Russell Langille, age 11, of Ilion, N.Y., for his question:
Can a snail regrow his shell?
A snail builds his own shell, coil by graceful coil. It is his house which he totes wherever he goes. We can move, bag and baggage, from one house to another. But the snail's house must last a lifetime. He can regrow a lost eye, but he cannot regrow a lost or shattered shell.
A snail is just right for the busy pet owner who happens to be short of both space and funds. His low priced terrarium is easy to make and easy to tend. Anybody can catch a snail, and there are plenty of free ones to be captured in shady parks and gardens.
Some of Andy's friends, however, have reported snail problems. A shell may be bashed or cracked, and sad to say there is no cure. If a snail loses an eye stalk he grows a new one, complete with the eye that belongs at the top of it. But he cannot mend or regrow a damaged shell, and sooner or later the accident is fatal.
Sometimes a friend reports that a snail leaves his shell and crawls around without it. This, too, is a sad tale. This captive is not the true owner who built the shell. He may be a slug who crept inside to occupy the empty shell of a departed snail. Or he may have devoured the original owner and taken possession. The shell of a true snail is a lifetime fixture. He cannot leave and re enter it to suit himself.
A snail begins life as an egg, and his shell starts to form even before he hatches. His soft body is embedded in a mantle of special tissue. The shell building material is secreted by the mantle. As his body grows, the shell also grows. It is brittle and very fragile, so slide a sheet of paper underneath him if you want to lift him. And tote him, if you have to, in a box stuffed with leaves to soften the shocks. Even a short fall may be fatal to a snail.
If you want more snails, capture a pair. There is no need to select a male and female, for every snail is both. In a well tended terrarium any two snails may produce eggs. If you have a hand lens, you may see the embryo snails inside the eggs. Each snail has a glassy flake that will become his one and only shell.
The best terrarium is a glass sided box with a lid and a dirt floor crowded with growing plants. Sprinkle it with water to keep it moist, but not soggy, and use the lid to seal in the dewy air. The leaves provide shade and a life's supply of snail food. If things are too dry hot or cold, the snail hides inside his shell. When the box is near the right window ,the snail will be active all the time. It also adds a little world of eye catching greenery to your room.