Giant African snail
Achatina
Giant African land snails are hermaphroditic. They have both male and female organs. Each one can either lay eggs or fertilise eggs. They can even fertilise each other’s eggs at the same time. They lay 100 -500 eggs underground or hidden in vegetation. The tiny babies hatch out after 11-15 days. The shell grows as the snail grows. They do not change shells. Their shell can grow up to 21 centimetres in length and 13 centimetres in diameter.
In some places these snails are banned. Their ability to devastate crops makes them an invasive pest.
Animal class
Invertebrate
Conservation status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) has not yet evaluated the status of the giant African land snail.
Habitat
Sub-Saharan Africa
Population
There have been no studies done on giant land snail numbers. They still appear very common.
Diet
Herbivore. Giant African snails eat over 500 different species of plants.