GIANT AFRICAN SNAIL (Achantinafulica)

What they look like:

The Giant African snail, is a species of large land snail in the family Achatinidae. An adult Giant African snail grows to around 2.8 inches in height, and 7.9 inches in length. Their shells are usually brown, with a banded shell. The shell of the Giant African snail is usually tough, and has the highest metal content of any snail species.

Behaviour:

The Giant African Snail is primarily herbivore. It usually feeds on plant material such as fruit and vegetables, and even processed materials such as paper and cardboard. On rare occasions, these snails will also eat bones, concrete, and even each other for calcium from their shells and necessary protein.Giant African Snails are hermaphrodites with the larger snail usually acting as the female. These snails can lay 200 eggs at a time, and usually lay 5-6 clutches of eggs per year. Giant African Snails can seal itself in its shell for up to three years in times of extreme drought to survive.

How they got here:

Giant African Snails are native to East Africa. They arrived in the Americas by sneaking into cargo. These snails prefer a warm and humid climate.

Effects on Biodiversity:

The Giant African Snail often outcompetes local snail populations, causing a reductive in native snail species due to lack of food and other resources. The Giant African Snail also has a significant effect on native plant species with their voracious appetites.

Effects on people and the economy:

The Giant African Snail harbours a number of pathogens that affect both plants and animals. This includes the parasitic nematode “Angiostrongyluscantonensis”, which can cause the deadly disease meningitis. While meningitus is usually caught due to eating raw or undercooked snail, it can also be passed by simply touching the snail.

Giant African snails have a significant impact on agriculture. They are voracious eaters due to their large size, and eat a number of important crops such as beans, peas, cucumbers, papaya, banana and melons. They will eat other snails and have been known to cause damage to plaster or painted buildings.

How to combat these invasive species:

It is important to remember to never touch Giant African Snails with bare hands.  Due to the pathogens they carry, eating them is highly discouraged.

Because snails love humidity, removing items such as wood, dense vegetation and mulch can reduce the likelihood of infestation. In order to get rid of snails that are already there, snail bait can be used which they will consume and eventually die. Another option is to submerge snails in a mixture of salt or bleach and water (with two cups of salt/bleach per gallon of water) for 24 hours, before double bagging the snails and putting them in the garbage or burning them in a fire proofed container.