Snail found, want to keep as a pet

Question
My daughter found a snail in our yard this morning and she would like to try and keep it.  We have a one gallon tank that is not being used right now. Can we use it to house the snail or should we put him back in nature?  I know nothing about what they eat, what they need in the tank, or how to set the tank up.  Do they need some dry space and some wet?  Please help!

Answer
Hi Annice,
I'm guessing this is a land snail and not an aquatic snail that your Daughter found. With land snails its really no big deal to keep them if you want to. The 1-gallon tank should work. You'll need a secure cover over it to help keep the snail safely secured in your tank. Usually most 1-gallon tanks have a tight fitting lid, just make sure you have some ventilation.
You'd need some kind of substrate in the bottom. Peat or sphagnum moss would work fine along the bottom.. You'd also need a source of calcium for snail. A cuttlebone works well.
Fresh fruit and vegetables works well for their diet. Good places to hide like a few pieces of bark works well. You'll need to feed the snail everyday and take up any leftovers and watch for rotting food. Cleaning out the tank regularly is also important. Snails can be pretty dirty critters. You'd need to wash the tank outside with a sponge and water, don't use harsh chemicals as the residue will be damaging to the snail. Clean the tank whenever it looks dirty. To keep the snail happy, its best to mist his tank a little everyday and ideally provide a little tiny dish of freshwater for it to get into if it wants.
You'll need to change the substrate once a week since it will get dirty and wipe the sides as they get dirty as well.

Make sure you wash all their food thoroughly before giving it to them and keep their habitat clean but moist at all times.

Best of luck with the snail, at least if you want to, you can always free the snail if you don't want to be troubled with it!
I hope this helps,
Karen~