strange snail behavior

[texag04]

Tonight I came home and went to count my snails to see if any were missing. I counted 7 out of 8 and looked everywhere for the unaccounted for. I finally found him. He some how made his way all the way to the lip (which is above the waterline) of my biowheel filter where the water comes down like a waterfall. Is it normal for snails to find places to sit like this? I feared he would try to make his escape so I pulled him off the filter and put him onto the sandbed. Prying off snails doesnt hurt them, does it?

 

[bdhough]

No, No, and No.
He was fine where he was. Pulling them off won't hurt them so long as you don't JERK them off the surface they are on. Trick is to touch their skin with a finger. If you lightly do this they will retract pretty quick. I have snails that crawled into my skimmer bubbleing area.... And then some snails are intertidal and will go to an area that seems to replicate that So long as they stay wet they are fine.