Helix Lucorum Legality?

[BeginnerKeeper]

Hi all,

I recently stumbled across a place called "Ooh Baby Snails," which has an Etsy shop and an Instagram account. They are currently offering juvenile Helix lucorum snails for adoption, and I'm interested, but very unsure about the legality of this. My understanding is that even if it is legal to own snails in any state, it is completely illegal to ship them across state lines. Therefore I suspect Ooh Baby Snails is operating illegally. I've not been able to find much information about them online, which is a warning sign, but they also require potential buyers to fill out an application before adopting a snail, which is unusually conscientious. If anyone has some knowledge of this shop, I would appreciate hearing more, particularly regarding the legality of this business! I won't adopt or buy a snail if it is banned, since the U. S. snail laws exist for a good reason.

Thank you!

 

[goliathusdavid]

EXTREMELY illegal. It is nice of them to have an application for sure, but given that the containment facility I work in is severely restricted in the gastropod species it can keep, I doubt USDA would ever give an exotics permit to an individual or commercial distribution business. You are however, I see, located in North Carolina, and there are a few nice local species there and if you like slugs as I do, then the widespread leopard slugs can be truly wonderful and SUPER easy pets. I would also recommend contacting Nile's Biological or (hehe) Carolina Biological as they are USDA permitted suppliers who might be able to give you information on native unrestricted species (as there are I believe, one or two US natives authorized for educational use).
But yes, the big jawns are a no-no.

 

[BeginnerKeeper]

Thank you for your reply! You confirmed what I suspected, but it's nice to have some expertise behind my thinking for once. I have tried catching native wild snails and slugs, but I have some concerns about their disease-spreading potential, especially regarding rat lungworm. Plus, I just released a large captive snail I caught near my home three days ago because he wasn't doing well in captivity, and I'm concerned others would have the same problem, especially compared to captive-bred specimens. Still, I never would have thought to call in to the biological supply companies. Thanks for that tip! I suspect my best bet, though, is to hold off on owning snails until I live in a place that can afford to have looser regulations. I've long hoped to become a British citizen someday, and their invertebrate laws are considerably more favorable to keepers (although that's not my sole motivation for wanting to emigrate there haha). I appreciate your help!