It is known that many animal species resort to cannibalization whenever food sources are scarce.
Examples of animals that cannibalize are salamanders, praying mantises, various spider species, chickens, and scorpions.
But what about snails?
Do snails resort to cannibalization once their food supply runs out?
In this article, you’ll find the exact answer to this question and after I’ve answered this question then I’ll also share a few more answers to closely related questions.
Do snails eat other snails?
Of course, various snail species will feast on other snail species.
Generally, a bunch of snail species are either carnivores or omnivores or feed on other snail species in times of desperate need.
On the other hand, there are also snail species out there that are herbivorous and therefore won’t eat any snail species.
Check out the video below if you want to see a snail eat another snail.
Can snails eat other snails?
Various snail species can and will feed on other snail species, especially when they are hungry enough.
But when other food sources are available then you won’t generally see snails feeding on other snails.
It is, however, common to see various snail species eating on the corpses of dead snails.
Do mystery snails eat other snails?
Usually, mystery snails only feed on other snails when they are starving and can’t find any other good food sources.
They are gastropods that, for example, commonly feed on algae patches when these are available to them.
So, it isn’t uncommon to see any mystery snails eating other snail species as mystery snails are omnivores.
Do nerite snails eat other snails?
Nerite snails only eat other snails when they are starving because, under normal circumstances, they usually eat algae plants.
They’re also classified as aquarium cleaning snails because they feed on algae that is present in any aquarium.
Nerite snails are classified as detrivores and herbivores.
Do assassin snails eat other snails?
Assassin snails are carnivores and eat other snails for food, especially if the fellow snails are smaller than the assassin snails.
But if put together with large snails like giant Sulawesi, they cannot overpower and feast on them.
In most cases, the snails commonly consumed by assassin snails include ramshorn snails, Malaysian trumpet snails, and pond snails.
Check out the video below if you want to see an assassin snail eat another snail.
Do assassin snails eat apple snails?
Normally, assassin snails do not eat apple snails unless they are very hungry.
Assassin snails typically feed on eggs that are laid by other snails which helps keep the population of other snail species at bay.
The eggs of apple snails, however, won’t be eaten by assassin snails because they lay their eggs above the water and stay there in most cases, making it quite challenging for assassin snails to find and consume them.
Do assassin snails eat mystery snails?
Whenever assassin snails run into mystery snails then you can be sure that assassin snails will try to eat them.
They can, however, only eat the eggs of mystery snails when they travel to the top of the water as this is the only place where mystery snails commonly lay their eggs.
Assassin snails are commonly found on the bottom of the water and therefore you won’t often see them going after the eggs of mystery snails that can be found on top of the water.
Do assassin snails eat nerite snails?
Assassin snails can only feast on nerite snails whenever they’re able to overpower them as nerite snails are often larger than assassin snails.
Assassin snails are also said to leave nerite snails alone because, in most cases, they will only overpower and eat snails smaller than them or those of their size.
You’ll, however, see assassin snails eating smaller nerite snails or you’ll see them trying to overpower a nerite snail of the same size as them.
Do assassin snails eat eggs of other snails?
Assassin snails indeed eat the eggs of other snail species, especially when other food sources are scarce.
Assassin snails also often eat the eggs of other snail species to make sure that the population of these snail species stays at bay.
However, you won’t often see assassin snails feeding on the eggs of mystery snails or nerite snails as their eggs are often found at the top of the water bed whilst assassin snails often hunt at the bottom.
How many snails will an assassin snail eat?
Typically, an assassin snail can eat about one to two snails a day depending on the size of both the assassin snail in question and also on the size of the prey.
Usually, though, assassin snails consume one or two snails of their size every day.
But if the snails that are being eaten are smaller than the assassin snail then the assassin snail may consume approximately three to five tiny snails to fulfill its hunger.
Do garden snails eat other snails?
Under no occasion will you ever find garden snails eating other snails because they are herbivores.
They feed on vegetables, leaves, and flowers from plants that commonly grow in gardens.
They are, however, able to eat the matter of dead animals as well whenever they’re in the mood.
Do apple snails eat other snails?
Apple snails are not picky eaters and therefore eat anything they come across, so also various other snail species.
They have a flexible diet as they can eat various vegetables such as spinach and carrots, and they sometimes even eat various fish species.
Because of their diet, apple snails are identified as omnivores.
Do rabbit snails eat other snails?
Rabbit snails are herbivorous, therefore, they do not feed on other snails for survival.
The main food sources for rabbit snails are decaying matter, algae, and vegetables like kales, lettuce, and zucchini.
They can also consume processed foods like fish flakes.
Do aquarium snails eat other snails?
Aquarium snails feast on other snails and especially love to feed on assassin snails.
You will, however, also see them eating various other smaller snail species.
Also, they won’t run away from a standoff between a snail of their size either.
Do Malaysian trumpet snails eat other snails?
Malaysian trumpet snails can feed on other snails even though they are, generally, friendly and non-aggressive.
You will even see Malaysian trumpet snails eat fish food whenever they get the chance.
Because they will both eat plant-based and meat-based foods, they’re seen as omnivores.
Do golden mystery snails eat other snails?
In most cases, golden mystery snails commonly feed on biofilm and algae, and they also consume invertebrates and various vegetables.
However, they also feed on other snails whenever their primary food sources are not available.
Golden mystery snails are because of their plant-based and meat-based diets seen as omnivores.
What kind of snails eat other snails?
The most common carnivorous snail is the assassin snail which completely depends on eating other snails and other animals to survive.
At the same time, other snails like apple snails, Malaysian trumpet snails, mystery snails, golden mystery snails, and aquarium snails will only eat other snails when they’re starving.
All of these just mentioned snail species will also eat the eggs of other snail species.
Do snails eat other baby snails?
Various adult snail species will consume baby snails, especially during starvation.
But you won’t often find snails eating their babies.
Assassin snails are examples of a snail species that would love to eat the baby snails of other snail species.
Do snails eat dead snails?
Despite some snail species being carnivores, there are also other snail species out there that won’t hunt live snails but will feed on dead snails whenever the situation asks for it.
For example, snail species that belong to the genus Euglandina are often found preying on dead snails.
There are also various sea snail species out there that love to feed on a mixture of carrion and plant-based foods.
Do snails cannibalize?
Cannibalism is common among snails, especially during starvation.
It is, for example, common amongst aquarium snails and apple snails.
Assassin snails are an example of a snail species that normally won’t cannibalize.
Do snails eat the eggs of other snails?
Typically, snails feed on the eggs of other snails, especially when they are hungry and whenever their main food sources are not present.
Snail species like, for example, apple snails, therefore, won’t lay their eggs on the bottom of the water bed as many carnivores and other snail species will other feed on them.
Instead, apple snails will lay their eggs on the top of the water where many predators won’t come.
Do snails eat the shells of other snails?
It is not common for snails to eat the shells of other snails unless they lack calcium.
The shells of snails contain calcium and therefore become a food source for them whenever they are low in calcium.
Whenever snails are low on calcium then they’ll often hunt down smaller snail species and then eat their shells.
How do you ensure you stop snails from eating each other?
Always ensure you give your snails enough food to prevent them from feeding on their tankmates.
Also, ensure all nutrients, especially calcium and vitamins, are given in sufficient amounts to prevent them from eating tankmates.
It is always best to keep yourself to a feeding schedule that will ensure that your snails won’t ever become too hungry.
Conclusion
In this article, you’ve learned that various snail species will indeed eat on one another whenever the situation asks for it.
And you’ve also learned that there are certain snail species out there that will not eat other snail species because they’re herbivorous, which is, for example, the case with garden snails.