Since its discovery in 2008, the giant African snail is confined to a few areas: the Diego Martin Valley, Maraval, Invaders Bay, Mt. Lambert, Aranguez North and South and Barataria. To eradicate this pest, it is critical that it does not spread to other areas.

Other Common Names: Giant African snail, escargot Géant, Achatine, Caramujo

Achatina fulica is a very large snail that can weigh as much as 1kg. The body varies from pale cream to dark brown. The foot sole is flat. The shell can reach up to 20 cm (8”) in length and 12 cm (5”) in diameter. The shell is conically spired and narrowed at the apex. It has seven to nine rounded whorls (rarely ten) with moderately impressed sutures between the whorls. The shell colour can vary due to environmental conditions and diet, from light coffee to reddish-brown with cream to light yellow vertical streaks.

Persons attending a public town meeting at the St. Augustine Regional Complex on St. John’s Road in St. Augustine, benefitted from a sensitization session on Thursday 26th October, 2017, geared towards minimizing the adverse impact of an invasive pest – the giant African snail (GAS) – which, in additional to being a public nuisance and trade embargo, can cause harm to human health and more than 500 different species of plants. The meeting was chaired by the Tunapuna/ Piarco Regional Corporation. (more…)