided that the reproduction of individuals occurs on high level comfort in terms of maintaining temperature and humidity.
Business profitability can reach 90%. Main criterion when achieving such a result, it is patience and organization. Three optimal methods of breeding: pens, greenhouses, terrariums.
Often, owners of the idea to create a snail business failed due to the wrong habitat of the invertebrate stock. Today there are three known ways to keep snails at home. Let's look at each of them, what advantages and disadvantages they have.
Corrals
From an economic point of view, pens are considered more acceptable than greenhouses. But the significant disadvantages of this method obviously make it less popular. When creating an outdoor pen, know that you will need to protect the snails from predators, and the air temperature will be the first obstacle to the breeding result, since the temperature will be controlled weather. And as you know, unfavourable conditions The first reason for snails is not to lay eggs, but to keep them inside until optimally favorable conditions. This method is good for summer time, in winter they sleep by making a tunnel in the ground.
Their place of residence for 700 individuals should be 50 sq.m. Be sure to fence them off with a fence, although they are slow, they will more than cover kilometer distances, and they will do this at night. The fence should not be simple; at the top there should be a concave semicircular arc that prevents snails from climbing through the fence. Good site the ground will become covered with vineyards or weeds.
Terrarium
The first main criteria for choosing a room are ventilation and humidity. Humidity should be approximately at least 80%. Optimal temperature regime equal to 20-23°C above zero. This method allows you to switch to year-round breeding of snails, although this will require costs for arranging terrariums or an entire workshop. Another important condition is the bottom of the terrarium. Be sure to take care of its thin covering of moss and soil. Now they sell special coconut shavings on the market, which will also work. Mist the soil or shavings occasionally to create moist conditions.
Although you can’t envy a snail’s speed, it can crawl out of the terrarium easily, so don’t forget to cover it with a lid. Get rid of all kinds of metal decorations and stones, since mollusks often crawl along the walls of the container and rarely, but sometimes fall down. To avoid cracks in the sink, arrange its premises with natural, non-solid objects. Refrain from littering with newspapers; snails love printed matter, which may be the last thing it eats.
Greenhouses
The advantage of this breeding method is that it is more accessible and less expensive. Greenhouse conditions make it possible to control humidity and temperature. In general, to grow snails in greenhouses you will need:
- 700 snails 2 or 3 years old;
- About 4 sq. m of greenhouse area for broodstock and another 18 sq.m. for young animals and egg incubation;
- Special boxes measuring 1x0.5 m (8 pieces are enough) for keeping adult broodstock;
- Plastic cuvettes for keeping small-sized young mollusks;
- Metal racks for ditches;
- 400 sq. m. for breeding the main herd.
To feed such a number of individuals, you will first need 1500 kg of feed. In addition to this, feeding with fresh grass is definitely necessary.
Wherever you grow snails, monitor the humidity; an excessively humid environment is associated with fungal diseases, even among ardent lovers of water procedures.
Snail breeding
Shellfish- hermaphrodites, but despite this fact, for fertilization they are placed in pairs in a special container. Mating occurs as follows: after the snails bring their soles together, they begin to mark each other with lime needles, which are located in a special bag. Thanks to these “arrows,” the snail is stimulated to release reproductive products. The genital spot can be seen when the snail protrudes it outward; it has a whitish color. Is located right side second pair of horns.
After mating, sperm enters the receiver of the copulating individual, fertilization occurs later. According to reviews from experienced farmers, adult individuals are capable of laying two clutches of eggs with an interval of 2-3 months. And some mollusks after fertilization could divide the laying of eggs into several times with an interval of 1.5 months. An adult mature individual laid 30-40 pieces in one go. She needs about 4 days for the eggs to completely immerse under the top layer of soil. After a month, small invertebrates are born.
Typically, one individual produces about 1 kg of offspring per season.
Sales areas
The method and choice of point of sale is varied. Here are some examples of who you can sell grape snails to:
- Wholesale customers;
- Retail consumers;
- Supermarkets and large markets;
- Restaurant business;
- Pharmaceutical companies for the production of drugs.
Often, for many reasons, people rush to start breeding snails without finding any sales channels. This cannot be done, otherwise, even with good harvest, you risk being left without a penny of profit.
Preparation for implementation in the restaurant business
Certain standards must be observed when selling snails to a restaurant. For the board to be worthy and consistent with the expected calculations, the snail should weigh about 20g (more is possible) and be 5 cm in size.
If the consumer wants to bargain with you, give in, especially if he will be a repeat customer in the future.
From the batch, by selecting, set aside the largest ones for further reproduction, and prepare the rest for sale. Once the shellfish is no longer alive, it should be frozen and only then delivered to the consumer. But there are farmers who sell live meat, so it’s rational to consider both options in detail.
Feeding grape snails
Often, the owners of a new snail farm, tempted by the low price, buy food from unscrupulous farming contractors. The breeding conditions will depend on the quality of the feed, so it is better not to skimp on food and know a good manufacturer.
Grape snails are considered pests in many countries; for all the obvious reasons from the name itself, they eat young shoots of grapes. In our homeland, you need to buy such a snail, but it feeds on greens, fruits, and vegetables. The main natural food is chalk. It contains a lot of calcium, which in turn is simply necessary for the construction of the shell. Sometimes protein supplements are necessary. Often used is daphnia, a bloodworm that is sold in pet stores and is more of a fish feeder. There are also restrictions on some products, so be careful. Here is a list of prohibited foods: citrus fruits, radishes, radishes, sorrel, eggs (in any form), onions, cheese, cottage cheese, flour products. Stale uneaten food should be changed as often as possible and prevented from rotting.
Features of the grape snail
Mollusks that love grape shoots are nocturnal inhabitants, so don’t be upset if you were expecting active movement of the herd during the day. The diameter of the shell of a mature individual is 5 cm. Snails have no teeth and eat with their tongue, which is called the radula. Before a snail can be eaten, it usually waits until it is 2 or 3 years old.
3 subtleties of reproduction at the initial stage
At the breeding stage, it is advisable to make artificial selection by selecting the largest individuals. The fact is that some snails grow unevenly, some gain weight much faster than others, which is why practicing farmers recommend selecting the largest snails. The selection of the largest individuals forms the broodstock in literally two selections.
Buy grape snails from an already production farm. Don't select based on gender because they are hermaphrodites. It is advisable that they are not small size. Of course, the cost will depend on this, but you will have a mature individual ready for reproduction.
Profits from snails can be made not only by selling them directly to the restaurant business. There are not many breeding farms in our country. Create a service that is visited by many tourists, where you share your experience and provide cooked shellfish meat for tasting.
They say that snails were first brought to Asia by Catholic priests. By maintaining a diet of proper, vegetarian food, as well as supporting fasting, snail food has become for them the best option because it is made of protein. A comparison is often made: five or six snails contain the same amount of protein as 100 grams. pork.
What you need to know when cooking snail
Before planning to cook a snail, it must be quarantined in order to completely clear the stomach of possible food. The first thing the cook must do is clean the shell and body of any existing contaminants; usually only mucus remains on the surface of the mollusk. Liver is not an edible food and is disposed of immediately during cleansing. The shell or shell is used as a utensil. The price of a dish in a restaurant changes taking into account the dynamic increase in the cost of importing snails themselves, but for about six pieces of a ready-made dish you will pay about 30 euros.
If you have a herd of snails, know that caring for them will take no more than 1-2 hours a day. You can easily combine your main labor activity and your farm. The main task is to provide the correct soil and nutrition, to remove mucus from the soil so that there is no reason for the growth of microbes and bacteria.
To maximize business profits, it is advisable to limit your capital investment by doing the installation yourself. In addition, you need to master all the nuances and stages of preparation from the source to the final operation. If you are overcome by doubts, it is better to test yourself in practice; to do this, try breeding several snails at home or in an apartment, equipping a certain area for their breeding. In fact, you will immediately understand whether you have the desire to continue promoting your business. If things went well and you have actively mastered all the nuances, then you should think about the next stage - creating a snail farm.
Today it is becoming fashionable to keep unusual pets at home. And here - who has enough imagination and for what. Some people have a crocodile living in their bathroom, others have exotic fish, and still others have cockroaches, scorpions and spiders. This is all for everyone, but you can’t take a fish or a poisonous scorpion out of the aquarium to pet it, and the dog needs to be walked at least twice a day. Therefore, many are looking for an alternative, and there really is one. The grape snail feels great at home, willingly crawls into the arms and takes a shower in the owner’s arms, and does not require much care. And if the conditions of your life suddenly change, for example, you are moving, you can simply release it in the garden. Most likely, she will successfully adapt to free conditions.
Where can I get a snail?
They are sold in pet stores, so buying yourself a new friend will not be much of a problem. But you need to take into account that they are found in large quantities in the south of Russia, so if you are going on vacation in Sochi, then you have a good chance of bringing a pet from there. At the same time, the grape snail is so unpretentious at home that its maintenance is accessible to any beginner. Today we will look at what these snails eat and what conditions they require, so that the future owner can easily cope with caring for a new pet.
But let's get back to the topic of how to catch a snail yourself. The child will be happy to support this idea, especially since the process itself is more than fascinating. To do this, in the vineyard, of which there are plenty in the south of Russia, you need to leave a juicy fruit, preferably overripe and aromatic, during the day. In the evening, the mollusks begin to crawl out of their hiding places - now you can start hunting. Therefore, when darkness falls, grab a flashlight and go searching. Most likely, several individuals will already be sitting on your fruit. By the way, the grape snail at home is quite voracious, so if you do not live in the south, where fruit is available all year round, think about whether you need such a pet. When choosing a snail, you should not take small ones; these could be young or sick individuals. Make sure that there are no cracks on the sink; such a simple selection will allow you to bring home a friend who will live long enough.
A new home for a snail
First of all, you need to take care of where the grape snail will live at home. An old aquarium or a large, transparent box is best suited for these purposes. The volume should allow the snail to move normally, so you should not keep it in a very small box or jar. Be sure to close the jar with a lid so that the mollusk cannot escape. However, make sure that there are air holes in the lid.
What to feed a grape snail?
Grape snail care
We have already said that the walls of the aquarium in which snails live are periodically covered with mucus. They need to be wiped, otherwise it will be difficult for you to observe the life of your ward. Uneaten fruits and vegetables should be thrown away promptly, otherwise flies will infest them. It is very convenient to have a special saucer for feeding. Then all the scraps will be in one place.
Few pets love water as much as the grape snail. Keeping these mollusks requires the presence of a small swimming pool in the enclosure, only a shallow one, because the snail cannot swim. She really doesn’t like dry air, because it’s not for nothing that her natural habitat is damp, shady thickets, vineyards, where she crawls out in the evening and actively crawls in search of food until the morning. Therefore, you need to purchase a spray bottle and spray the walls and ground in the aquarium, as well as the snails themselves, every day.
Interaction with snails
Why has the grape snail become so popular? Keeping this mollusk at home is not at all difficult; you can pick up the snail and stroke it. Over time, she will get used to the hands and will feel them with her antennae-horns. You can feed it by hand; the snail will happily eat fresh fruit. If you need to leave, you can put her to bed. To do this, you need to choose a cool place and stop feeding her. The mollusk will perceive this as the onset of cold weather, go into the shell and cover itself with a special film. In nature, snail suspended animation lasts up to 3 months. It's easy enough to wake her up when she returns. Move the aquarium to a warm place and wash the snail in warm water. It is especially necessary to withstand hibernation if you want to get offspring.
Snail breeding
Today, many pet stores sell grape snails. The price of such a pet is from 50 to 500 rubles, depending on the size and region. To get offspring, you will need at least 2 individuals. Snails usually mate in autumn and spring. Under favorable conditions, they can reproduce several times a month. Usually, a snail ready for mating begins to travel around the aquarium, strongly stretching its body. She examines him in search of a partner, when two snails meet, love play begins. The process can last up to 6 hours, and the act of mating itself can last about two hours. During mating, the snails press their soles tightly against each other. At the end of sexual intercourse, the snails connect the genitals and exchange male cells. After this, the snails go about their business to lay eggs.
Care of offspring
Growing grape snails is not difficult. Adults lay white eggs underground, in a previously prepared place. After this, 3-4 weeks pass before the offspring hatch. A newborn snail first eats the shell of the egg from which it emerged, and then heads upward. After about ten days, the snail climbs out. All this time they feed on useful substances that are in the soil. At this time, it is necessary for her shell to become stronger so that she can hide in it in times of danger. Babies are fed finely grated fruits and vegetables to help them grow faster. It is also necessary to give mineral supplements.
Growing snails on an industrial scale
Grape snail farm - it sounds quite strange. However, there is demand - there is supply. Since many people want to keep shellfish at home, it means they will be sold on the market. However, resourceful entrepreneurs supply snails not only to pet stores. Snail meat has become in great demand. This is a fashionable novelty that restaurants and cafes are happy to use to attract customers. Moreover, it is the grape snail that has a special, refined taste, much better than the giant Achatina.
Profitability of a snail farm
How much profit can a grape snail give? The price of one brood specimen is 3 dollars. To start production, you need at least 300 pieces. To feed them you will need at least 2 kg of feed, the cost of each kilogram is about 300 rubles. Several times a month, each individual (they are hermaphrodites, but the mating process is necessary) lays 20-50 eggs, from which young snails emerge after 3-4 weeks. They ripen in about 6 months, after which they can be sold to restaurants. Each kilogram of shellfish costs about $10. Snail caviar is even more expensive; it is purchased at prices starting from $120 per 50 g.
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