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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Emergency Ward Gastropod

Horace on a runner bean leaf with raspberry

I've been looking after another casualty for the past week. Meet Horace. I found him on our kitchen door after following the silver trail he'd left behind on the carpet. We had various bits and pieces in the garden that needed to be taken to the council tip and we think he'd been brought in on them and knocked off in the process.
Part of his shell had been damaged but luckily his internal organs were intact, so I was hopeful that he would make a good recovery. I've read that snails store deposits of calcium that can be used in the event of damage. I thought at this stage it would be unwise to release him back into the garden in case he got an infection in his wound or became dried out. So into a plastic container he went along with a selection snail goodies.
Sure enough, within a couple of days a film began to grow over the damaged part of the shell. It's now quite tough and protective. Today, Horace is ready to leave intensive care and return to his natural environment. I'll take him down to the bottom of the garden where the ferns grow and it's nice and shady. He can then find a comfy spot to sleep in and rest while his body continues the healing process.
You can go here to read more about snails' shells.

14 comments:

  1. Hi Lesley...that is really interesting as I've often wondered what to do when I come across a poor snail with a broken shell...now i know and have saved the link. Thanks.

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  2. Tell y what Lesley,
    When i die, if i come back as a gastropod i'm definitely moving into your garden. The best place i can think of to leave a slime trail.
    John

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  3. Hi Helen. First-aid for snails. :D

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  4. And you would be very welcome Mr Kinson. :D

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  5. You are so sweet and kind Lesley, Horace is very lucky to have you as his carer. xoxo ♡

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  6. Thank you Diane. :) I let him go yesterday in the garden. It was an ideal day for him as it had been raining all through the night, so everything was very damp. At least I'll recognise him if encounter each other again as he has a very distinctive shaped shell now. :)

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  7. that's so caring! i'm intrigued by their ability to heal like that, pretty cool

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  8. Hi G. :) It's amazing. I suppose it's similar to how our skin cells continually renew themselves. Poor Horace, his injury looks pretty gruesome in the photograph - I was delighted at how well he recovered.

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  9. Lesley, the snail nurse! Brilliant!

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  10. Lol Gf.... and they make better patients than a lot of people. :O)

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  11. Hi Lesley,

    I didn't realize I'd taken such a long hiatus; had a lot of catching up to do!

    First, I have to say that your photography is just amazing! That blue sweet pea is fabulous! And your close up of Horace is so cute and colorful.

    Speaking of Horace, he is one lucky snail. If he gets the word out, you'll have to actually build yourself a tiny snail hospital.

    Have you seen the video of Marcel, the Shell? You HAVE to see it! Go here:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TL3oaHKCko

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  12. Hi Ethelmae. Lol at Marcel! I love it.... thanks for the link. :D

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  13. Break out the Plaster of Paris and patch up poor Horace.

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  14. Hello Nick. Yes, I've read that you can patch up the shells of Giant African Land Snails with Plaster of Paris or something similar. It could also be used for garden casualties...... must put some on my shopping list. :)

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