Achatina fulica

In the summer of 2007 I was given an adult Giant African Land Snail.

I named him "Arnie" after the Bodybuilder and action film star Arnold

Schwarzenegger. The big Snail is now around 4 ins long. "He" promptly 

laid a clutch of around 60 eggs, two of which survived and are thriving. 

A month later came the second batch of 70ish eggs - most of which 

hatched. A third clutch was laid about one month after that.

Giant African Land Snails are hermaphrodites i.e. have both male and

female reproductive organs (although you need two snails to breed) and

have the capacity to have produce clutches of eggs in installments.

Achatina fulica is the latin name for the East African Giant African Land Snail.

Note the unusual green markings on the shell of this snail.

 

Pictures of Giant African Land Snails

Arnie the Giant African Land Snail.

Baby Giant African Land Snails

 

How to Care for Giant African Land Snails

Giant African Land Snails don't take much looking after. They like a 2" or so 

layer of damp compost to burrow into in their plastic or glass vivarium (tank).

The compost can be peat based, an alternative would be cocoa fibre. 

(I keep the young Snails in ventilated sandwich boxes) and they appreciate 

a luke warm spray of water once or twice a day. Ideal humidity is 60 - 70%.

Giant African Land Snails are a tropical species and like to be kept at

temperatures between 20 - 26 degrees C. The Snails are best kept out of 

direct sunlight and in winter if kept in a cool room should be provided with 

a heat mat attached to the side of the tank / vivarium - available from a 

pet shop.

Create a more interesting environment for your pet snails by adding pieces of

interesting driftwood and cork bark for them to climb over and hide under.  

 

Feeding Giant African Land Snails

Arnie the Giant African Land Snail and the young Snails seem to eat

almost any kind of fruit and vegetable matter. Favourite foods are cucumber and

lettuce, peppers, green beans, tomatoes and sweetcorn. Snails also eat brown 

bread and even cat biscuits. Do not feed pasta to your snails as it will swell

up inside them and damage or kill them.

Giant Land Snails need a supply of calcium for the growth of their shells.

Cuttlefish bone is an ideal source of this mineral. 

 

Giant African Land Snails - Hibernation / Estivation

Giant African Land Snails will go into hibernation if temperatures get too low.

Here are some photographs of Arnie hibernating (sleeping). Note the membrane

which has formed over the aperture to his shell. The membrane (epiphragm) is

made of dried mucus and helps keep the snail moist. In warm weather Giant

African Land Snails will go into summer hibernation (estivation) if they get too

dry. You should spray your snails daily with luke warm water to prevent this from

happening. Arnie the Giant African Snail hibernated for several weeks from late

autumn 2007 to early spring 2008. As soon as he woke up he was quite active

and eating as normal - and still growing!

 

Handling Giant African Land Snails

Giant African Land Snails enjoy being handled but should be treated with care

as their shells are quite fragile especially when young. Spray your hand with

water to make it more comfortable for the snail. If the snail is on the side of the

tank, ease your fingers underneath it and lift it off gently. Don't try to pull the snail

off by its shell - you could pull it out! Also don't pick up the snail by the front

growing part of the shell which is very delicate and easily damaged.

Giant African Land Snails

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How to care for your

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