Giant African Land Snail, Achatina fulica browsing on vegetation in the Theosophical Society Gardens. The snail makes a pretty picture in the dew-drenched sun-dappled light of the TS Gardens, but this large air-breathing land snail is one of the worst invasive species in the world. It is a serious pest in many of the countries where it has been introduced. The species is quite well established in India. Adults and young ones can be seen in many damp places in and around Besant Nagar and Adyar. Being a hermaphrodite species it is particularly difficult to eradicate as even one individual can reestablish a breeding colony.
Achatina fulica
Achatina fulica has a narrow, conical shell, which is twice as long as it is wide and contains 7 to 9 whorls when fully grown. The shell is generally reddish-brown in colour with weak yellowish vertical markings but colouration varies with environmental conditions and diet. A light coffee colour is common. Adults of the species may exceed 20 cm in shell length but the average is about 5 to 10 cm.
Like many other gastropods, A. fulica uses its radula, which is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon for scraping and feeding on vegetation. The action of the radula can best be compared to that of a rasp.
Achatina fulica is a threat to crop agrosystems as well as native ecosystems. Native plants and native snails are affected adversely. Native snails in fragile island ecosystems such as Hawaii and the French Polynesian islands are particularly susceptible.
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