Fancy life in the slow lane? RSPCA in Norfolk seeks new homes for giant snails
The Mid Norfolk and North Suffolk RSPCA branch is trying to rehome 14 Giant African Land Snails
Last updated 10th Jul 2023
A Norfolk branch of the RSPCA is trying to find new homes for a group of Giant African Land snails.
14 of the slimy creatures are in the care of the Mid Norfolk and North Suffolk branch, after their original owner became overwhelmed by their growing numbers.
The snails are hermaphrodites, meaning the can lay eggs on their own. It means any potential new owner has to be careful to make sure the snails don't breed out of control.
Chloe Shorten, who is in charge of animal welfare at the branch, said: “We’ve rehomed six already and we have interest in one or two of the others."
"They are not your average pet and not everyone will like them, but they can make fantastic, fascinating companions, and we will offer new owners help so they know how to provide for their needs
“We took 20 snails initially from a lady who had missed a lot of the eggs in the tank she was keeping them in and she had ended up with a rather large number.
"She had double that number, but we split them between ourselves and a local reptile rescue.
“They do breed quickly and their enclosures need sweeping of eggs, so anyone taking them on would need to humanely dispatch the eggs to prevent them from multiplying.
“We recommend people read up about Giant African Land Snails before considering adoption, although we will provide a pack and do a home visit to explain the requirements in more detail.”
“We’ve found our snails’ favourite snack is courgettes and they also quite like to eat the herb dill.
“While they do require a bit of knowledge to take care of properly, it is certainly worth the effort. It has been interesting to watch them interacting with each other and moving around their enclosure.
"They can be quite tame as well and they are certainly a unique pet to own.”
Anyone interested in adopting the snails can contact the RSPCA here.