Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently aquired some baby giant african land snails from a friend . I know that they are a part of a some monitors diet and was wondering what everybody thought about feeding baby snails(smaller than a dime) to my basilisks as a treat ? what do you think ? i know they have hard shells but the shells of snails have alot of calcium in them.

JOE

I got some to add to my waterdragon environment hoping that they help to reduce the overgrowth of plants. I didn't think the waterdragons would notice them since they move slowly, but apparently they imediately recognized them as food and tore into them. Nutrition wise, I beleive that snails are okay, the problem is that snail are intermediate host for an assortment of nasty parasites. Even knowing that they come from a healthy source, I don't know that I would risk it, but hey plenty of people eat snails and they face the same risk, although I think they cook them first, at least, I hope they do.

Thanks for telling me about the parisite risk. where do the parasites come from? is there a way to find out if they do have parasites and what kinda parasites are we talking about?

CURIOUS JOE lol

Thanks for telling me about the parisite risk. where do the parasites come from? is there a way to find out if they do have parasites and what kinda parasites are we talking about?

CURIOUS JOE lol

Flukes use snails as intermediate host. They enter the snail through food contaminated with the feces of their main host. In the snails they form a sporocyst were they develop into a free swimming forms that leaves the snail for water and can enter the main host directly. Some flukes remain in the snail and are passed to the main host directly when the snail is eaten. In most cases the flukes do not effect the health of the snail and are dorminant within them, for the most part. One type of fluke positions itself in the snails head and force the snail to climb up were it will be most likely to be eaten by its prefered host, birds. In the body of the main host the fluke find their way to the liver, brain and other organ and are far more deadly then the typical round worm. If you raise your own snails and are careful about cleaning their food, your probably okay, but for me, I wouldn't risk it.

Wow, that is great info, thanks for sharing! That is so neat that they can make a snail more easily eaten.
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Mom to:

1 little boy born 7/19/04
2 male RES, born 2001
1 ribbon snake, age unknown
3 FBT, ages unknown
1 female bearded dragon, born 5/2002
1 male lab mix, born 5/24/03
1 female calico cat, born 6/7/04

thanks for info Rick. I am not gonna risk it

Yes, actually parasites are very interesting to study if you can get past the gross out factor. Flukes often effect the behavior of the host to their benefit. There are ones that infect kilifish that make dance so that they are more easily seen by preditors and there are ones that caue ants to climb just like with the snails. Viruses also can effect behavor, look at the rabies virus, its no accident that rabies victums become beligerent and try to bite everybody, when the virus is transmitted by the saliva. You may in fact be under the influence of parasitic control and don't even know it. Toxoplasma is a brain dwelling parasite whos life cycle involves cat feces and rats. Usually it is only mentioned to women who are pregnant, that they should stay away from their litter boxes, but no one mentions that over 50% of Americans are estimated to be infected by it, or that it has been proven to effect the behavior of rats. Making them more easy going and less like to flee from the scent of a cat, its primary host. In humans its believed to have a similar effect creating democrats out of republicans... just kidding, seriously though there hasn't been any studies to show how the Toxoplasma effects our behavor, but its likely you or I are under its influence.

Actually, I just had a baby so you must be the one infected with Toxoplasmosis

Seriously tho, that is really neat stuff.
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Mom to:

1 little boy born 7/19/04
2 male RES, born 2001
1 ribbon snake, age unknown
3 FBT, ages unknown
1 female bearded dragon, born 5/2002
1 male lab mix, born 5/24/03
1 female calico cat, born 6/7/04