I bought a giant African land snail a while ago and its shell has been turning white and started to look beaten up. If you have seen one of these snails please contact the FDACS helpline (888) 397-1517. # 2. Don't know if land snails are different to tropical water snails, but if conditions aren't right in my fish tank they seal themselves in for "better times"! The snail cannot repair these, and if the snail's body is exposed, this can lead to other health problems, and drying out. More serious breakages can occur on the point of the shell, where the older growth is. Giant African Land Snail Fun Facts for Kids # 1. Sealing themselves in because of the cold is called hibernation. Something about these slow shelled creatures fascinated me and I collected anything to do with them from live one from the garden to the The video shows a giant African land snail, an invasive species with no natural predators that lives up to nine years and can grow to eight inches long. # 3. GALS are illegal to import into the U.S. without a permit. 4 Amanda Young and nephew Logan, six, with pampered Speedy Credit: Mercury Press It is known to eat at least 500 different species of plants. Giant African land snails are nocturnal, moving around at night to feed on a wide range of plants. Snails are cold-blooded and rely on the ambient temperature for heat. The way you tell if they're dead is to pick them up and sniff - when they're dead they smell vile. Their conical shell is a brown colour with weak darker markings that appear as bands across the spiral, although the colouration can vary. The shell of the Giant African Land Snail is conical and narrow, with 7 to 9 spirals visible on its surface. Out of Stock Achatina snail Achatina achatina, common name the African giant snail, also known as the giant tiger land snail and gigantocochlea, is a species of very large, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Achatinidae. The mantle, the fleshy part inside the shell through which the foot protrudes, is a pale yellowish … Once the temperature starts to drop, snails go through physiological changes to adapt to the cold. Shells can be repaired, but care must be taken to avoid the snail's body coming into contact with any materials or … Giant African Land Snails are illegal in the US because of their extreme invasive tendencies. There are five species of overseas snails that have been identified as National Priority Plant Pests, with the giant African snail (Lissachatina fulica) topping the list. Speedy the Giant African Land Snail is given luxurious baths and full body massages to keep him his shell shining. Its voracious (wanting to eat lots of food) appetite makes it one of the most damaging land snails. 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