From Dina Gachman at Texas Monthly comes the snail appreciation piece you didn’t know you needed. Meet Gary, a once-doomed milk snail who spawned an undying love of all things gastropod in Jorjana Gietl, and learn about a community of enthusiasts who share tips and tricks on how to keep their snails happy and healthy.
Snails are easy to breed because they’re hermaphroditic, so males and females possess both ova and spermatozoa, doubling the rate of conception. If breeders like Gietl and Belkin find a clutch, which is a cluster of eggs, it’s like a little surprise in the terrarium. You don’t have to do anything fancy to care for snail eggs. There are no delivery instructions or special care. Just wait and watch until the teeny babies appear and start adorably sipping water and nibbling on a cuttlebone.
Not long after I meet Gary, I head back over to my favorite online snail-appreciation page for a little mood boost. Sure enough, mere seconds after I start scrolling, my spirits lift and I’m giggling at a post in which people are sharing their pet snails’ names: Grover, Gwen, Raspberry, Rosa Diaz, and Doug Judy. And then I remember something Gietl told me. “If you’re quiet enough, you can hear them eating.”
More picks from Texas Monthly
The Juror Who Found Herself Guilty
“‘If you didn’t do it, I would still be there.’ His voice was weak with emotion.”
More Than 4,000 Moth Species Flit Across Texas. One Scientist Photographed 550 in His Yard.
“Smaller, more obscure moths are Curtis Eckerman’s favorites: ‘I love seeing the little jewels that you can’t normally see.’”
“The River House Broke. We Rushed in the River.”
“On July 4, the Guadalupe ripped our home from its pillars, pulling my family into its waters and into the night. Then morning came.”
