page_title: Archachatina marginata
section_title: Distribution
hierarchical_section_title: Archachatina marginata / Distribution
caption_attribution_description: English: West African Giant Snail (Archachatina marginata) or banana rasp snail, is a species of air-breathing tropical land snail
context_page_description: The giant West African snail or banana rasp snail is a species of air-breathing tropical land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Achatinidae. They can grow up to 20 cm long, and live up to 10 years.
context_section_description: This species occurs in Western Africa (Cameroon to the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and the Caribbean (Martinique). How the species reached Martinique is unknown, but they may have been intentionally introduced as "pets" or by workers returning from West Africa.
  The natural spread of this species is very slow; however, unintentional spread by individuals for food and as folk medicine is very common. The USDA routinely checks for the species in the luggage of travelers from West Africa, Nigeria particularly, Ghana, and Cameroon.
  This species has not yet become established in the United States, but it is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species that could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health, or commerce. Therefore,  this species may be given top national quarantine significance in the United States.
caption: Head view of a West African Giant Snail found in Cameroon
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