''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 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 ...

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 ...

. The name "Achatina" is from "achates", Greek for

agate Agate () is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components, with a wide variety of colors. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. The ornamental use of agate was common in Ancie ...

. It shares the common name "giant African snail" with other species of snails such as ''

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.Archachatina marginata The giant West African snail or banana rasp snail (''Archachatina marginata'') is a species of air-breathing tropical land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Achatinidae. They can grow up to long, and live up to ...

''.

Distribution

The species is believed to be native to

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

, within to of the coasts of

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria. ''Achatina achatina'' is routinely confiscated by quarantine authorities at United States airports, especially in Baltimore, Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and San Francisco. These large snails are kept as pets in the Western world, where owners prize their large size, distinctive markings, and rarity. It is considered a potentially serious pest, 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 ...

that could adversely affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. A related species of snail (''Achatina fulica'') has become established in some Caribbean islands, such as Barbados. It has been suggested that these species be given top national

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

significance in the United States. Snails of the genus ''Achatina'' have already established themselves in the wild in Florida, where they are considered a pest. Due to their invasive nature and their slime being a disease vector for

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or ...

, ownership of these animals is outlawed in several countries.

Description

The shells of these snails often grow to a length of with a diameter of . Certain examples have been surveyed in the wild at 30×15 cm, making them the largest extant land snail species known. Similar to other giant land snails such as the ''

Achatina 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. Like almost all pulmonate gastropods, these snails are hermaphrodites, having male and female sex organs. Each snail lays up to 1200 eggs per year. ''Achatina achatina'' is an important source of animal protein for West African forest-dwelling ethnic groups, and there is potential for commercial farming. This species' substantial size and potential for rapid population growth can make the snail a serious pest when introduced to non-native ecosystems. The population size of this species can be curtailed through disease caused by the bacterium ''

Aeromonas hydrophila ''Aeromonas hydrophila'' is a heterotrophic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium mainly found in areas with a warm climate. This bacterium can be found in fresh or brackish water. It can survive in Wikt:aerobic, aerobic and Hypoxia (environmen ...

'' but it often has no other natural enemies.Snippet of page 70

References

External links

* http://hawaii.gov/health/environmental/sanitation/sanitationguidelines/ratlungworm%20bulletin.pdf * {{Taxonbar, from=Q428534 Molluscs of Africa Achatinidae Gastropods described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus