Giant Tiger Land Snail

*For giant African land snail click here*

## About

A giant tiger land snail in long grass.

Giant tiger land snails ***(Achatina achatina)*** are larger relative of the giant African snail that lives in Western Africa. Giant tiger land snails differ from other large snails in that their shells appear orange or bronze with black stripes, which gives the snail its name. As they live in more forested regions, giant tiger land snails possess a darker body, this shift in tone aids them in camouflage while traversing the majority darkly coloured, leaf litter based forest floor. Giant tiger land snails grow to an astounding 20cm (8in) and weigh 85.43-249.08g (3-8.7oz). Additionally, the shell of the giant tiger land snail can reach 18cm (7in) in length and 9cm (3.5in) in diameter, making them the largest extant terrestrial snail.

## Diet

Giant tiger land snails are opportunistic feeders being primarily herbivorous, eating leaves, grasses, fruits, nuts and farmed crops like cauliflower and banana. Interestingly the snails have also been known to consume insects like beetles, in order to obtain a healthy amount of calcium necessary for survival.

## Conservation Status

Being classified as data deficient by the IUCN, there is currently not enough data to complete a full overview and evaluation of the snail's current state in the wild. Because of the inefficient amount information on the giant tiger land snail, the currents threats of the animal are still debated upon, some of the most obvious threats however, are the overhunting faced by the snails and habitat degradation. In the giant tiger land snail's native range (and in particular Ghana) they are hunted by locals as a source of food. Across Ghana The snails are eaten as a delicacy and are a common point of interest for tourists. The degradation of the giant tiger land snail's homes are mostly due to the growing population in West Africa. Forests are fragmented often in order to make way for agricultural settlements.

## Range and Population

Giant tiger land snails are native to the humid rainforests and subtropical areas of western Africa, including the nations of Togo, Benin, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). In the western world, giant tiger land snails have become popular exotic pets for their prized size, unique shell and perceived rarity. This pet trade attention has lead to giant tiger land snails being introduced to the USA and Caribbean, where they have swiftly become an invasive pest. After the invasion, the USA has outlawed the keeping of both giant tiger land snails and giant African land snails as household pets, due to their invasive status. This law has lead to many giant tiger land snails being confiscated from citisens at airports, after unsuccessful attempts at smuggling the species into the country. Giant tiger land snail smugglers are routinely intercepted at airports like Baltimore Dulles international airport, Washington and John F. Kennedy airport in New York, which are both hot spots for snail smuggling. The USA is not the only country to ban these snails, with Australia also enacting the same ban, as well as the UK prohibiting the wild release of their eggs.

## Behaviour

Giant tiger land snails are a nocturnal species that rarely exposes themselves during the day, preferring to bury themselves under moist places in the rainforest. Giant tiger land snails are not sociable animals and do not appreciate interaction with other individuals, meaning two snails will only really communicate during mating. Being hermaphrodites, giant tiger land snails have both male and female sex organs. During mating the snails will touch antennae to express interest before the larger individual is fertilised, taking on the role of female. After this interaction and constructing a nest in the ground, the 'female' snail will produce 1,200 eggs. This mating continues yearly after snails reach their sexual maturity at 2-3 years old until death.

### Relationship with Humans

Giant tiger land snails are kept as exotic pets, and so interact with humans often. Giant tiger land snails are calm and friendly animals, enjoying regular interaction with their owners. Despite their friendliness, it is advised that owners must thoroughly wash their hands after handling them, as the snails are known to harbour diseases.

## Sources

* Achatina achatina | Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achatina\_achatina
* Achatina achatina | Terrestrial Mollusk Tool - https://idtools.org/id/mollusc/factsheet.php?name=Achatina%20achatina
* Association between body weight and dimensional shell traits of snails (*Archachatina marginata* and *Achatina achatina*) | African Journals Online - https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tjas/article/view/163766
* Regulation of Giant Snails | Indiana Department of Natural Resources - https://www.in.gov/dnr/entomology/regulatory-information/giant-african-land-snails/
* Giant Tiger Land Snails | Exotic Pets - https://www.exotic-pets.co.uk/gaint-tiger-snail.html