Giant African Land Snail (Lissachatina fulica) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The giant African land snail is one of the world's largest land snails, with a shell that can grow up to about 8 inches (20 cm) long. It is one of the world's most invasive animals and can carry rat lungworm, a parasite that causes meningitis in people. Owning or selling one is illegal anywhere in the United States, but it is established in Hawaii and keeps turning up in Florida.

Appearance

Appearance: Adults can reach about 8 in (20 cm) in shell length, though most are smaller. The shell is thin, almost like ceramic, and a tall oval with a pointed tip, usually brown with cream at the tip and only lengthwise stripes. A white-bodied form is popular in the overseas pet trade and was found in Pasco County, Florida.

Look-alikes

Stock Island tree snailOrthalicus reses

The tree snail lives up in trees in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties and lacks the inward-curled inner lip (columella) of the giant African land snail.

Why they get mixed upIt is a large Florida land snail with a similar shape and color.

Apple snailsPomacea

Apple snails are water snails found in or right next to ponds and canals, and their shells are round like an apple rather than tall and cone-shaped.

Why they get mixed upThey are also big invasive snails in Florida.

Pink-lipped agate snailLissachatina immaculata

Look inside the shell opening: this close relative has a pink or purple wall there, and its shell surface is rougher.

Why they get mixed upSame genus, similar size and stripes. It is not known to live in the wild in the US.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Yards and gardens
Farm fields
Scrub near forests
Range: Native to East Africa. In the US it is established in Hawaii, and Florida has had repeated outbreaks, including new finds in 2022 and 2023.
Preferred conditions: Lives on land, often near water, but cannot survive long underwater.

Behavior

Diet: Eats almost any living plant or crop, plus fallen leaves, fungi, trash, cardboard, dead animals, and even stucco and soil for calcium.
Activity: Mostly active at night, hiding in cool, damp spots by day. In bad conditions it can bury itself and stay inactive for up to a year. It spreads by hitching rides on vehicles, equipment, and yard waste.

Life cycle

Reproduction: Each snail is both male and female, but two must mate. A clutch averages about 200 eggs, and a snail can lay several clutches a year, adding up to thousands over its life.
Time to maturity: Can start breeding at about four months old.
Lifespan: 3–5 years in the wild, sometimes up to 10.

Cautions

Cautions: Can carry rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis). Do not handle it barehanded; Hawaii has the most rat lungworm cases in the US.

Name and classification

About the name: Formerly called Achatina fulica. The name "giant African snail" is also used for other large African snails, such as Achatina achatina.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Status: Federally prohibited in the US. If you think you see one in Florida, photograph it and report it to the Florida Department of Agriculture's Division of Plant Industry helpline (1-888-397-1517).