''Achatina'' is a genus of medium-sized to very large, air-breathing,

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

land snail A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells (those without shells are known as ...

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...

pulmonate Pulmonata or pulmonates, is an informal group (previously an order, and before that a subclass) of snails and slugs characterized by the ability to breathe air, by virtue of having a pallial lung instead of a gill, or gills. The group includ ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

s in the family

Achatinidae Achatinidae (New Latin, from Greek "''agate''") is a family of medium to large sized tropical land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks from Africa. Well known species include ''Achatina achatina'' the Giant African Snail, and ''Lis ...

.Bouchet, P. (2014). Achatina Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=818098 on 2014-11-07

Distribution

There are some 200 species of Achatinidae in

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

. Some species are kept as terrarium animals due to their size and colourful shells.

Shell description

Snails in this genus have medium to large shells which are ovate in shape and often colourfully streaked.

Species

Species within the genus ''Achatina'' include: * ''

Achatina achatina ''Achatina achatina'', commonly known as the giant African snail, also known as the giant tiger land snail, and gigantocochlea, is a species of large, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Achatinidae. ...

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...

or giant African snail, Agate Snail or

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

Tiger Snail, from Western Africa (

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

through

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

) grows to be the largest land snail on Earth. * '' Achatina ampullacea'' Böttger, 1910 *''

Achatina balteata ''Achatina'' is a genus of medium-sized to very large, air-breathing, tropical land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Achatinidae.Bouchet, P. (2014). Achatina Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: World Register of Marine ...

'' Reeve, 1849 -

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

to Central

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

. * ''

Achatina bandeirana ''Achatina'' is a genus of medium-sized to very large, air-breathing, tropical land snails, terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Achatinidae.Bouchet, P. (2014). Achatina Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: Wor ...

'' Morelet, 1866 * '' Achatina bayaona'' Morelet, 1866 * '' Achatina bayoli'' Morelet, 1888 * '' Achatina bisculpta'' E. A. Smith, 1878 * ''

Achatina connollyi ''Achatina'' is a genus of medium-sized to very large, air-breathing, tropical land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Achatinidae.Bouchet, P. (2014). Achatina Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: World Register of Marine ...

'' Preston, 1912 * ''

Achatina coroca ''Achatina'' is a genus of medium-sized to very large, air-breathing, tropical land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Achatinidae.Bouchet, P. (2014). Achatina Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: World Register of Marine ...

'' Bruggen, 1978 *'' Achatina craveni'' E. A. Smith, 1881 - Congo,

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

. *''

Achatina dammarensis ''Achatina'' is a genus of medium-sized to very large, air-breathing, tropical land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Achatinidae.Bouchet, P. (2014). Achatina Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: World Register of Marine ...

'' Pfeiffer -

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

* ''

Achatina ellioti ''Achatina'' is a genus of medium-sized to very large, air-breathing, tropical land snails, terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Achatinidae.Bouchet, P. (2014). Achatina Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: Wor ...

'' E. A. Smith, 1895 * '' Achatina greyi'' Da Costa, 1907 * '' Achatina hortensiae'' Morelet, 1866 *'' Achatina iostoma'' Pfeiffer, 1854 -

*'' Achatina iredalei'' Preston, 1910 * '' Achatina lechaptoisi'' Ancey, 1894 * '' Achatina obscura'' Da Costa, 1907 * '' Achatina osborni'' Pilsbry, 1919 * '' Achatina marginata'' Swainson, 1821Du Cane Godman, Frederick. ''Annali Del Museo Civico Di Storia Naturale "Giacomo Doria"'', Museo civico di storia naturale, Genoa, 1916, p. 245 *'' Achatina passargei'' von Martens * '' Achatina pfeifferi'' Dunker, 1845 * '' Achatina purpurea'' (Gmelin, 1790) * '' Achatina randabeli'' Bourguignat, 1889 *'' Achatina schinziana'' Bousson -

*'' Achatina schweinfurthi'' von Martens, 1873 - East Africa. *'' Achatina semisculpta'' Dunker, 1845 - East Africa *'' Achatina smithii'' Craven, 1881 *'' Achatina stuhlmanni'' von Martens, 1892 -

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

. *'' Achatina sylvatica'' Putzeys, 1898 - Congo *'' Achatina tavaresiana'' Morelet, 1866 -

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

*'' Achatina tincta'' Reeve, 1842 - Congo,

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

*'' Achatina tracheia'' Connolly, 1929 - Southeast Africa * '' Achatina transparens'' Da Costa, 1907 *'' Achatina variegata'' Roissy *''Achatina vignoniana'' Morelet, 1874: synonym of Achatina (Tripachatina) vignoniana Morelet, 1874 * '' Achatina virgulata'' Da Costa, 1907 * '' Achatina welwitschi'' Morelet, 1866 *'' Achatina weynsi'' Dautzenberg, 1891 - Congo * '' Achatina wildemani'' Dautzenberg, 1907

incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

: * '' Achatina vassei'' Germain, 1918 - The internal anatomy of this species is not known, and therefore the generic classification of ''‘Achatina’ vassei'' cannot be made. Bruggen A. C. van (2010). "A new record of ''‘Achatina’ vassei'' Germain, 1918 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Achatinidae) from Mozambique – an unsolved problem". ''

Zoologische Mededelingen ''Zoologische Mededelingen'' was a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal publishing papers and monographs on animal systematics. The publisher was the National Museum of Natural History Naturalis in the Netherlands. The first issue appeared ...

'' 84
HTM
. ;Species brought into synonymy: *''Achatina albopicta'' E. A. Smith, 1878 - along the coast of

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and

: synonym of '' Lissachatina albopicta'' (E. A. Smith, 1878) * ''Achatina allisa'' Reeve, 1849: synonym of '' Lissachatina allisa'' (L. Reeve, 1849) * ''Achatina bloyeti'' Bourguignat, 1890: synonym of '' Lissachatina bloyeti'' (Bourguignat, 1890) * ''Achatina capelloi'' Furtado, 1886: synonym of '' Lissachatina capelloi'' (Furtado, 1886) * ''Achatina fulgurata Pfeiffer, 1853 -

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

: synonym of '' Achatina eleanorae'' Mead, 1995 * ''Achatina drakensbergensis'' Melvill & Ponsonby, 1897 : synonym of '' Cochlitoma drakensbergensis'' (Melvill & Ponsonby, 1897) * ''Achatina eleanorae'' Mead, 1995: synonym of '' Lissachatina eleanorae'' (Mead, 1995) * ''Achatina fulica'' Bowdich, 1822 or giant East African snail from Eastern Africa is a serious pest in the many tropical countries where it has been introduced, and is listed as an

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

by some governments: synonym of ''

Lissachatina fulica ''Lissachatina fulica'' is a species of large land snail that belongs in the subfamily Achatininae of the family Achatinidae. It is also known as the Giant African land snail.Lissachatina glaucina'' (E. A. Smith, 1899) * ''Achatina glutinosa'' Pfeiffer, 1854 -

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

: synonym of '' Lissachatina glutinosa'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1854) * ''Achatina gundlachi'' L. Pfeiffer, 1850: synonym of '' Geostilbia gundlachi'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1850) * ''Achatina immaculata''

Lamarck Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biolog ...

, 1822 - Southeastern Africa: synonym of '' Lissachatina immaculata'' (Lamarck, 1822) * ''Achatina johnstoni'' E. A. Smith, 1899: synonym of '' Lissachatina johnstoni'' (E. A. Smith, 1899) * ''Achatina monochromatica'' Pilsbry (Deprecated. Old historical synonym of ''Achatina achatina'' var. ''monochromatic'') * ''Achatina mulanjensis'' Crowley & Pain -

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

: synonym of '' Achatina immaculata'' Lamarck, 1822 (junior synonym) * ''Achatina nyikaensis'' Pilsbry, 1909 -

: synonym of '' Bequaertina pintoi'' (Bourguignat, 1889) (junior synonym) * ''Achatina panthera'' Férussac, 1832 -

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

: synonym of ''Achatina immaculata'' Lamarck, 1822 * ''Achatina pellucida'' L. Pfeiffer, 1840: synonym of '' Blauneria heteroclita'' (Montagu, 1808) * ''Achatina reticulata'' Pfeiffer, 1845 -

Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...

: synonym of '' Lissachatina reticulata'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1845) * ''Achatina varicosa'' Pfeiffer, 1845 -

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

: synonym of '' Cochlitoma varicosa'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1861) * ''Achatina zanzibarica'' Bourguignat, 1879 -

: synonym of '' Lissachatina zanzibarica'' (Bourguignat, 1879) * ''Achatina zebra'' Bruguiere, 1792 -

: synonym of '' Cochlitoma zebra'' (Bruguière, 1792)

References

External links

AchatinidaeLand snails in captivity
{{Authority control Achatinidae Gastropod genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot