I think I have hatchlings - Whoop!!

[jolovessnailies]

I am not absolutely sure but I think I hvae hatchlings. I picked up one of the albins the morning attached to her were three tiny what look like shells. My eyesight is pants and I couldn't be sure even with glasses on but I do think they were babies. Clinging to one of the Albinos they are very tiny and brown. Any advice please? I only found three but I am going to have to be very vigilant from now on as they can so easily be missed.

Hugs
JO xx

[etana]

Hmmm... Sounds like fulica babies. There could be lots of them now. Congrats hun, I know you wanted fulica babies very eagerly.

Just like the Albino Margie babies, they can look after themselves surprisingly well. They're just much smaller and more fragile the first few days. They can, and will, take tiny nibbles of the adults' food and calcium, no need to change anything about that. Just offer many types of food (like you have already done).

Now when you clean up you have to double check you're not throwing away tiny snails, and the bath tub must be checked as well. Also keep doing regular egg checks. Fulica are so prolific that in a few weeks you'll probably have eggs again and it's easy to end up with more snails than you can handle.

[etana]

Hi Jo, I thought I'd post a couple pictures to help you determine they little creatures you found are really snails. Here are some old pictures of my fulica hatchlings, in the second pic there's Mommy Halonen with very young babies so you can see how big the size difference really can be. 


Yes those are my fingers the babies are on. They're just getting their first pigment.


I do have to say that in this picture, Mommy Halonen gives the impression that she might be a rather strange mommy... But the babies I caught in the picture are so young, they don't even have the spots or skin pigment yet.

Hope this helps! 

[jolovessnailies]

Thanks for the photos Etana love and maybe I am mistaken. I had a good look around today and could find nothing. I still have those white eggs that are like small birds eggs that I told you about but the snailies keep moving them around. I am really careful now, I checked what food was left this morning for babies and there were none. The bath is an open dish so I would see any babies in there so it is all a bit of a mystery. They do look like the ones you have so kindly photographed but really really tiny. Maybe it was something else, I still have so much to learn about snailies. When are the white eggs likely to hatch or are they likely to be just a practise run?

Hugs
Jo xx

[etana]

Yes they are tiny, see how new hatchlings in the second pic are only two or three times the size of Halonen's eyeball, and how the pic of the slightly older ones had to be zoomed in so close, the width of my two fingers didn't fit in the photo!
It could be that the clutch has been small and/or with many infertile eggs and there aren't many babies, and at that size they are great at hiding. They congregate under cuttlefish bones, food dishes and bath tubs, and also really high up at the tank corners.
It's good that they're not in the bath tub yet, it's not safe for them until they're a little bigger and control their tiny feet better. Thankfully snails drown slowly, and sometimes the adults even help their own little ones out of the water.

If you're talking about the 4 bigger eggs, it sounds like they are test eggs and thus likely infertile. Other than that, snail egg hatching time is everything from immediate to some weeks.

[jolovessnailies]

Thank you Etana hun and I definitely have hatchlings. I saw 4 of them this morning, climbing up the glass, perfectly formed little snails, I was so happy, I must be doing something right and they are so adorable and cute. I am going to have to be really careful now when throwing old food away and cleaning the glass, that I don't accidentally catch a little person, they are so delicate and yet so independent. You are right, they do head for the top of the tank and I too am a little concerned about the bathing pool, I keep popping in to make sure some little person isn't in trouble. In fact Paul has a just checked on them and someone who has tipped the bowl over so It had to be replaced, naughty snailies.

I will look under everything that is in there as it is natural that they will want to hide. I think the large eggs are infertile Etana, I think they would have hatched by now if they weren't. I will keep you posted.

Love and hugs
Jo xxx

[jolovessnailies]

Yes, definitely have hatchings, little pin head beautifully formed little snailies. I have to be so careful now though in the morning and check the old food really thoroughly incase someone is in it. There were three this morning. They are so tiny and very cute, I ask myself how can something this small look after him/herself but they do. I will keep you posted.

Hugs
JO xx

[etana]

Baby snails are such a delight. I always smile so much watching them just learn to snail across soil, they keep falling over but they always get back up and continue snailing with such determination. Plus their big eyes are just so funny.
I try to get rid of as many eggs as possible, due to there already being overcrowding, but I can't keep up with all that my sneaky Tauno does (hiding single eggs and such) so I always have a couple tiny ones in the big tank. At least the population only grows by a couple snails at a time if my clutch removals are successful enough, so I think I can handle it by rehoming a bunch come warm weather.
Yes they are very independent, and it's also baffling that such a tiny baby grows so big so fast, multiplying the shell size by I don't know just what factor. 

By summer they'll be teenagers, having their first bulges and kisses and sleepless days, then falling in love, and well on their way to making you a great-grand-humum! 

[jolovessnailies]

Oh Etana hunny, thank you for such a lovely post. They are indeed a delight but I wish they were easier to see. Everytime I see one my heart does a little leap. The problem I have is getting them all off the food in the morning. This morning I found about 8 on various lettuce leaves, fruit, veg and I am worried in case I miss any, I cannot bear the thought of them being in the bin so I am very careful but I am so worried in case any slip through the net so to speak. If I find any more eggs I will put them in the freezer otherwise it is all going to go out of control I realise that but so far, no more eggies have been found and I had a good search yesterday.

That is a good idea, just keeping a couple of each batch you find Etana and yes I am looking forward very much to be a grand-grand-humum to all these little lovelies. I keep seeing them hitching rides n the much bigger snails and I just melt, it is so lovely.

Hugs
JO xx

[jolovessnailies]

Oh dear, sorry about that, I think I hit the wrong button. Sorry ladies.

Hugs
JO xx

[etana]

It's ok, I'll fix it with my Magical Moderator Powers.

[etana]

Ah I didn't mean intentionally keeping eggs from clutches, it's just that Tauno is so clever, he hides single eggs in strange places that I don't always find, but one or two new babies now and then I can live with, lol.

Keep us posted about the baby antics!

[jolovessnailies]

Thanks Etana love, I don't know what happened there but thank you for putting it right.

I found about 10 tinies on the food this morning after going through it with a fine tooth combe so to speak. Another three were in the corner and one on the glass. I am keeping them in with the big snailies as per Etana's advice, they will fare better. I am so worried in case I miss one though and they get thrown out with the food, it doesn't bear thinking about.

Will keep you updated as to my babies activities.

Hugs
Jo xx