What Do Snails Eat?

Most snails are herbivores or omnivores that feed on plants, algae, fungi, and decaying organic matter. What exactly they eat depends on the type of snail.

Land snails (garden and pet snails):

• Leafy greens and vegetables — lettuce, spinach, kale, cucumber, carrots, broccoli, and zucchini.
• Fruits — apple, banana, strawberry, melon, and pear.
• Plants and leaves, including fresh growth in gardens (which is why they're considered garden pests).
• Decaying plant matter, fungi, and mushrooms.
• Algae and lichen scraped off surfaces.

Aquatic snails:

• Algae growing on tank glass, rocks, and plants — their main food source.
• Decaying plant matter and leftover fish food, which is why they're popular as tank cleaners.
• Blanched vegetables like zucchini, spinach, and cucumber as a supplement.

The critical extra: calcium. Snails need a steady calcium source to build and maintain their shells. Without it, the shell becomes thin and brittle. Common options include a cuttlebone, crushed eggshells, or a calcium powder/supplement left in their enclosure.

Some snails are carnivores. A few species — like the assassin snail and certain marine snails — hunt and eat other snails, worms, or small invertebrates.

What NOT to feed pet snails:

• Salt — it's harmful and can kill them.
• Processed, sugary, or fried human foods, bread, and pasta.
• Citrus fruits (too acidic) and onions.
• Anything treated with pesticides — always wash produce first.

How they eat: Snails have a radula, a tongue-like organ covered in thousands of tiny teeth, which they use to scrape and rasp food rather than bite it.