Scientific Classification

KINGDOM: Animalia

PHYLUM: Mollusca

CLASS: Gastropoda

FAMILY: Achatinidae

SUBFAMILY: Achatininae

GENUS: Achatina

SPECIES: A. fulica

Conservation Status

Giant African snail in woman's palm
A Giant African Land Snail stretches across a gap
Giant African Snail is climbing on the tree
Giant African snail on a human hand
The giant African snail is one of the largest land-based gastropods in the world, with the Australian trumpet being the largest. Adult giant African snails grow almost 3 inches tall and up to 8 inches in length.

All of their shells are conical shaped, typically with 7-9 clockwise spirals. A giant African snail’s shell is extremely durable and contains the highest heavy metal content of any snail species. Shell coloration varies, usually dependent on diet, but most likely will be brown with bands or yellowish stripes.

Besides their large shell, you will also notice the giant African snail has two sets of tentacles on their face. The longer pair has their eyes on the top, and the smaller pair allows the snail to smell.

Along the bottom of the giant African snail is a large, muscular foot. This “foot” releases mucus so the snail can move without friction damaging their tissues.
These huge snails were originally from the hot and humid parts of East Africa. Through importation, the giant African snail has made its way to every continent except Antarctica. In the U.S., they were imported to be used for education and as pets.
Giant African snails look for food at night. They eat a large variety of food, mainly plants, fruits, and vegetables, with the occasional sand, bones, or concrete for calcium. During the extreme cold or hot seasons when food is scarce, they can hide in their shells to slow their metabolism and go months without food!

There is no defined breeding season for giant African snails. They live their entire life alone until they are ready to mate. Each giant African snail has both reproductive parts, but they rarely self-fertilize.

After mating, the pregnant snail lays 100-500 eggs between rocks or under dirt and departs. These eggs will hatch after only two weeks and become immediately self-sufficient until they are adults after 6 months.

Since giant African snails can lay multiple clutches a year, it is easy for them to become huge pests.

Giant African snails are considered one of the top 100 most invasive species on the planet since their diet can consist of 500 different types of plants. This means that no matter where they end up, they can usually thrive, taking huge chunks out of agricultural fields.