Pet Clams—The Steve Otto Show - Part 2

This is the first part of an article I wrote in the 1970s, when I wrote and worked for the (Lawrence) Public Notice. It was a small alternative tabloid newspaper. The attitude at the Public Notice was to focus on local news only. That was suppose to allow us to focus on issues we could actually work on for change. The paper had a left-wing slant, but was not openly Marxist. It had more of a liberal slant, although some of the supporters and workers on this paper were openly Marxist. I had fun writing this article and although it is somewhat out-dated I decided to run it here for nostalgia reasons.   

My article was simply called:

The Steve Otto Show[1]

Pix by ez002.k12.sd.us.

Snails eat plants and algae, so keep the container near the sun but make sure they have some shade.

If you're going to only keep one clam make sure he is a big one. If you take a young one, you may take him from  his peers and social circles which are so necessary to the development of a teenager. Older clams are more likely to be nearing retirement age and don't mind the company of humans.

BREEDING CLAMS

Breeding clams is a challenge. To breed, keep them with some large fish so that the offspring can parasite. When they 're fully developed, they fall off and fish are no longer needed. Make sure the fish are big enough so the parasites won't kill them.

Generally breeding clams is a messy waste of time since they're so easy to find. Clams can be found in rivers and in large ponds. I don't recommend that you buy them. Clam keeping is a relatively new hobby and still an experimental one.

Clams are fascinating pets but not over-intelligent and even if yours is brilliant, there aren't too many tricks he can do. Clams have two arms and legs. They have one foot with no toes. They may move around the tank or stay in one place most of the time. Some are more active than others. With a little imagination you can set up a very attractive home, a conversation piece anyone would be proud to show their friends. The clams clam may not fetch the stick or roll over but its slightly more active than a pet rock. Maybe you can watch it breath. Then again you can always take it with you then you go swimming at Lake Henry or your nearest reservoir or river. They love water! Then again you can always take him to the local hangout to meet your friends.

If your clam dies, dispose of him immediately. Clams decompose fast and can foul the water. When they die their muscles relax and they open every wide. A live clam opens only wide enough to stick out his foot and mouth. Dead clams will not shut.

The End

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[1] Steve Otto, "The Steve Otto Show," The Public Notice, February 1977, Vol. II, No. 3, p. 6.