Giant African snail

Scientific name: Lissachatina fulica

Country: Kenya, Tanzania, introduced to many more countries worldwide

Continent: Africa

Diet: Vegetation, fruits, vegetables

Food & feeding: Herbivore

Habitats: Tropical grassland, tropical dry forest, urban

Conservation status: Not Threatened

Relatives: Partula snail, cuttlefish

Description: A snail that lives in a large shiny conical shell with darker bands running across the spiral, although the colouration is quite variable. They are usually around seven cm in size, but can reach 20 cm. They move along on a single foot, driven by waves of muscle contraction in the sole. A gland at the front of the foot produces slime for the foot to slide over. Teeth are carried on a flexible strap in the mouth, called a radula, that is used like a file, grinding away at the plants they feed on.

Lifestyle: These snails are active mainly at night. During the day, they shelter from the tropical sun under stones or leaves.

Family & friends: These snails are true hermaphrodites which means each one carries sexual organs of both a male and female. They still need to mate with another snail to produce fertilized eggs, as self fertilisation is not possible in this species.

Growing up: Up to 200 eggs are laid in damp places five or six times a year. About 90% of these eggs hatch. Adult size can be reached in just four months. This species reproduce very quickly.

Conservation news: This species has been introduced by humans all over the world. It breeds rapidly, carries a number of parasites harmful to humans, out-competes native species of snails and reaches such large numbers that other predatory species of snail, such as Euglandina rosea, have been introduced in some areas to control them, often with disastrous results. In Polynesia for example, Euglandina has caused the extinction of dozens of native species of tree snail.

Bristol Zoo Gardens keep both Lissachatina fulica and the closely related species, Arcachatina marginata.

This species has been nominated as one of the world's 100 worst invasive species. However, they are useful in some parts of the world as they are harvested for food.