Mauno's First Date

[etana]

Haha glad to make you laugh Zorst. Snails look so funny when they get something off of their faces, rolling the little face up inwards. Usually they eat the stuff if it's good, but not this time!

Exactly Jo, snails can be greedy, but if they can't sleep because they must get up and binge, then that's not okay.

I'm not sure if Maija liked her new name. When we started calling her that, she started testing whether she could push the ceiling off the tank (which she obviously can't, as it's locked), LOL. Anyhow, we agree that it's a good name for her and they are a truly lovely pair of snails.
Right now Maija is sleeping on top of Mauno who is making many funny faces haha, he's probably wondering how to get to the food dish without waking her up. Too bad I must go to bed very soon myself, hoping to catch up with my sleep deprivation this week.

[jolovessnailies]

I would love to have seen that too love, with having much younger snails, there is lots of piggy-backing going on in my tank too. I am sure she will get used to her pretty new name. I am beginning to notice funny faces too, they certainly make up for having no hands LOL!!

Hugs
JO xx

[etana]

I HAVE EGGS!!!!!!!!!!!

Only nine, but they're perfect, hard-shelled eggs that were laid in one place so perhaps they're a real clutch. Even if it's still only for practise, they're definitely getting near to having babies. Wooooowww I feel like it's Christmas already.

I have to commend snails for taking baby-making so seriously, practising all of it before the real deal.

This might also explain why Maija got angry with me for trying to check her for eggs - she actually closed her breathing hole and pulled her mantle deeper into her shell, while still looking at me making faces!

And exactly Jo, it's quite a multi-purpose foot.  Some of my snails eat like rodents, holding the food with the foot's front edges. It's adorable.

Ok I've got to get ready for work, but I couldn't skip telling you this right away!

[mangoandlemon]

YAAAAAAY! Congrats!

[Zorst]

YAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

Well done and congrats Etana, Mauno and Maija. Fingers crossed you'll all soon be listening to contended rasping and the slither of little foots.

Zorst

[jolovessnailies]

That is fantastic Etana love, I am so very pleased for you. Snailies have obviously been going to snail ante-natal clinics and have produced some lovely baby eggs LOL! I am beginning to see why they are so studied and adored and I look forward to the first time I see a snaily eat with his or her foot. Last night I was in fits of laughter. Sidney had his head and neck out as far as it was able to come and one of the baby snails (the albinos) had attached himself to Sidney's neck but with his bottom in Sidney's face. They weren't like it for long, I think Sidney thought that was a bit of a bloody cheek, in more ways than one.

Hugs
JO xx

[etana]

Thanks all!

Here's my favourite picture ever of a snail eating like a rodent... (Gaius on the right, Ewert (RIP) on the left)

Gaius is these days a huge fat monster, though the tamest and calmest of all my snails, and he still grabs pieces of food like that LOL. Sometimes my fulica do it too, but I've never been able to take a pic this good again. 

Thanks for sharing Jo, I laughed  
Snails are so funny and fascinating. 

[mangoandlemon]

Aawwwwwwwwww! * dies of cuteness*

[Zorst]

That's a great pic Etana,

Zorst

[etana]

Thanks
It's so funny, Gaius is smaller in that photo than my baby albino Tigers are now.

Back to Mauno - I put mince meat, sweet potato and apple pieces on the food dish yesterday, and Mauno was the first to get up and go eat. He sat next to the dish, and took a bite of apple, a bite of meat, a bite of sweet potato, back to apple, etc, for a couple hours. Such manners, just like in a fine restaurant where you'd never eat only one kind of food on the plate.

So this brings it even further that we joke about Mauno having a PhD from tank university, such a gentle-snail.

I collected the eggs into a tiny tub with some soil and put it to the corner of the tank. The snails go on top of and under it a lot. I can't wait to see if the eggs are viable.

[mangoandlemon]

That's what I did for my new eggs. I hope they are viable!

[jolovessnailies]

That is so gorgeous Etana and I agree it is a one in a million photo. Ha ha, I think he has been to snail finishing school with those exquisite table manners LOL!! Everything crossed for the eggs hun, I have no eggs yet nor any bulges but my eyesight is not good and they probably think in I am being pervy keep scrutinising them LOL!!

Hugs
JO xx

[etana]

I'm travelling for a couple days, typing this on a borrowed computer right now, but when we left yesterday the eggs had not changed. Just in case something lovely would happen, I put a tiny piece of food into the egg tub.

Interestingly, Maija sealed herself in yesterday. A. balteata do that when they want a peaceful rest after changes (Mauno has always sealed in for a little while if I've moved him from one tank to another), but nothing had changed in the tank for a while. I hope she'll have come back out again when we get back tomorrow.

Did I mention that Mauno had the sweetest little interaction with a baby Tiger? He'd pat the Tiger with his feelers and give soft kisses.

[mangoandlemon]

I hope they are ok, poor Maija, perhaps she needs a break from the boys. Perhaps a friendship is growing with them?

[etana]

Yeah perhaps, I can imagine as the tank is starting to be a bit small with everyone growing. I'm getting more tanks next time I'm paid.

Mauno has looked after the baby Tigers before, but it was still so sweet to see a one on one interaction. I was telling him, "one day you're going to have babies like that of your own, aren't you Mauno dear"