Details
Lissachatina fulica
The giant African land snail is a large terrestrial mollusk of the Afrotropical realm. It is a solitary herbivore using forest and urban-edge habitats.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It adapts to humid forest, farms, gardens, and parks. During dry periods it seals into the shell, becoming more active when humidity rises.
Shell length is about 10-20 cm, and weight about 30-250 g. The long conical shell bears brown banding and protects the soft body.
It is solitary and treated in the data as diurnal. It moves slowly on mucus, which reduces friction and helps protect against drying.
It is herbivorous, eating leaves, fruit, and soft stems. It also uses calcium sources to support shell growth.
It is hermaphroditic and lays eggs in soil after mating. In favorable sites, many young snails can develop.
Its conservation status is LC. In introduced areas it can affect crops and native ecosystems.
