All about the Achatina snails: features, species, cultivation and interesting facts

Exotic guests for Russia - Achatina snails are not found in the wild in the climate of Northern Europe, but they become wonderful pets. They are quiet, hypoallergenic, and spend most of their time in a designated container. Giant African domestic snails are cheap to keep and easy to breed. Spectacular appearance, unhurriedness, the ability to recognize the owner - these are just a small part of the reasons why Achatins become real pets.

Achatina snails are large molluscs with impressive sizes. In their natural environment, they live in the tropics, mainly in the countries of eastern and southern Africa - Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, Somalia. They are also found in Southeast Asia - in Thailand, on the island of Kalimantan. This huge land snail grows a shell 5-10 cm long, there are individuals up to 20 cm in size.

The dimensions of the largest snail in the world - it also belonged to the Achatina genus - are even more impressive. Together with the sole, Achatina Fulica reached 39.3 cm in length, and its shell grew to 27.3 cm. The weight of the giant individual was 900 grams. But hobby breeders often see much smaller individuals.

The Achatina shell has a pointed shape; an adult mollusk has 8-9 coils in it. Snails grow throughout life, but after laying eggs, this process slows down significantly.The shell can have various colors with characteristic red-brown stripes, yellow, greenish tinge.

Initially, the giant Achatins lived in Africa, and there is a theory that they came there from other continents. By the end of the 19th century, snails were taken by humans outside of their original habitat. So the Achatins appeared in India and on the island of Mauritius. In the XX century, the spread continued - they were inhabited by Sri Lanka, Thailand and other regions of Asia. During World War II, spectacular giant mollusks entered the United States and quickly multiplied in the climate of the Hawaiian Islands and California, which was comfortable for them.

By the middle of the 20th century, Achatina were discovered in New Guinea and Tahiti. Further, the spread has affected the islands of the Caribbean Sea. These mollusks were able to easily adapt to new biotopes due to their high invasiveness.

The genus of the giant African snail Achatina has many varieties adapted for keeping at home. In total, there are more than 60 of them in nature. And in Russia and European countries, amateurs most often contain the following types of mollusks.

• Akhatina Fulika. At home, it grows up to 17 cm, the shell is in the form of a cone, twisted, the body has a light brown or beige color, there are black varieties. The shell has a reddish-brown tone, stripes gradually appear on its surface, the shade is blurred. The snail is omnivorous, easy to maintain, lives up to 8 years.

• Achatina reticulata. The Zanzibar snail has an unusual corrugated shell, reaching a length of 18 cm. The color of the shell is white or brown, there are dots and axial stripes on the surface. The snail is quite curious, unpretentious in food, and is active all day long. Lives in captivity up to 6 years. Albino varieties are especially prized.

• Achatina Immaculata. Originally from Tanzania, similar to fulica, with a beautiful lush shell, color similar to the skin of a watermelon. It grows up to 12 cm, has a beige-brown or sand color, apex in tone.

• Lemon Achatina. A rare variety from Zanzibar, with a cream-colored soles and a lemon-yellow shell, grows up to 6 cm. It differs from its brethren by belonging to viviparous, reproduces from 7 months, twice a year brings 25 babies.

• Tiger or common Achatina. Variety with a characteristic striped shell coloration. The largest, in nature it grows up to 33 cm, in an aquarium - up to 25 cm. The shell is barrel-shaped, color from lemon to deep red, black-brown stripes, contrasting. There are individuals with a black, brown, white body.

These beautiful land snails are able to diversify the leisure of their owners, and at the same time are devoid of the disadvantages of other pets. With them you do not need to walk in the rain and snow, suffer from allergies, spend time and effort on the selection of feed. Everything you need - from container to bedding - is cheap, and you rarely have to replenish stocks.

Snails are vegetarians with no need for expensive or hard-to-find food. In addition, the secret secreted from the sole during movement - mucin, is distinguished by wound healing properties, increases the ability of tissues to regenerate. It is widely used in cosmetology, and home procedures are in no way inferior to salon ones in efficiency.

At home, Achatina snails can live from 5 to 10 years. The record holder is considered to be a representative of the fulica species who has lived for 35 years. In nature, these terms can be even longer.But how to determine the age of the acquired individual, to understand whether it is an adult or a young one? In addition to the purchase of very small pets, the date of birth of which is known for sure, no one will give guarantees in resolving this issue.

But there are signs by which you can indirectly understand the approximate age of the pet.

1. Addiction to a certain type of food. Young snails prefer fresh herbs and vegetables. Adult Achatina prefer food that is slightly rotten or has begun to deteriorate.
2. Shell color. It is believed that it acquires a greenish tint with age. But such a sign may be associated with the characteristics of the diet.
3. The number of shell turns. An adult snail by the age of 8-9 has a shell with 6-9 protuberances that form a spiral.
4. The ability to form masonry. It appears in individuals at least 25 weeks old. You can notice the emerging eggs through the spiracle located in the shell.
5. Development of the genital organ. It develops by 25 weeks on the neck, looks like a bulging neoplasm.

The size of the shell should not be considered as the main criterion for determining the age. The fact is that after laying eggs, mollusks completely stop their growth or slow it down a lot.

The Achatina snails, like many other giant molluscs, are hermaphrodites with sexual characteristics inherent in both males and females. The female role is usually taken on by a larger individual, so reproduction will be successful if a smaller and younger brother is planted in the ulitarium. When kept alone, Achatina are capable of self-fertilization.

The Achatina snails and Archahatina snails are African molluscs belonging to two genera of the same family Achatinidae. The main differences between one and the other are:

1. Apex shape. The rounded tip of the shell is characteristic of archahatinas; in achatinas it is more pointed.
2. Ending legs. Arkhahatina has a characteristic groove on it, and the shape of this process is V-shaped.
3. Features of the structure of the soft body. If the leg of the mollusk is soft, smooth to the touch, and has a characteristic division into large segments, this is Achatina. Archachatina has a finer-mesh sole, with a rough, hard skin.
4. Behavior. Achatina are much more active, agile and inquisitive. Arkhahatins are slow, much more fearful than their brethren.
5. Reproduction. There are rarely more than 20 eggs in a clutch of arkhahatina. They are ready for laying at 1-1.5 years old, while Achatina from 6 months enter puberty.

Achatina are unpretentious giant molluscs that need to create a comfortable environment for them. For living, they are allocated an aquarium, terrarium or container with a wide bottom and a volume of at least 15-20 liters. A lid is definitely needed, rows of ventilation holes are made in the case on one side at the bottom, on the other - in the middle of the container.

Land snails need bedding in the form of moss, a coconut substrate that retains moisture well. Irrigation and moistening of the soil is done daily, but in moderation. Sand, fallen leaves can be mixed into the coconut substrate. Cleaning of excrement, food debris is necessary daily. Soil washing is carried out weekly, general cleaning is needed once a quarter. Lighting can be natural, backlighting is not needed.

Achatina are omnivorous, but prefer a vegetarian diet. Young individuals prefer fresh greens, strong plant fruits. They eat well fresh cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, you can give them fresh cabbage, carrots, tomatoes. These mollusks treat berries favorably - you can offer them raspberries, watermelon, strawberries, sweet fruits (bananas, apples). In order not to accustom the Achatina to a monotonous diet, it is worth periodically adding new products to their diet.

Fresh greens are useful for snails - leaves of oak, birch, dandelion. They are thoroughly washed and cut beforehand. For feeding small snails, vegetables and fruits are chopped using a grater. For the formation of the shell, mineral dressings are needed based on chalk, sepia, shell rock, and egg shells. For growth, animal and vegetable proteins are needed in moderation - such food is given no more than 3 times a week.

Breeding Achatina in captivity is possible both in the presence of several individuals and in single keeping. They are hermaphrodites from birth, small snails are ready for fertilization by 6 months, but at an early age they only produce sperm. When two individuals of the same size mate, both participants in the process can be fertilized. If one Achatina is clearly larger than the other, it will be the massive individual that will bear the eggs, since the process of childbearing itself requires high energy costs.

The readiness of Achatina to mate is evidenced by the appearance of a small white tubercle on the right side of the neck. Depending on the role of the individual, it can retract or turn into a male genital organ, protruding forward. Close-related mating is not recommended.

The selected pair is placed in a separate container, left alone. For two hours, a marriage ritual takes place, accompanied by close bodily contact. After mating, the snail, which acts as a female, does not need re-fertilization for up to 2 years - so much is the supply of male sperm.

When handling Achatina, it is enough to observe the minimum hygiene requirements and be careful. It is unacceptable to take a snail with dirty hands, sweaty palms. On the surface of the skin there should be no cosmetics, both caring and decorative. It is necessary to exclude the contact of the pet with salt, chemical detergents.

Correctly picking up a giant clam should be like this:

• wash your hands thoroughly, leaving them slightly damp;
• immerse your hand in a container or aquarium, palm up, in front of the pet's face;
• wait for the snail to crawl to the place offered to it;
• raise with the other hand holding the shell.

If Achatina is on the wall or lid of the aquarium, you should not use force to peel it off. It is enough to moisten the surface of the sole and the glass with water, and then slightly pry the pet's body from below. The snail will easily move into the palm of your hand. It is necessary to exclude the lifting of the mollusk by the shell in order to avoid its deformation, damage. Do not frighten the mollusk with loud sounds or sudden movements.

Care should be taken when transferring your pet back to the tank or container. Gently placing your hand with the back of your hand on the ground or bedding, you need to wait until the sole of the mollusk comes down from the palm of your hand. After that, it is imperative to close the ulitarium.

Communication with Achatina should always be scheduled for the evening hours, when the snail is naturally active. At the first contact, she most likely dares only to look out of her shelter under the sink. Further, having mastered, the pet will actively explore the territory, leaving on its way a special lubricant - mucin. You can establish tactile contact by lightly stroking the skin of the snail. But the shell should not be touched unnecessarily - it is rather fragile.

Most of the oddities in the pet's behavior may well have a reasonable explanation. So, in nature, during the day, snails can bury themselves in the ground in order to maintain a comfortable level of moisture on the body. While settling in a new place, the Achatins will also prefer to stay in a place protected from light and dangers.

Tropical guests - snails, do not tolerate excessive heat. The rise in temperature in their shelter above +28 degrees will force the mollusk to hide where it is humid and cool. This is normal behavior, corrected by moving the container to a more comfortable room. When the temperature drops to +23 degrees and below, the opposite effect is possible - from the cold the snails rise upward as high as possible or they also bury themselves in the ground, keeping warm.

At home, with a lack of moisture, the Achatina snail repeats the behavior of its wild counterparts. She simply hibernates or spends most of the day in damp ground. A hygrometer will help to control moisture evaporation rates. In addition, it is imperative to correctly and accurately position the ventilation holes, and regularly moisten the litter.

Changes in Achatina behavior are most often associated with preparation for laying eggs. At a time, they leave about 200 balls in the ground with a diameter of a large pea. From the moment of mating to the stage of laying, it takes about 2 weeks, then bearing in the mantle ends. Eggs buried in the ground remain in moist ground until new snails hatch from them. The productivity of the species is about 40%, the rest of the embryos are empty.

Newborn babies prefer to spend time in the moist surface layer of the litter. Here they gain strength, protect their fragile shell from the destructive influence of the direct rays of the sun.

Refusal to eat may be due to the fact that the snail simply does not like specific foods. A safe option is usually baby puree without salt and sugar, milk, lettuce, bananas, cucumbers.

Daytime sleep is the norm for giant snails, the time of their activity falls on the night hours. If the pet prefers to rest on the walls or ceiling of the container after eating, this is considered the norm. At the same time, a portion of food is left for them at night, healthy pets can easily cope with its destruction. Drowsiness combined with refusal to eat can be a sign of illness.

It is difficult to categorize the Achatina as a classic pet. However, it has its own advantages, as well as unusual habits and characteristics that the owner should be aware of. Among the most unusual information about these snails are the following.

• The ability to hibernate. The period of voluntary retreat lasts up to 6 months. The main reason for this is the decrease in the ambient temperature to +8 degrees and below. The mouth of the shell during this period is closed by a mucous flap.
• Singing ability. In any case, this is what breeders call the sounds that Achatina makes. In fact, they resemble something between a whistle and a squeak.
• Deadly danger from salt and sugar. For Achatina, these substances in their pure form are really poison.
• Food suitability. In South African countries, Achatina snails are eaten and prized for their high protein content and lack of fat.
• Sports talents. In Great Britain, street races for Achatina are arranged and they gather a considerable audience, bringing the owners a chance for material rewards. True, do not forget that at the same time such snails are recognized as the slowest on the planet. But in the pursuit of a fresh cucumber, they have no equal.
• The ability to move even on a razor blade. The mucous substance produced by the sole, mucin, makes it possible to perform such tricks without risking life.
• Myopia. The range of sight of objects in Achatina is only 3 cm, but it distinguishes well between light and shadow.
• Special water absorption. Due to the peculiarities of the climate, tropical mollusks are accustomed to extracting water from the air, literally absorbing it with their body.
• Deafness. Achatina use touch as the main source of information about the outside world. They have no hearing, the molluscs are completely deaf.
• The nose is outward. The tentacles of Achatina are her sense of smell, an analogue of the nose. But the mucous membrane is not inside, but outside. The sensitivity is quite high - the snail smells smells 2 meters away.
• High intelligence. For the clam, of course. Akhatina recognizes the owner, remembers the location of objects, is able to think over the situation, make decisions.
• Endurance and strength. On its shell, a snail can lift a load equal to 10 times its own body weight.
• The presence of 20,000 teeth. In fact, the mollusk does not chew, but scrapes food - that is why it can be offered mineral stones for building a shell. Their snail easily grinds off in a short time.
• Giant sizes. At home, a land snail grows a shell up to 20 cm in length. Larger individuals are found in nature. It is known that the largest Achatina reached 35 cm in length and weighed more than 2 kg.
• Incredible fertility. During its life, 1 adult can find the happiness of parenting up to 4,000,000,000 times - that is the number of eggs it leaves in its clutches on average.

Owners of Achatina snails are quite willing to share information about their pets. Most of the reviews look very optimistic and allow you to appreciate all the advantages of such pets. It is interesting that many people become owners of such unusual pets by chance. And only then, having finally fallen in love with unusual and very easy-to-care creatures, they begin to breed them purposefully.

Not without complications. Untrained owners of exotic Achatina in the first weeks of life with a pet face a lot of difficulties. For example, maintaining a certain level of moisture in a substrate and choosing it often seems too difficult. The new owners do not know about the prohibitions on salt and spices, they are trying to offer the snail food generously seasoned with various additives.

Especially often mentioned is the delight that the Achatins evoke in the people around them. Friends and relatives who come to visit are guaranteed to be busy for several hours only contemplating the pet. The birth of offspring can be a big surprise for the owners - congenital hermaphroditism and the ability to self-fertilize can give unexpected results even with prolonged solitary keeping of Achatina. If you overlook the masonry, there is a risk of becoming the owner of several dozen Achatinas at once.

For more information about Achatina, see the next video.