My best friend has a pet snail that she treats like her baby and adores. They’re cute, have adorable little shells, and can live to be over ten years old! I find it cute too, and its cuteness piqued my interest in researching how long do snails live.
I am sure you would have seen a snail at least once in your life. Snails are no doubt an amazing creation of nature. Have their unique features ever made you question how long can snails live?
I decided to share those facts and figures with you about how long snails live? And what factors affect how long snails live? It’s time to learn everything you need to know about the lifespan of snails!
Snails And Their Lifespans
Do you want to know how long do land snails live? Or how long do pond snails live? Here is a list of some snails and their lifespans.
- On average, giant African Land Snails can live up to 9 years for 4-6 years.
- Unicorn snails can reach the age of 4, and their average lifespan is 2 and a half years.
- Bladder Snail’s average lifespan only reaches 6 to 9 months, and the longest they can live is up to 1 year.
- Nerite snails live for 1-3 years on average and up to 5 years.
- Mystery snails live for 1 to 3 years on average and can reach the age of 4 years
- Ramshorn snail’s maximum lifespan is up to 3 years.
- Malaysian Trumpet Snails have an average lifespan of 1-2 years.
- Chopstick snails live for 2 – 3 years and can only reach the age of 4 at maximum.
- A hairy snail’s lifespan can be up to 3 years.
- Assassin Snails, on average, live for 2 – 3 years and may live up to 5 years.
- Pond Snails live for a year or two on average, and their maximum lifespan is 3 years.
How Long Do Snails Live?
You must have noticed that snails hardly do anything, they are hardly active, and they hardly move. Their slow paced-ness often makes their owners think their pet is dead; trust me, that happens. So people should know beforehand how long do snails live as pets.
Snails are kept as pets with a lot of love. As they are kept safely in aquariums, they live longer and can even pass the teenage. On the other hand, in the wild, where living conditions may get harsh, they hardly live long.
If you have a pet snail or plan to have one, you may wonder how long can snails live? If you pet one with care and devotion, they can reach the age of 25, which is very amusing. Their lifespans vary in the wild, where they are in their natural habitats. On average, they live anywhere from 1 year to 10 years.
Related guides:
- Can fish drown?
- How to lower ph in an aquarium?
- How to manage your axolotls?
- Can you eat goldfish?
- How to kill a fish humanely?
Garden Snails And Their Lifespan
Garden snails are the most common snails found in gardens, as their name implies. You can say that garden snails are one of the most hated creatures for farmers. They have their justifications for thinking so.
Garden snails are common garden plant pests. They love to nibble all crops and plants farmers work hard on. Why should the farmers not dislike the garden snails? It is totally justified. Let’s know how long can a garden snail live and what maximum age it can reach.
For your information on how long do garden snails live, they can live for 5 years. It takes them two years to reach adulthood, and once they reach their maximum age, they are in their strongest state to damage the vegetation and crop.
Mystery Snails And Their Lifespan
How many apples are we aware of apart from Apple, the famous multinational company, and the apple we eat? What if I tell you apple snails exist too? Apple snails exist, too, and you would be surprised to know how much hobbyists love them.
If you want to know how long do mystery snails live, let me share what I found from my research. I enjoyed exploring the internet and gathering facts about mystery snails and their lifespan. Mystery snails have no sensory organs other than their eyes. They can regenerate their eyes and live a very short lifespan.
Mystery snails, also known as apple snails, live a very short lifespan. The maximum they can live for in the wild is a year. If they are held captive, they may live three times more as they live up to three years in captivity.
Life Expectancy of Aquarium Snails
Snails can be an excellent addition to your aquariums, as they are algae eaters. They will not only clean your aquarium, but they will also not bother other living things present in the aquarium. Fish, turtles, or more snails, keep whatever you want in your aquarium; the aquarium snails won’t harm them.
The aquarium snail, my friend, owns is also very peaceful. It hardly moves from its place, let alone the thought of harming other fish. Even if it gets scared, it hides in its shell. I asked my friend if she knew how long do aquarium snails live.
The life expectancy of a snail can increase 3 times more than living in the wild if it is kept in an aquarium. As aquarium snails are away from their predators and the dangers they may have to face if they were in the wild, they can live for more than two decades when kept in aquariums.
How To Know A Snail’s Age
Snails carry their homes on their backs; as we all know, the shell on their back is a magnificent creation. The secret of the snail’s age also lies in its shell; the older the snail is, the thicker its shell is.
According to a study, you can also tell a snail’s age by the rings that appear on its shell. It sounds fascinating, doesn’t it? If you look carefully at the edges of its shell, you will be able to tell its age in no time, as every ring appears within a year.
Factors Determining a Snail’s Age
Reading it all till here, if you’d be thinking that you know how long do snails live in fish tanks. There are many factors that determine how long snails live; I think you should know them too. The factors depend on their nutrition, the calcium they’re taking in, and tank quality.
The nutritional needs of different snails vary, and they eat differently to meet their needs. Some feed on plants, some are carnivores, and some are omnivores, whereas some totally depend on detritus. No matter how they differ, they all need calcium for their survival.
Their shells are the most important feature of their body: calcium. The stronger their shell would be, the longer they’d live. Some people even add limestones, calcium carbonate, or powdered marble to their water tank to meet their calcium needs.
Adding such powders to the tank can mess up the pH levels of the tank water. It is very important to remember that your tank’s water temperature is normal, clean, and allows oxygen to enter. All these things determine your snail’s life.
How Do Snails Reproduce?
Like most oviparous snails mate and lay eggs to reproduce, with sperm cells and egg cells. They are either a female or a male, and in such cases, they obviously need a partner to reproduce. Such snails exist, too, who won’t need a partner to breed.
Hermaphrodite snails exist that have both egg cells and sperm cells inside their body. Which means they are both male and female at the same time. It makes reproduction easier for them, and they can multiply quickly even if you don’t have them in pairs.
What’s The Longest A Snail Has Lived For?
As I have already mentioned, a snail can live for 25 years if it is away from the dangers of the wild. But not all snails reach that age, and even if they do, not all are reported. Recently, the longest a snail lived was for more than a decade.
In the United States, a snail named George by his owner reportedly reached 14 years of age. Not all snails are lucky enough who don’t get eaten by another animal or don’t get their shells broken. Strong shells and captivity no doubt prolong a snail’s life.
How Long Do Snails Sleep?
Snails can sleep anywhere, no matter what time it is. They can sleep sideways and even sleep while they are upside down. All because of their slimy body that can stick anywhere and their shell they can always hide in.
Unlike humans, snails have a sleeping cycle of three days. They sleep for about 13 to 15 hours, and then they will stay active for around 30 hours to carry out all of their activities. Even when they’re active, you will hardly be able to figure out if they are asleep or awake.
Final Verdict:
Snails are fascinating creatures and great pets who carry their mesmerizing homes on their backs. Their shell protects them from all odds and contributes a lot to their beauty. If you want to have a pet snail and you are still wondering how long do pet snails live? Don’t worry.
Petting a snail is a wonderful idea, as they will live longer than they would have lived in the wild. Captivity prolongs a snail’s life. At least, this is the idea I got after my little research. So, without hesitation, get yourself a freshwater snail and take care of it.
