My little giant is growing rapidly now. I can't get it to diversify its diet yet though. It tried a bit of dandelion and a bit of spinach but doesn't seem interested in trying anything else we offer it.
In other snail-like news; I found my first river limpet this weekend. Mostly first because I only heard about fresh water limpets on Friday and decided to look for one on Saturday. They look a bit like a flattened wizard's hat but are technically pulmonate snails.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Lovely to see him @wild edges. So pleased for you. They are fussy eaters, mine like Romaine Hearts or Sweet Gem lettuce, Philippa said her liked french bean leaves. I expect that now I’ve sown seeds for all that they’ll change their minds, not that they have any minds. I find them fascinating in the way they get around, find the food, decide to be fussy, have a crunch on the cuttlefish then go in their coconut shell houses by morning and they have no brain. Have you got a little house he can go in through the day? I’ve never seen a freshwater limpet, only thought of them as living in the sea.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
He's just had an upgrade to a bigger bug box so I'm looking for a suitable sized house at the moment. He tends to tuck under a dandelion leaf quite happily though. I found him a cuttlefish bone on the weekend. A nice fresh one. It's been rinsed with frsh water and now just needs airing out to try and get rid of the slight aroma of squid
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Like the River limpet @wild edges - like Lyn, I've not come across one before so nice to see. Your little giant looks good too. They do seem incredibly fussy as to lunch/dinner tho. I've tried all sorts over the 12 months or so I've had them. I've not yet managed to get them interested in much other than Bean leaves and Radichio/Chicory leaves which they will always eat along with the inevitable cucumber. They did eat some Romaine lettuce but a lot went to waste and they show no interest in the Mazur lettuce either. Be interested to know if you find anything else that's acceptable.
I thought I sent you a cuttle bone @wildedges, ? if it smells of squid it may still have traces of salt, they need to be boiled and the water changed several times. I think they then put them in the oven.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I've still got plenty left out of the bit you sent @Lyn but I saw this one floating around and it was in pristine condition so I held onto it. The older ones could pick up all sorts of chemicals so I'd avoid those. They're not absorbant when fresh so they won't hold much salt once they've been cleaned and rinsed well.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
As you know I have no patience with snails in my garden, especially since learning they carry eggs of parasitic worms that have killed 3 of my chooks. I usually either stamp on them, lob them into the pond or chuck them across the road where they can live in the hedgerow or take their chances crossing back.
Recently, I've found a few pretty banded snails which seem to be Grove snails. I have been carefully relocating them to the hedgerow across the lane.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
My little giant has been eating his dandelion leaves like a good little snail. It helps if I don't put cucumber in there though. Apparently they'll eat fish flakes so I might try some of that. I'm trying a bit of carrot today but that might be a bit experimental.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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They are fussy eaters, mine like Romaine Hearts or Sweet Gem lettuce, Philippa said her liked french bean leaves. I expect that now I’ve sown seeds for all that they’ll change their minds, not that they have any minds.
I find them fascinating in the way they get around, find the food, decide to be fussy, have a crunch on the cuttlefish then go in their coconut shell houses by morning and they have no brain.
Have you got a little house he can go in through the day?
I’ve never seen a freshwater limpet, only thought of them as living in the sea.
Your little giant looks good too. They do seem incredibly fussy as to lunch/dinner tho. I've tried all sorts over the 12 months or so I've had them. I've not yet managed to get them interested in much other than Bean leaves and Radichio/Chicory leaves which they will always eat along with the inevitable cucumber. They did eat some Romaine lettuce but a lot went to waste and they show no interest in the Mazur lettuce either.
Be interested to know if you find anything else that's acceptable.
Recently, I've found a few pretty banded snails which seem to be Grove snails. I have been carefully relocating them to the hedgerow across the lane.