Snail Trails
in the wee hours of July 7th, 2007Disaster has struck!
I was under implicit instructions from Miss 10 to look after her newly acquired slugs…oops typo, I meant snails.
African snails to be exact. These suckers grow to the size of a saucer I’m told. Ewww. I have a compelling urge to slam the slimy things against the wall outside.
Dutifully, I’ve been misting their tank and providing fresh cucumber slices whilst Miss 10 is away on camp and then it happened.
They’re kept in a clear acrylic tank with a hinged snap on lid. Last night, doing my usual pet and slug rounds, I noticed with horror that once what was three is now two. Only two snails in the tank. Where on earth did the third one go?
It couldn’t have escaped surely, the lid was secure. Do I have a Houdini snail on my hands and is he slithering around the house as I write? It doesn’t bear thinking about.
Have the snails turned cannabalistic and turned on him? Maybe he died and was eaten by the other two? Gross. Was he the weaker sex? Okay, that was lame. Besides they are Hermaphrodites and can breed up to 200+.
Fabulous. I have visions of snails, turned escape artists, slithering up the walls, dropping off the ceiling, sliming their way into my bed. Stop it! I’m going to give myself nightmares.
Miss 10 informs me that they’re cute. Yeah right. As cute as a cockroach.
I now have the dreaded task of telling her that only two remain. This can only mean one thing…she’ll want replacements.
