Bryan the Snail

Happy 5^th Birthday this month to my wonderful Bryan! Technically it was his birthday on the 3^rd but I’ve had a lot of things to post about. So it’s a bit late. Bryan, if you were wondering, is my African Land Snail. This is the part where everybody reading begins to think that I’m totally mad and switches off. Just hear me out.

We’ve always had cats and / or dogs and that was fine until one of my friends got a Land Snail; I hadn’t seen them since primary school and I had completely forgotten how awesome they are. They live for up to 30 years if you look after them right too, so they don’t die on you like hamsters tend to. We spent hours that day just looking at his snails wandering about eating bits of lettuce. It was so much fun! Eventually though, they made the mistake that many snail owners make, keeping more than one snail in a tank. Bad plan. African Land Snails have this amazing ability to not only get both snails pregnant, but then keep fertilised eggs for years just waiting to lay them. This means that while you may start with two snails you end up with about 200 in a very short space of time.  Lots of snails means snails for sale.

I couldn’t wait to run home and ask my mum if I could have one when I found out that there were lots of babies. The friend only lives down the road so it was easy to pop back and ask, once mum said yes I ran back and picked up little Bryan. At the time he was about the size of a 5 pence piece and he came home with me in a coffee jar...much to the surprise of my mother who had not entirely expected me to bring a snail home that second. We managed though with a bit of peat and an old gerbil tank Bryan had his first home. Hours passed with me sitting watching him, we quickly got him a bath which he seemed to love, and a rock to sit on and view his lands. When it got to being summer I was able to take him out for walks in the garden, something we still enjoy doing together. He’s the most responsive animal I’ve ever owned, he knows his name and he recognises my voice as well as pulling some of the best faces if I give him food that he doesn’t like. Snails don’t have noses like we do, but he can still turn his up! He has now grown out of his first tank, and his first two water bowls. They grow up so fast.

He brought in a slug as a companion during the summer, we called her Arion and they lived together quite well in Bryan’s tank for a time. They ate lettuce and apples together and took strolls along the glass walls after brunch. I think Bryan must have gotten bored of Arion because I found her skin going slightly mouldy in the tank one morning. No innards, just skin. That song about eating worms, I’m sure Bryan has heard that song. He seems a bit lonely now but it’s really his fault for eating his companion. I guess he’ll bring another one in next time he goes out into the garden. Fatten them up for a while then have a good supper. It does seem a shame for him to eat his friends though, won’t make him all that popular.

So Happy Birthday Bryan, the most interesting and enjoyable pet I’ve ever owned. Here’s to hopefully lots more years together!