giant african land snail

Question
hi Thea,
im not sure if i should be asking you this question but i wasn't sure who to ask. My giant african land snail has been buried in his bark substrate for a few days and he did it last week too, i took him out and he was right inside his shell then he came out for abit. he has a glass tank and a heat mat on the side, is this serious or is he just sleeping?

Answer
Hi Sacha, I have kept GALS for many years and notice the same behaviour in mine on occasion. I'm assuming that you meant that he was sealed in his shell, behind that somewhat rigid plate that forms to prevent them from drying out. Mine certainly do this in response to lower humidity.  They rarely,if ever do it in the summer months but I notice it in the fall and winter. Their temperature is constant but the ambient humidity and the moisture level of their substrate is usually lower during these times. They will pop out and become quite active after their tank is misted.