Achatina fulica - the giant african land snail
The Giant African Land Snail is one of the largest of all the terrestrial species out there. It is very rare that you will come across one but if you do pay close attention to the very unique markings that they offer. They have a light to dark brown shells with vertical stripes of a darker shade of brown on them. The average adult shell has a conical shape and its length is 4 inches although exceptional individuals have reached up to inches 7 inches.
They can range in size from about 3 inches long to about 8 inches long. They have an average life span of about 5-7 years. When they have enough food and the weather is comfortable, they tend to live much longer. Some of them have been known to live up to 10 years. It is not easy to have them in captivity because people aren’t usually educated about the temperature and the moisture that they need.
The “Achatina fulica” is considered one of the most invasive species in the world and it is considered by the United States Department of Agriculture as one of the most damaging species for the agriculture and crops in the country. It is known to eat at least 500 different species of plants.
They can range in size from about 3 inches long to about 8 inches long. They have an average life span of about 5-7 years. When they have enough food and the weather is comfortable, they tend to live much longer. Some of them have been known to live up to 10 years. It is not easy to have them in captivity because people aren’t usually educated about the temperature and the moisture that they need.
The “Achatina fulica” is considered one of the most invasive species in the world and it is considered by the United States Department of Agriculture as one of the most damaging species for the agriculture and crops in the country. It is known to eat at least 500 different species of plants.
A very important part of the anatomy of this snail is the tongue, which is called the radula. They have small spikes on the tongue that allow it to grab food easily. They are able to sense movement because they don’t have ears. They do have a very good sense of smell though.
They have very powerful foot muscles and this is what allows them to be able to move forward. They also release a slippery substance, a kind of mucus, as they move to help them move through rough materials without damage. Their movements are very slow which is where the saying moving at a snails pace comes in. They often blend in very well to their surroundings though which helps to make up for the fact that they can’t move very fast.
The shell is the location where the Giant African Land Snail takes refuge from predators. They will also spend time inside of their shells when the temperatures begin to dip too low at night for their comfort. While this shell is very hard, it can dry out if they don’t get enough moisture. There are several layers of this shell. Each one has its own process so that the outer shell can be strong. The shell will continue to grow as the snail does for almost one year, when you can guess how big the snail will be.
They have very powerful foot muscles and this is what allows them to be able to move forward. They also release a slippery substance, a kind of mucus, as they move to help them move through rough materials without damage. Their movements are very slow which is where the saying moving at a snails pace comes in. They often blend in very well to their surroundings though which helps to make up for the fact that they can’t move very fast.
The shell is the location where the Giant African Land Snail takes refuge from predators. They will also spend time inside of their shells when the temperatures begin to dip too low at night for their comfort. While this shell is very hard, it can dry out if they don’t get enough moisture. There are several layers of this shell. Each one has its own process so that the outer shell can be strong. The shell will continue to grow as the snail does for almost one year, when you can guess how big the snail will be.