The Giant African Snail
G.A.S. crisis





The Species


Common Name: Giant African Snail

Scientific Name: Achatina Falicia

Classifications
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda

Superfamily: Achatinoidea

Family: Achatinidae

Subfamily: Achatininae

Genus: Achatina

Subgenus: Lissachatina

Species :Achatina Fulica





Distribution:

  • The GAS is originally located from Eastern Africa, most notably Kenya and Tanzania

  • It's only year-of-arrival-documented country is China, arriving in Xiamen, in 1931

  • It has also been found to be in the countries/ initial areas of:

  1. Pirates Island, Taiwan
  2. Bhutan
  3. West Indies
  4. A large majority of Asia
  5. The Pacific and Indian Ocean Islands
  6. The United States ( not including midwestern states, where the animal has been successfully eradicated

It is still known to stay in all the areas/countries listed above. GAS has been introduced only as pets and novelty animals for amusement, though recently many have been captured in the united States because of their danger to the enviornment.

Effects Unto Humans.

GAS is harmless to humans, with its own properties. But, the snail is a carrier of several semi-dangerous rat parasites. One includes the rat Lung Worm: Anoioltlongylus contonensis , which causes a feeling of sickness.


Effects on the Ecosystem

The GAS eats a wide variety of more than five-hundred species, including agricultred plants and vegetables. Causing immense devastation to human crops and the farming industry. This species has, considerably in the united states, ruined the herbivore wildlife of some areas. Such as in Florida. The snail has been known to decrease the amount of natural vegetation in areas, causing widespread famine ( for animals).

Reasons for Sucess

There are several good reasons for the GAS' to survive in its many enviernments:

  1. It being a hermaphrodite, so any two GAS can reproduce'
  2. Has hundreds of eggs at a time, which have a 90% hatch rate
  3. a physical attraction to humans, so kept by classrooms and children as pets
  4. Religious puroposes is Brazil
  5. Loves humid enviornments
  6. And, it can survive intense drought for years!



Issues for the furture

There are many problems with the GAS at this time, especially in the USA. The Department of Agriculture has recently siezed hundreds, mostly willinfully, of these snails from public areas. Especially pet stores and classrooms. And the government has occasionally quarintined areas containing these snails, until exterminated. Though despite the attatchment some feel over these snails, they are seen as a pest by most humans, and killed at sight. Showing that, despite the Giant African Snails persistence to live, it will one day be eradicated as the pest that it is!