Giant African Snail

Giant African Snail Latest News

The invasive giant African snail (Lissachatina fulica) is spreading rapidly across Tirunavaya panchayat and has now entered school campuses and is raising health concerns for children in Kerala.

About Giant African Snail

• It is the common name for several large African land snail species.  The most damaging of these pests is Lissachatina fulica.
• It is one of the world’s worst invasive species.
• It is known to eat more than 500 types of crops and ornamental plants.
• It is native to East Africa but it has been widely introduced to other parts of the world through the pet trade, as a food resource, and by accidental introduction.
• Habitat: It thrives in warm tropical climates with mild temperatures all year round and high humidity.
• It is found in agricultural areas, coastal areas and wetlands, natural and planted forests, riparian zones, scrublands and shrublands, and the urban zones.
• Food: Mature, adult snails generally feed on decaying organic matter, including garbage, fallen fruit and animal manure.
• Key Features
  • It is a hermaphrodite.
  • Adult snails are very large with a long, narrow, cone-shaped shell.
  • The shell is usually 50 to 100 millimetres long but can reach up to 200 millimetres. 
  • The shell is usually light brown with darker brown vertical stripes.
• Health Impact: The snails can carry the rat lungworm parasite (Angiostrongylus cantonensis), which can cause eosinophilic meningitis in humans. 

Source: TH

‹ ›