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Pets and Animals
Snails and Slugs
How to Feed a Land Snail Download Article Co-authored by Joe Perez
Last Updated: October 13, 2025 Approved
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Choosing Healthy Foods for Your Snail
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Avoiding Dangerous Foods
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Expert Interview
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Tips
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This article was co-authored by Joe Perez. Joe Perez is an Aquatic and Terrarium Specialist and the Manager of the Chlorophyll Corner, based in Tempe, Arizona. Joe has been part of the aquatic and reptile industry and hobby for almost 30 years. His specialty is in creating planted aquariums and full-setup terrariums. The Chlorophyll Corner started as a small family plant store and has grown to a full-planted aquarium shop with an Instagram following of over 82,000 people. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 17 testimonials and 100% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 252,029 times.
Snails can be fun pets and are really easy to look after. Simply feed the snail a variety of organic fruit and vegetables and give it a shallow dish of water to keep it hydrated. Avoid giving the snail processed foods and starchy foods as this can harm its digestive system. Enjoy watching the snail grow as you continue to feed it.
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Method 1 Method 1 of 2:
Choosing Healthy Foods for Your Snail
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1 Source a variety of fruit and vegetables to feed your snail. Raw produce is the best food option for snails, as it contains the most nutrients and is easy to digest.[1]X Expert Source Joe PerezAquatic and Terrarium SpecialistExpert Interview Apple, aubergine, cucumber, carrot, tomatoes, and lettuce are cheap and easy options; however, any fruit and vegetables are fine.[2]XResearch source
Give the snail a variety of fruit and vegetables to ensure that it gets a wide range of nutrients.
Feed the snail organic produce, as snails are sensitive to pesticides.
2 Peel the food into thin strips or cut it into 1 centimetre (0.39 in) cubes. This makes it easier for the snail to eat. Use a food peeler to shave thin strips off the fruit or vegetables. If the food can’t be peeled, use a sharp knife to cut it into thin slices or small cubes.[3]XResearch source
Don’t worry about removing thin skins from fruit or vegetable such as carrots. Thick-skinned produce, such as bananas and pumpkins should be peeled to make it easier for the snail to eat the flesh.
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3 Replenish the snail's food supply when it runs out. The snails will stop eating once it has had enough. When you notice that the snail has eaten all of its food, simply give it some more fruit and vegetables.[4]XResearch source
Over time, you will get used to how much the snail eats and will be able to plan accordingly.
4 Replace any uneaten food after 3 days to stop if from rotting. Most fruit and vegetables have a relatively short shelf life when they are kept out of the fridge. Replace the fresh produce regularly to stop it from going bad.[5]XResearch source
5 Place a shallow, plastic dish of water by the snail's food. The snail will drink the water and also bathe in it to keep its shell hydrated.[6]X Expert Source Joe PerezAquatic and Terrarium SpecialistExpert Interview Place no more than 1 centimetre (0.39 in) of water in the dish help prevent the snail from drowning in the water. Do not use a dish of any material you aren't able to bend. A snail can fall on this and damage their shells.
Make sure the dish is secure and will not spill.
6 Leave a cuttlefish bone with the snail's food to increase its calcium intake. In order to build and repair its shell, snails need calcium. The snail will absorb the calcium through its foot when it sits on top of the cuttlefish. Place the cuttlefish bone beside its food to help encourage them to sit on it.
Purchase a cuttlefish bone from a pet shop.
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Avoiding Dangerous Foods
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1 Stay away from salty foods. Your snail only needs a very small amount of salt in its diet, which is naturally found in fruit and vegetables. Foods with a high salt content will dehydrate the snail and make it unwell.
Avoid packaged food, as this tends to have a high salt content.
2 Avoid feeding the snail pasta, rice, and millet. Snails are unable to digest any food that has a lot of starch. These foods cause the snail to experience bloating and internal blockages. This can make the snail sick and can be fatal.
3 Limit the amount of acidic food that you feed the snail. Provide the snail with a variety of food options. Avoid only feeding the snail acidic fruit such as tomatoes, oranges, and tangerines, as these can be harmful if they aren’t supplemented with other foods.
As long as the snail has less-acidic food options, it is fine to feed it acidic foods as well.
4 Avoid fruit and vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides. Snails are really sensitive to the pesticides that are sprayed on fruit. Avoid any fruit and vegetables that aren’t organically grown.
Look for “organic” and “spray-free” signs when you are doing your fruit and vegetable shopping.
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Community Q&A
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Question My snail is a picky eater and it does not come out of its shell a lot, only if I take it out of the tank. What should I do? Lucy Thurgood Top Answerer Keep in mind that most snails are nocturnal creatures and are most active at night, leave out a variety of foods and check in the next day to see what's being eaten. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 14 Helpful 165
Question What is the amount of food I should feed my snail? Tigerclaw476 Community Answer It depends on what type of snail you have. If you have a land snail, you should give it 3 pieces of algae, fungi, lettuce, cucumbers, and carrots. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 28 Helpful 123
Question How do I give my snails water? Community Answer Get a clean spray bottle and fill with water not tap water (because of chlorine) and dampen the jar or tank. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 31 Helpful 152
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Tips
Take extra caution not to feed your snails any fruits or vegetables that have been treated with pesticides, as these are typically poisonous. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
When a snail is hungry, it will scrape its little tongue on surfaces to search for food. If a snail is licking you (it should feel like a tickle), then it's hungry.
Don't give your snails tap water as it can contain chlorine that may harm them.
You can use crushed up eggshells as another calcium source.
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about snail care, check out our in-depth interview with Joe Perez.
References
↑ Joe Perez. Aquatic and Terrarium Specialist. Expert Interview
↑ Joe Perez. Aquatic and Terrarium Specialist. Expert Interview
About This Article
Co-authored by: Joe Perez Aquatic and Terrarium Specialist This article was co-authored by Joe Perez. Joe Perez is an Aquatic and Terrarium Specialist and the Manager of the Chlorophyll Corner, based in Tempe, Arizona. Joe has been part of the aquatic and reptile industry and hobby for almost 30 years. His specialty is in creating planted aquariums and full-setup terrariums. The Chlorophyll Corner started as a small family plant store and has grown to a full-planted aquarium shop with an Instagram following of over 82,000 people. This article has been viewed 252,029 times. 4 votes - 100% Co-authors: 17Updated: October 13, 2025 Views: 252,029 Categories: Snails and SlugsArticle SummaryX
To feed a land snail, give it fresh produce, like apples, cucumbers, and carrots, that you've cut into thin strips or small cubes. Make sure you use organic produce since land snails are sensitive to pesticides. After you add the food to its enclosure, leave it there for up to 3 days before replacing it with fresh produce. If your snail eats it all before then, replenish its food so it has enough to eat. To learn how to avoid feeding your land snail dangerous, unhealthy foods, scroll down!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Reader Success Stories
Bob Donge
Jun 6, 2021
"My snails never ate or drank when I got them, so I searched on wikiHow to take care of snail, so I followed these steps and my snails started eating and drinking getting much healthier. Long story short, this article is very helpful. Thank you to you all."..." more
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Joe Perez Aquatic and Terrarium Specialist Co-authors: 17Updated: October 13, 2025 Views: 252,029100% of readers found this article helpful. 4 votes - 100% Click a star to add your vote
Bob Donge
Jun 6, 2021
"My snails never ate or drank when I got them, so I searched on wikiHow to take care of snail, so I followed these steps and my snails started eating and drinking getting much healthier. Long story short, this article is very helpful. Thank you to you all."..." more
Seymour Evans
Jul 9, 2021
"I found a snail on the sidewalk when I was walking home and then I said to my mom: "Mommy, can we bring this snail home?" And she said okay and then we built it a home. But we needed some tips and I found wikiHow, so thanks wikiHow."..." more
Thomas Songor
Nov 27, 2018
"Your article reassures me of feeding my snails with the right kind of food from the local market. My snails are doing well. Your article is fantastic and beneficial, thank you so much."..." more
Juliette Ayala
Jun 22, 2016
"I have 9 snails and this article showed me how to take care of them because all of them were in my backyard with almost no plants and safety and I have 2 dogs that eat everything."..." more
Carole Johnson
Mar 22, 2018
"The whole article. What to feed, how to feed, how often to feed, and especially to wash the food first. Thank you so much for the information."..." more Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories
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Co-authored by: Joe Perez Aquatic and Terrarium Specialist This article was co-authored by Joe Perez. Joe Perez is an Aquatic and Terrarium Specialist and the Manager of the Chlorophyll Corner, based in Tempe, Arizona. Joe has been part of the aquatic and reptile industry and hobby for almost 30 years. His specialty is in creating planted aquariums and full-setup terrariums. The Chlorophyll Corner started as a small family plant store and has grown to a full-planted aquarium shop with an Instagram following of over 82,000 people. This article has been viewed 252,029 times. 4 votes - 100% Co-authors: 17 Updated: October 13, 2025 Views: 252,029 Categories: Snails and Slugs Article SummaryX
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1 Source a variety of fruit and vegetables to feed your snail. Raw produce is the best food option for snails, as it contains the most nutrients and is easy to digest.[1] Apple, aubergine, cucumber, carrot, tomatoes, and lettuce are cheap and easy options; however, any fruit and vegetables are fine.[2] 
2 Peel the food into thin strips or cut it into 1 centimetre (0.39 in) cubes. This makes it easier for the snail to eat. Use a food peeler to shave thin strips off the fruit or vegetables. If the food can’t be peeled, use a sharp knife to cut it into thin slices or small cubes.[3] 
3 Replenish the snail's food supply when it runs out. The snails will stop eating once it has had enough. When you notice that the snail has eaten all of its food, simply give it some more fruit and vegetables.[4] 
4 Replace any uneaten food after 3 days to stop if from rotting. Most fruit and vegetables have a relatively short shelf life when they are kept out of the fridge. Replace the fresh produce regularly to stop it from going bad.[5] 
5 Place a shallow, plastic dish of water by the snail's food. The snail will drink the water and also bathe in it to keep its shell hydrated.[6] Place no more than 1 centimetre (0.39 in) of water in the dish help prevent the snail from drowning in the water. Do not use a dish of any material you aren't able to bend. A snail can fall on this and damage their shells. 
6 Leave a cuttlefish bone with the snail's food to increase its calcium intake. In order to build and repair its shell, snails need calcium. The snail will absorb the calcium through its foot when it sits on top of the cuttlefish. Place the cuttlefish bone beside its food to help encourage them to sit on it. 
1 Stay away from salty foods. Your snail only needs a very small amount of salt in its diet, which is naturally found in fruit and vegetables. Foods with a high salt content will dehydrate the snail and make it unwell. 
2 Avoid feeding the snail pasta, rice, and millet. Snails are unable to digest any food that has a lot of starch. These foods cause the snail to experience bloating and internal blockages. This can make the snail sick and can be fatal. 
3 Limit the amount of acidic food that you feed the snail. Provide the snail with a variety of food options. Avoid only feeding the snail acidic fruit such as tomatoes, oranges, and tangerines, as these can be harmful if they aren’t supplemented with other foods. 
4 Avoid fruit and vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides. Snails are really sensitive to the pesticides that are sprayed on fruit. Avoid any fruit and vegetables that aren’t organically grown. 
Lucy Thurgood Top Answerer Keep in mind that most snails are nocturnal creatures and are most active at night, leave out a variety of foods and check in the next day to see what's being eaten. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 14 Helpful 165 
Tigerclaw476 Community Answer It depends on what type of snail you have. If you have a land snail, you should give it 3 pieces of algae, fungi, lettuce, cucumbers, and carrots. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 28 Helpful 123 
Community Answer Get a clean spray bottle and fill with water not tap water (because of chlorine) and dampen the jar or tank. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 31 Helpful 152 
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