How to Breed a Pet Snail

Co-authored by Joe Perez

Last Updated: December 16, 2024 Approved

Do you keep pet snails as a hobby or you just want an easy to care pet? Do you want to raise the population of your snails but without capturing wild ones? Great! Here is a step by step guide on how to breed pet snails.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Taking Precautions

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This includes getting a new terrarium and being ready to provide extra attention and a little more time to the task.
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Be informed about mating. Most snails are hermaphrodites meaning they have both male and female sex organs. After laying a clutch of eggs, snails are generally ready to reproduce again in six weeks throughout the year. Snails lay between 30 and 140 eggs at a time; that's nearly 480 snails a year!^{[1]
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- The mating of two snails is possible but extremely painful for both snails, so it's not necessarily encouraged. For two snails to mate, one snail aggressively fights the other looking for attention harming both snails in the process. Eventually the pursued snail will give in and involuntarily receive a 'love dart' full of sperm. You might see a little white dagger-like thing sticking out of the snails body. Do not attempt to remove this as it could harm the snail even more. The love dart is the equivalent of having a thumb-sized needle in your stomach.
- To prevent mating, keep an eye out. You might see a snail with its male genitalia out (penis). This is identifiable by the long white stick-like thing close to the shell. Move the snail to a different terrarium until it has fully retracted; this could take a few hours, in some cases up to a day.
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If your snails have already laid eggs and you want to dispose of them, freeze them for 24 hours; then throw them in the trash.^{[2]
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Part 2

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Setting the Scene

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1
Make sure the condition of your snail's home is in good shape. The soil must be at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) deep and must be quite moist. Make sure you purchase soil from your local store, just make sure there are no pesticides or fertilizer in the soil as it could harm your snail. Never use soil from your garden as it could contain pests or parasites that could harm (or kill!) your snail.
- Snails need air! They're not that much different from us! If you put them in a plastic container, make sure you pop some holes in the top. Keep the temperature moderate and comfortable too.
This doesn't include singing to them, because they don't have ears. But they do have eyes and a mouth -- so make sure to provide the right lighting and food necessary for their growth and success. Check on them regularly. ^{[3]
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Snails are omnivores, which means they eat vegetation and animals. Some good sources of food are:
- Apples
- Apricot
- Banana
- Blackberry
- Grapes
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Melon
- Nectarines
- Orange, Papaya, Prickly pear, Peach, Pear, Plum, Raspberry, Strawberry, Tomato, Lettuce, Broccoli, Spinach, Cabbage, Cucumber, Green beans, Mushrooms, Peas, Potato, Sprouts, Sweet corn, Turnip, Watercress, and non-seasoned, raw meat. Don't forget the water!^{[4]
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- Most snails are nocturnal. If you turn on the interrogation lights at night, they'll immediately go to hide in their shells. If you're looking for a good show, they'll be the most entertaining in early evening, at night, and in the wee hours of the morning. Sprinkle them with water if you want to excite them a bit!^{[5]
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Make sure they have some foliage to frolic in. Don't worry; they use their feelers to sense obstacles (lacking the sight to do so). Get a couple of leaves and sticks in the cage and make sure you spray it with a water sprayer at least once a day. Add a layer of sphagnum moss or leaves, remember to wet all of it. If your snails aren't already in their home, place them in now.
- They love damp and dark. You may miss the act of their breeding unless you take up nocturnal habits yourself. Unfortunately, there is not much more you can do other than creating a hospitable environment.

Part 3

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Waiting It Out

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You must now wait until the two snails have 'mated' or impregnated themselves. When they have, it takes a week or two for them to lay. It can take 1 to 4 weeks for the eggs themselves to hatch depending on the species. Some snails lay them all at once while others spread them around.
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Watch the eggs hatch. This all depends on the species of your snail and the species you bred it with. It could be a very slow or very fast process -- wait and see!
- The eggs will start to hatch in 1 to 4 weeks onward in some species but it is genes and possibly species dependent, with additional factors of how long they have been stored internally and the ambient and soil temperature. Eggs do not necessarily hatch uniformly and this is more noticeable in species that have a long gestation period (perhaps 4 weeks). The first (usually an uppermost member) to hatch can be 10 days or more in front of the main group, with some taking noticeably longer.^{[6]
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Add calcium to help your snails grow strong shells, too. they love to play. Pick them up and let them crawl on your hand, but be careful; you may crack their shell. Don't pick small ones up, because their shell is very weak. With the adults, do not ever pick them up by their shell.

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Question

What type of enclosure should I get when breeding pet snails?

Joe Perez
Aquatic and Terrarium Specialist
Joe Perez is an Aquatic and Terrarium Specialist and the Manager of the Chlorophyll Corner, based in Tempe, Arizona. Joe has been part of the aquatic and reptile industry and hobby for almost 30 years. His specialty is in creating planted aquariums and full-setup terrariums. The Chlorophyll Corner started as a small family plant store and has grown to a full-planted aquarium shop with an Instagram following of over 82,000 people.

Joe Perez

Aquatic and Terrarium Specialist

Expert Answer

For a breeding snail, you will want a glass or plastic tank that is spacious enough for snails to move around freely. A good starting size for smaller snail species is about 7 inches high and 10 inches long. But here’s the deal: the size of the enclosure really depends on the type of snail you're breeding. If you're working with larger or giant snails, you’ll need to scale up the tank to make sure they have enough room to thrive. Always think about how much space they need to stretch out, explore, and lay eggs comfortably.

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If I put two snails together, does it mean they are definitely going to mate?

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No, not necessarily, but it does increase the likelihood quite a bit.

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What do the eggs of garden snails look like?

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The eggs are round, sometimes oval-shaped, and range in color from white to light brown/yellow.

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The parent may come back and eat the eggs. If you have another tank available, use it for the eggs to hatch in.

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Instead of moving the eggs to a new tank, move the adults instead.

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If there are no babies, wait another 2 weeks or so, keep in mind that some species take up to 4 weeks to hatch.

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With garden snails, make sure you moisten their enclosure regularly. They like humid environments and they will drink the water droplets.
Before breeding, make sure to have an available tank for the parents just in case. The parents may eat the eggs if they're hungry.
Make sure there is at least 2 inches of soil for the momma to lay the eggs in. Put lettuce in the tank for when the babies hatch.

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Warnings

Be careful when you clean out the terrarium because there may be eggs buried in the soil.

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Don't forget to wash your hands after handling your snails as they produce mucus and could spread diseases otherwise.

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