Giant African Land Snail

Dark · Jan 2, 2004

Hi. I saw a cool picture of one and new I had to have it. The biggest problem is they are illegal. If anyone has any info on this giant snail please tell me.

From
Eric

Navaros · Jan 2, 2004

All the info you need is that they are illegal. They are probably the most enforced illegal invert, or at least the most probable to be. They could potentially do a lot of damage.

Darkant · Jan 3, 2004

Originally posted by darkpredator3
Hi. I saw a cool picture of one and new I had to have it. The biggest problem is they are illegal. If anyone has any info on this giant snail please tell me.

From
Eric

Illigal??
we can get them in holland, no problem ;P
for more info come to my forum please :}

Navaros · Jan 3, 2004

They are illegal in the US. They are potential agricultural pests. USDA does NOT allow them.

Wh1teshark · Jan 4, 2004

Here's my two snails. They are real eating machines.
Since they are both sexes (don't know what it's called in english) you just have to have two of them to get eggs.

/David

Wh1teshark · Jan 4, 2004

Don't really see what the fuss is about. It's not like they will pry the lid open when you are not watching and then escape out the window before you even know what happened.

Navaros · Jan 4, 2004

They are hermaphroditic. Not everyone in the country who would buy those snails would understand to take the precautions when cleaning out their tanks, etc. Someone could easily dump a bunch of eggs or even let them go when they were tired of them. Not as big a problem I'm sure in the cooler states and states that have cold winters, but in warmer states...

Wade · Jan 5, 2004

The USDA definately considers exotic snails to be high risk. Introduced snails have caused massive agricultural damage in many other countries. I think the African sanils have already become established in Florida and are a major pest there.

Wade

Lopez · Jan 5, 2004

Not illegal here either.

We used to have a large one, but it died a good few years ago. I'm sure the shell is still around somewhere.
We have another one but it's still quite small.

Andrew vV · Jan 24, 2004

Well, apparently they can survive some pretty cold winters....This could cause some substantial damage to ecosystems(They already have!)
Here is a pic of the leucistic or "white" type

Navaros · Jan 24, 2004

Cool! Never seen leucistics.

fatbloke · Jan 25, 2004

i just picked up 22 of them 20 of them have shells about about 1.5 inches the other 2 have shells about 4 inches

first up the babys

fatbloke · Jan 25, 2004

the larger two

fatbloke · Jan 25, 2004

a mates light phase snails

fatbloke · Jan 25, 2004

another shot

fatbloke · Jan 25, 2004

heres a pic of a shell from which we dont know the specie it could possibly be Achatina Achatina the coin on the shell is 20mm in diameter

Navaros · Jan 25, 2004

Awesome fatbloke. I love the leucistics.:}

genious_gr · Jan 25, 2004

So, how do those things "molt"?? They leave the shell, go to a quiet corner, and develop a new one?? :?

fatbloke · Jan 25, 2004

as far as i know they dont molt the shell will grow with them the empty shell in the photo is from an adult that died

john

Code Monkey · Jan 25, 2004

Originally posted by genious_gr
So, how do those things "molt"?? They leave the shell, go to a quiet corner, and develop a new one?? :?

They don't. They lay down a new "ring" to the shell as they grow. That's why you both get the spiral form to a snail's shell as well as the transverse striations - think of them almost like the rings in a tree trunk.

Giant African Land Snail

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