The risky trend of pet giant snails

A wobbly mass sucks itself onto an eyelid, two slippery tentacles feel their way along a lower lip. It’s definitely possible that you’ve come across videos like this on social media recently. Influencers are putting giant African snails, also known as agate snails, right on their faces. Apparently, the mucus is said to have a rejuvenating effect on the skin.

Recently, a study by the University of Lausanne warned that humans who take part in this trend could become infected with rat lungworm. Other scientists gave the all-clear, and explained these parasites couldn’t survive at our body temperatures. Snails from domestic breeding are supposed to be harmless. I wanted to see for myself what it’s all about, so on a Monday afternoon I stopped by the breeding facility «Lorica» in Zofingen.

The pet of the future?

Managing Director Simone Piovan is the «dad» of a total of 2,500 exotic animals. He’s been selling agate snails for around 13 years, currently around 15 per month. «Interest has increased significantly in the last ten months,» he confirms. «Retirees, business people, schools – the fascination runs across all demographics. It seems giant snails are the pets of the future.»

But why are people attracted to snails when you can’t pet them, play with them nor interact with them? «It’s difficult to say,» says Simone. Many people simply like to watch them grow, eat and reproduce. «A little boy told me he has the snails on his bedside table. When he watches them in the evening, it puts his mind at rest and he can fall asleep.»

Not a pet

Time to get to know real agate snails. Simone gets two specimens, about five and ten centimetres in size, out of the enclosure – an Achatina Immaculata and an Achatina Achatina (giant African land snails). He sprinkles both with a little water. The smaller snail doesn’t react. «She doesn’t seem to be in the mood,» says Simone. The larger one, on the other hand, starts to poke some of its body out the shell. As the manager holds the snail up higher, the two little tentacles look him in the eye.

Simone shakes his head at the thought of putting the snails on his face. But he believes it’s almost impossible to get a parasite infection. In his 20 years of snail farming, he’s not heard of a single case. And in principle, it’s up to the individual what they do with the snails. But agate snails aren’t animals that should be taken out of their enclosure all the time. «I take mine out every two weeks at most. And even then, as I’m doing now, I only hold them in my hands for a short time so they don’t get stressed.»

How to keep them

Keeping giant snails is relatively simple once you’ve bought a suitable enclosure and substrate and feed them a varied diet of vegetables and fruit (no citrus fruit!). Nevertheless, you have to keep an eye on the snails. Or more precisely, on their eggs. «Depending on the species, a single snail can lay up to 500 eggs. You should continually remove them from the enclosure, otherwise the snail population will explode,» says Simone.

The little animals live for five to ten years, so it’s important you’re interested in them for the long-term. Not much happens in the enclosure, says Simone. The most exciting thing is when you feed them cuttlebone to strengthen their snail shell. «They really dive into it and it crunches really nicely when they chew. But if you need more action from your pets, giant snails aren’t for you,» says the managing director. He even advised a friend not to buy one because he knew he wasn’t the type. «If there’s no interest, the snails are soon neglected.»

A pet to slow you down

Simone Piovan carefully puts his two giant snails back in their enclosure. When the body of the larger one touches the ground, it suddenly pulls back its tentacles. It ventures out again, very gradually, and pulls itself up a stone millimetre by millimetre. I notice how I feel more relaxed as I watch them. «Really calming, isn’t it?» says Simone Piovan. I nod and notice even my frown lines have smoothed out. And all this without having to stick a snail on my forehead.

Would you keep giant snails as pets? Let me know in the comments!