How to Teach a Pet Snail Tricks

Snails make remarkably quiet and self-sufficient pets. They provide their own housing and go about their days industriously and without complaint. One sad snail fact, though, is that these creatures are notoriously challenging to train. By appealing to a snail's nature and instincts, however, you can encourage your pet snail to perform a few simple tricks.

Instructions

1. Feed your snail properly. A well-fed snail will be content and reasonably active.

2. Provide your snail with an adequate living environment. Snails need a wet environment in order to produce the mucus that protects them from rough surfaces and lubricates their movements.

3. Lure your snail toward a food supply. Snails are unable to see very well, but they find food through their senses of touch or smell. Practice by presenting your snail with appealing foods and see if you can gently lead it in different directions.

4. Tap one of your snail's tentacles lightly. Snails can retract each tentacle independently, and you can cause your snail to retract one tentacle while leaving the other upright.

5. Encourage your snail to crawl upside-down. A snail's mucus is viscous enough to support the snail's weight in an upside-down position.

6. Notice whether your snail becomes more active at night. Most snails are nocturnal, and they liven up as the sun goes down.

7. Provide your snail with interesting spaces to crawl and hide. Stimulating environments make for more active and entertaining pet snails.

Tips & Warnings

• Check with a professional about the dietary and environmental needs of your particular snail.

• Snails can live for nearly a decade. Be prepared to have your pet snail for a long time.

• Snails enjoy being around other snails. Consider buying several, as they can be more entertaining when they interact with others of their kind.

• Get to know your snail and its idiosyncrasies. Owners of pet snails maintain that each snail has its own personality.

• Snails can easily become bored without proper stimulation.

• Do not abuse or mistreat your pet snail in any way. Snails are gentle creatures and should only be required to do the most peaceful tricks.

• In the United States, it is illegal to own a Giant African Land Snail. It poses a risk to agricultural crops and human health.