The Giant African Snail

1
The Giant African Snail

• Adaptive and Damaging

2
The Giant African Snails scientific name is
Achantina fulica.
3
Original Distribution

• The Giant African Snail originates from the
  coastal area of East Africa, particularly in
  Kenya and Tanzania. Its first sighting was in
  the 1800s. However, the snails can thrive and
  are found in most areas with humid, tropical
  climates.

4
Identification
 
 

• Full grown, this snail can reach up to 20 cm
  in length and 12 cm in diameter. Its shell is
  usually dark and light brown and swirls wrap
  around it cone like shell. The rest of the body
  resembles a slug.

5
Photo of a Giant African Land Snail
6
Site and Date of Introduction

• These snails were first spotted in the 1940s
  in San Pedro, California. Since then, this snail
  has been transported and distributed throughout
  the United States. It has been found in
  Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, along the coastlines,
  and in the southern states.

7
Modes of Introduction

• The Giant African Snails most often came into
  California on shipments containing goods and
  plants from Hawaii, Guam, and the Pacific
  Islands. It has also been transported through
  illegal pet trade to pet stores and educational
  institutions.

8
Fast establishment

• The Giant African Snail begins laying eggs at
  5-6 months old. A single snail can produce from
  300 to 1000 eggs in 3-4 batches per year. The
  eggs usually hatch 8-20 days after mating. Their
  lifespan lasts about 3-5 years.

9
One Example of Fast Establishment

• In 1966, a Miami boy smuggled three Giant
  African Snails into Florida from his vacation.
  His grandmother released them into her garden,
  and in seven years, there were more than 18,000
  of them. The Florida state eradication effort
  took more than 10 years at a cost of one million
  dollars.

10
Diet

• The Giant African Snails diet consists of over
  500 different plant species, including cocoa,
  papaya, peanut, beans, peas, and cucumbers. In
  addition, they forage on animal matter, lichens,
  algae, and fungi.

11
One Ecological Role

• During less favorable conditions (dry, cool),
  they nest in loose soil during their period of
  hibernation. This can promote health in the soil
  as the soil is being churned. However, with over
  population, the snails destroy and pollute their
  surroundings, including the soil.

12
Some Benefits of the Giant African Snail

• Many beetle species consume the Giant African
  Snail such as the lampyriad and the coprine
  beetle.
• The domesticated duck and a variety of other
  bird species also eat the Giant African Snail.

13
Threats of the Giant African Snail

• The greatest threat to humans is this snail
  carries eosinophilic meningitis. This condition
  is caused by the rat lungworm parasite which is
  transferred by eating the snail, in which some
  humans consider the snails a delicasy.
• In addition, the snail can carry a
  gram-negative bacteria which causes a wide
  variety of symptoms in people with a weak immune
  system.

14
Other Threats of Giant African Snail

• The snail causes great economic loss for
  farmers due the large amounts of vegetation it
  consumes. Not only does it decrease the income
  for farmers, but it also impacts their living
  conditions and decreases food resources for
  humans, animals, and other species.

15
Control Level Diagnosis

• The Giant African Snail is considered one of
  the most damaging land snails in the world.
  Therefore, it is designated as high priority
  for the need to be controlled and/or eradicated
  immediately after the first sighting in a given
  area.

16
Control Method

• Molluscicides have been designated as an
  effective method to eradicate the snails. The
  downside is that most molluscicides damage the
  soil, plants, and other organisms (such as
  beetles and earthworms).
• Iron phosphate is another way of eradicating
  the snails with fewer negative impacts on other
  beneficial organisms.
• Education provides a great opportunity to
  decrease and eventually stop the illegal trading
  and importation of the Giant African Snail.

17
The End