Giant West African Snail - Zoo Santo Inácio

The Giant West African Snail is native to the African humid forests of Cameroon and the Central Republic of Congo.
Did you know that you can tell the age of a snail by the number of turns of its shell?

Estatuto de conservação

www.iucnredlist.org

Not Evaluated
Data Deficient
LC

Least Concern
NT

Near threatened
VU

Vulnerable
EN

Endangered
CR

Critically Endangered
EW

Extinct in the Wild
EX

Extinct

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Length

15 cm

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Leaves and fruits

Habitat

Humid Forests

Reproduction

up to 40 eggs

Morphology

This species has a round, wide and extensive shell, with a yellowish background contrasting with uniformly arranged dark brown bands. The central column of the shell (columella) has a white or bluish-white color. Its shell can grow up to 15 centimeters of length and 13 centimeters of diameter.

Behaviour

They are nocturnal animals and prefer to feed at this time. They are more active during the warm months, with the ideal temperature for this species being between 13ºC and 32ºC. When the temperature drops below 10°C, they can survive by hibernating for a few months.

Food

When in captivity, these snails eat plants at a very high rate. This makes them a pest to agriculture.
Generally these snails prefer to eat at night, and are not very selective in the type of plants or fruits they eat.
Their tongue (radula) has small spikes, which allows them to grasp food easily.

Reproduction

Like other snails, the Giant West African Snail is hermaphrodite, which means that it has both male and female sex organs. However, for reproduction, 2 individuals are needed, where anyone can play the role of male or female. They are oviparous and can produce up to 40 eggs. The incubation of the eggs lasts about 40 days and hide them under rocks or leaves.

Conservation

The Giant West African Snail is considered an invasive species in some countries. Its importation by human hand was the cause that the species is now widely distributed around the world.