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perhaps this isn't odd at all, but I think the kids are extracting snails from their shells. I have found several empty snail shells in the tank. They used to eat them shell and all. Is it possible that they are doing this? it seems odd to me. it's more work to pull the snail out than just chomp the whole thing.

They will eat the shell for the calcium, I think.

So they may have no need for the calcium, which is why they're pulling them out instead?

That's my guess....They just want the soft, chewy center (yuck).

Yummy! Escargot! Yuck indeed, but as long as they're eating plenty of cuttlebone.. Thanks! it's just more odd turtle fun.

Are the shells harder than before, possibly the snails are larger than before?

What type of snails? I've got snails in my fish tank, and when I cleaned it today, I found a bunch of dead snails... The shell is much lighter in colour and of course empty. Maybe the snails are dying of "natural causes"?

I can't recall where, but I read a horror story about snails completely overrunning a habitat.....they got inside the filter, hoses, everything!

grey goose wrote:I can't recall where, but I read a horror story about snails completely overrunning a habitat.....they got inside the filter, hoses, everything!

I'd like to see them try that in Sheba's tank.....

Grey Goose- I read those stories too, but my turtles eat them too fast. I have had baby snails in my tank all over the place for a couple of days. Then they completely disappear. I thought the bigger one were not as appealing, but they seem to have figured out how to eat them too. I had 2 dozen little snails in November, and I am down to less than 10 snails total. They have also spawned 3 times that I know of, but I have yet to see snails building an army in the tank. I know it could happen, but I think Spike is a rather exceptional snail hunter.
Steve-I think the size difference is a logical explanation. The three empty shells were all bigger snails.
Bulldog_ I thought they were just dead at first too, but the shells have little telltale nips around the opening in the shell.

They could be nipping at the snails enough to injure them and cause them to die. I find it hard to believe that a turtle would have the patience (and knowhow) to extract a snail from its shell...

My turtle seriously did extract the snail from the shell. I watched her. She'd get them when they were out and just nip and nip and nip at them until they died, and they weren't able to go back in all the way. So she'd dig her claws in and pull and eat. She'd leave behind the shell and the trap door. And if a snail dies, they normally just don't leave behind the trap door in another section of the tank...

What's a "trap door"?

Marisa- That explanation works too. It is possible that they just killed them. As you well know however, turtles are very clever and tenacious. I haven't witnessed it, but would they leave something alone once they killed it? I have noticed thier little claws are quite dexterous, and sort of wondered if they might not be able to do what daredevilgirl013 descibed...

It could depend on the size of the snail. With the small size of the snails in the tanks here, and the zeal with which my painteds grab food, I know they're not going to take the time to extract them from their shells. They'll just crunch them up. My RES just swallows them whole.

I think if something smelled good to them or they were hungry, they'd eat whatever they killed.