| Giant African Land Snail (Lissachatina fulica (Férussac, 1821)) |
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Scientific name: Lissachatina fulica (Férussac, 1821) Common name: Giant African Land Snail French name: Escargot géant africain, Achatine foulque. Order: Stylommatophora Size: Diameter: 7 cm; Length: 20cm or even more. Habitat : Varied habitats, cultivated areas, wastelands, forests, wetlands, urbanized areas. The temperature must be above 20°C. Food: Mainly herbivorous, the Giant African Land Snail can occasionally eat the eggs of other snails or small dead animals. Reproduction : Hermaphrodite with cross-fertilization. Reproduction is very rapid with 6 to 7 clutches of around 200 eggs per year. Geographic area: Native from southern Africa, the Giant African Land Snail has been introduced to almost all humid tropical regions worldwide. |
The Giant African Land Snail has a narrow, pointed conical shell which has 7 to 9 turns in the adult state, possibly wound in one direction or the other (often dextral, sometimes sinistral). The colour is generally reddish brown with yellowish vertical markings that are often inconspicuous. The Giant African Land Snail is an invasive species which can cause damage to crops but which can also carry parasites causing meningitis in humans. |
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I crossed paths with this Giant African Land Snail at the start of the Trace des Jésuites trail. I read that it was voluntarily introduced into Martinique in 1988. |
André Bon February 2024