Snail feeding season is around the corner, the right time to start a snail farming business is here.

Snails are voracious eaters, the Giant African Land Snail is known to eat more than 500 different types of plants. Snails feed on a variety of food found in their natural habitat. Snail feeding activity depends mainly on the weather, where they live and the species of snail that they are. Based on observation, the active feeding season is usually April through October.

Snails have a really neat tonguelike organ called the radula, with teeth on it like microscopic shark’s teeth. Snails eat their food by using a rasping action of the radula, the file-like tongue that contain the many teeth grinds its food by moving the tongue in a backward and forward motion.

Snails are often said to be very noisy eaters. However, the sounds you hear aren’t them consuming the food. It is the radula tearing and scraping the food.

Snails devour a wide variety of live plant parts: leaves, stems, plant crops, bark, fruits, and they also eat sand or soil when seeking for calcium to get a thicker shell. Snails have to feed on foods that include significant amounts of calcium to keep their shell hard. When looking for food they use their powerful sense of smell.

They are nocturnal/crepuscular so they look for food during the night or the very early morning hours.

To be continued....
The Merciful Merchants
Snail Entrepreneur, Snail Farmer & Snail Farming Coach.