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The African Giant Snail
Snails are a kind of mollusk that lives on land and in the water. Mollusks have soft bodies and a hard shell.
African giant snails are soft-bodied animals without bones, but with a spirally coiled outer shell, which contains the whole snail, mass when at rest. They are generally classified as follows:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda or Univalves
Order: Pulmonata
Suborder: Stylommatophora
Family: Achatinidae
General: Achatina and Achachatina (of interest)
Some common species (of interest): Achatina, Fulica, Achachatina marginata.
These snails have their body divided into a well-developed ventral muscular foot and a dorsal visceral hump body (body mass) covered by the mantle.
The distinct snail’s head bears two (2) pairs of tentacles (feelers). The tip of the larger, longer and posterior pair of tentacles bears eyes while other pair is equipped just for feeling. However, there is doubt as to whether or not the eyes really function in light detection, as all efforts at ascertaining the visual function of the eyes have proved abortive. (?) Rather, I will say that the paired eyes are used foe heat detection, though work on this issue is yet uncompleted.
The mantle, a skin-like organ just beneath the inner lining of the shell, secretes a calcareous substance that forms the shell. This is done by oozing out liquid shell through the mantle edges as the snail grows. This is contrary to people’s misconception that snails move from one shell to another pre-formed shell.
A large, ventral muscular foot, which spreads beneath the body, moves the snail by contraction and relaxation in a ripping manner that makes the snail move forward though at a slow pace. The foot is lubricated by mucus produced by the pedal mucous gland.
Its mouthpart consists of rolls of teeth-like structures known as radulae and the odontophora (tongue-like structure are situated at the cranial aspect of the foot with which snails rasp on their feed).
African Giant snail like any other snails always live in a cool, highly humid environment such as thick bushes, under fallen logs, crevices or under leaves especially during rainy season. Snail usually moves around at night, because of the nature of the weather, i.e. high humid. These also explain why snails aestivate (go into hibernation) both day and night during the dry season, as the relative humidity is very low. It is also possible that snails aestivates during wet season if they are shielded from rain and are rarely watered.
The giant African snail, shown here, is the largest land mollusk.
African Giant snails are about the biggest known snail type and because of their high nutritive value, African Giant snails are taken to as a special delicacy with various meals. They are also used for other purposes. They have a crude protein of about 65% which is higher than most meat product except fish protein, and a high calcium and iron content, which is one of the reasons for recommending snail meat for pregnant women, apart from medicinal purpose.
Snails are kept in a snailery- an artificially constructed housing, which is comfortable and well adapted for snail rearing and production.
STEPS IN SNAIL CULTURE
The place where snails are kept is called snailery. A simple and comfortable snailery can be constructed with blocks/bricks covered with net, wooden materials and net can also be used depending on choice of the farmer. A simple and adequate snailery can be constructed in the form of a rectangular box (wooden or wall) with a top netting system for aeration and easy access to rain. This top netting system can further be modified into a top opening netting system by fitting in a good, hinged wooden framework. In any of the housing system used, the flooring must be filled with topsoil from the forest floor up to a level of 5 – 7cm. This will allow good hatchability of eggs as well as the provision of some essential minerals, which may be lacking in their feed. Other factors to consider in snail rearing include;
i) Water trough: for adequate supply of water, this can be done by a well- guarded long plastic poultry watering trough in a corner on the floor of the snailery. It is better to construct a cemented gutter-like water trough in the form of a concave floor surface for slanting v-shaped trough.
ii). Feed trough: this is useful when compounded feed, animal wastes or offal are served. It is important to know that both water and feed trough should be on the same plain with the soil-topped concrete floor of the snailery and steep downward gradually with blunt edges not cutting or sharp edges.
iii). Ants: to prevent the danger posed by tiny, crawling insects, constructing a small water filled, water-canal of about 4cm – 6cm width around the snailery is important.
iv). Predators: A locality with high incidence of rodents infestation, lizards, snail-eater birds, or other predators tends to reared snails to danger. It is therefore safer to use the top netting, brick or block snailery type, with netting being doubled or further fortified with a strong barbed wire than to use the ordinary wooden box type.
v). Theft: the use of strong fencing method will help securing the snailery.
vi). Weather: The weather condition within the specific locality should be considered in determining how extensive the netting should be.
Vii) Rearing hatchings and adult snails separately: Keeping eggs, hatchings and small snails separately may require the use of separate small boxes when practiced.
FEEDINGS:
Snails have mouthpart at the lower aspect of the head. The mouth is equipped with a uniform, wedge-shaped, tiny, white set of teeth displayed on the upper and lower semi-circular within the mouth is the odontophora (tongue like structure) with which feed substances are drawn into the mouth, in conjunction with the movable jaws.
Some of the known feedstuffs that the Snails rasp on will be grouped into 5 categories;
1. Plants: Snails feed more on leaves and on tender parts of the plant. Succulent leaves and stems or shrubs, paw paw, Cocoyam and cassava leaves, green vegetable leaves, water leaves and mostly decaying leaves e.t.c are preferred examples of feed snails rasp on.
2. Fruits: Common fruits like oranges, pawpaw, banana, plantain, mango, apple, pineapple, and cashew e.t.c. They can also feed on decaying fruits.
3. Kitchen wastes: cooked kitchen wastes such as rice, beans, e.t.c can also be fed to the snails. Cassava peels, yam peels and other succulent wastes can be fed to snails.
4. Farm wastes: farm animals offal, by-products and farm wastes like poultry droppings, ruminants rumen contents, chicken offal, fish offal and cracked eggs are highly preferred when fed to them.
5. Formulated feeds: the snails may be fed on an adequately prepared ration. Poultry feed like growers or chicks or broilers mash, may be served and supplemented with leaves fruits and kitchen wastes.
REPRODUCTION.
Snails are generally hermaphrodites, their mode of mating is by pairing, and pairing do occur during the rainy season. Eggs are laid in the ground by diging a small hole, the young ones hatch at about 20-0 days after laying depending on the species and feed content given to the snails. The percentage of hatcheries is about 60-70% of the eggs laid. The surviving rate of the young ones is about 70%. It takes 4-6 months from hatchery to adulthood.
SURVIVAL.
During dry season, snails secrets slimy mucus covering the epiphragm which closes the mouth of the shell during hibernation. They are enclosed in this shell until when the environmental condition is favorable.
Mortality can be caused by – erratic temperature, humidity fluctuations, toxicants cements, chlorinated water, larvae of moths, forest spiders, ants, snakes, soldier ants, hawks and man.
SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCKS.
In the light of all aforementioned, snails with good performance level, adaptation and diseases resistance may be selected out of the stock and keep as the new breeding stock or breeders. This can only be carried out with adequate record keeping. The needed parameters or records are;
A. Growth rate.
(i) the rate of increments in size (length) and weight gain per unit of time.
(ii) The time taken to reach maturity
(iii) How much it takes and the weight at maximum size.
B. Reproductive Performance
(i) The age at first egg laying
(ii) The number of eggs laid in a cluster
(iii) The number of egg-groups/clusters laid
(iv) The total numbers of eggs laid per snail.
C. Others
(i) Individual Capability.
(ii) Diseases resistance or tolerance level.
FINANCE AND PROSPECT
Snails rearing are economical due to the fact that it matures with within a short period of time. Most people are not into this business due to mere ignorance about the animal. Mature snails now cost over $3.00 in the markets, which is likely to cost nothing for maintenance. Assuming each snail lays and hatches between 6 and 10 eggs in a breeding season, the initial number might double within a year. So, dear USMEFAN members, lets work towards regenerating agricultural sector, lets shed light to what seems un-important to the people, and revolutionize agriculture globally. Thanks.
Joshua Oluwaseunayofunmi Smart Ajayi.
USMEFAN O.O.U
Snails are a kind of mollusk that lives on land and in the water. Mollusks have soft bodies and a hard shell.
African giant snails are soft-bodied animals without bones, but with a spirally coiled outer shell, which contains the whole snail, mass when at rest. They are generally classified as follows:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda or Univalves
Order: Pulmonata
Suborder: Stylommatophora
Family: Achatinidae
General: Achatina and Achachatina (of interest)
Some common species (of interest): Achatina, Fulica, Achachatina marginata.
These snails have their body divided into a well-developed ventral muscular foot and a dorsal visceral hump body (body mass) covered by the mantle.
The distinct snail’s head bears two (2) pairs of tentacles (feelers). The tip of the larger, longer and posterior pair of tentacles bears eyes while other pair is equipped just for feeling. However, there is doubt as to whether or not the eyes really function in light detection, as all efforts at ascertaining the visual function of the eyes have proved abortive. (?) Rather, I will say that the paired eyes are used foe heat detection, though work on this issue is yet uncompleted.
The mantle, a skin-like organ just beneath the inner lining of the shell, secretes a calcareous substance that forms the shell. This is done by oozing out liquid shell through the mantle edges as the snail grows. This is contrary to people’s misconception that snails move from one shell to another pre-formed shell.
A large, ventral muscular foot, which spreads beneath the body, moves the snail by contraction and relaxation in a ripping manner that makes the snail move forward though at a slow pace. The foot is lubricated by mucus produced by the pedal mucous gland.
Its mouthpart consists of rolls of teeth-like structures known as radulae and the odontophora (tongue-like structure are situated at the cranial aspect of the foot with which snails rasp on their feed).
African Giant snail like any other snails always live in a cool, highly humid environment such as thick bushes, under fallen logs, crevices or under leaves especially during rainy season. Snail usually moves around at night, because of the nature of the weather, i.e. high humid. These also explain why snails aestivate (go into hibernation) both day and night during the dry season, as the relative humidity is very low. It is also possible that snails aestivates during wet season if they are shielded from rain and are rarely watered.
The giant African snail, shown here, is the largest land mollusk.
African Giant snails are about the biggest known snail type and because of their high nutritive value, African Giant snails are taken to as a special delicacy with various meals. They are also used for other purposes. They have a crude protein of about 65% which is higher than most meat product except fish protein, and a high calcium and iron content, which is one of the reasons for recommending snail meat for pregnant women, apart from medicinal purpose.
Snails are kept in a snailery- an artificially constructed housing, which is comfortable and well adapted for snail rearing and production.
STEPS IN SNAIL CULTURE
The place where snails are kept is called snailery. A simple and comfortable snailery can be constructed with blocks/bricks covered with net, wooden materials and net can also be used depending on choice of the farmer. A simple and adequate snailery can be constructed in the form of a rectangular box (wooden or wall) with a top netting system for aeration and easy access to rain. This top netting system can further be modified into a top opening netting system by fitting in a good, hinged wooden framework. In any of the housing system used, the flooring must be filled with topsoil from the forest floor up to a level of 5 – 7cm. This will allow good hatchability of eggs as well as the provision of some essential minerals, which may be lacking in their feed. Other factors to consider in snail rearing include;
i) Water trough: for adequate supply of water, this can be done by a well- guarded long plastic poultry watering trough in a corner on the floor of the snailery. It is better to construct a cemented gutter-like water trough in the form of a concave floor surface for slanting v-shaped trough.
ii). Feed trough: this is useful when compounded feed, animal wastes or offal are served. It is important to know that both water and feed trough should be on the same plain with the soil-topped concrete floor of the snailery and steep downward gradually with blunt edges not cutting or sharp edges.
iii). Ants: to prevent the danger posed by tiny, crawling insects, constructing a small water filled, water-canal of about 4cm – 6cm width around the snailery is important.
iv). Predators: A locality with high incidence of rodents infestation, lizards, snail-eater birds, or other predators tends to reared snails to danger. It is therefore safer to use the top netting, brick or block snailery type, with netting being doubled or further fortified with a strong barbed wire than to use the ordinary wooden box type.
v). Theft: the use of strong fencing method will help securing the snailery.
vi). Weather: The weather condition within the specific locality should be considered in determining how extensive the netting should be.
Vii) Rearing hatchings and adult snails separately: Keeping eggs, hatchings and small snails separately may require the use of separate small boxes when practiced.
FEEDINGS:
Snails have mouthpart at the lower aspect of the head. The mouth is equipped with a uniform, wedge-shaped, tiny, white set of teeth displayed on the upper and lower semi-circular within the mouth is the odontophora (tongue like structure) with which feed substances are drawn into the mouth, in conjunction with the movable jaws.
Some of the known feedstuffs that the Snails rasp on will be grouped into 5 categories;
1. Plants: Snails feed more on leaves and on tender parts of the plant. Succulent leaves and stems or shrubs, paw paw, Cocoyam and cassava leaves, green vegetable leaves, water leaves and mostly decaying leaves e.t.c are preferred examples of feed snails rasp on.
2. Fruits: Common fruits like oranges, pawpaw, banana, plantain, mango, apple, pineapple, and cashew e.t.c. They can also feed on decaying fruits.
3. Kitchen wastes: cooked kitchen wastes such as rice, beans, e.t.c can also be fed to the snails. Cassava peels, yam peels and other succulent wastes can be fed to snails.
4. Farm wastes: farm animals offal, by-products and farm wastes like poultry droppings, ruminants rumen contents, chicken offal, fish offal and cracked eggs are highly preferred when fed to them.
5. Formulated feeds: the snails may be fed on an adequately prepared ration. Poultry feed like growers or chicks or broilers mash, may be served and supplemented with leaves fruits and kitchen wastes.
REPRODUCTION.
Snails are generally hermaphrodites, their mode of mating is by pairing, and pairing do occur during the rainy season. Eggs are laid in the ground by diging a small hole, the young ones hatch at about 20-0 days after laying depending on the species and feed content given to the snails. The percentage of hatcheries is about 60-70% of the eggs laid. The surviving rate of the young ones is about 70%. It takes 4-6 months from hatchery to adulthood.
SURVIVAL.
During dry season, snails secrets slimy mucus covering the epiphragm which closes the mouth of the shell during hibernation. They are enclosed in this shell until when the environmental condition is favorable.
Mortality can be caused by – erratic temperature, humidity fluctuations, toxicants cements, chlorinated water, larvae of moths, forest spiders, ants, snakes, soldier ants, hawks and man.
SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCKS.
In the light of all aforementioned, snails with good performance level, adaptation and diseases resistance may be selected out of the stock and keep as the new breeding stock or breeders. This can only be carried out with adequate record keeping. The needed parameters or records are;
A. Growth rate.
(i) the rate of increments in size (length) and weight gain per unit of time.
(ii) The time taken to reach maturity
(iii) How much it takes and the weight at maximum size.
B. Reproductive Performance
(i) The age at first egg laying
(ii) The number of eggs laid in a cluster
(iii) The number of egg-groups/clusters laid
(iv) The total numbers of eggs laid per snail.
C. Others
(i) Individual Capability.
(ii) Diseases resistance or tolerance level.
FINANCE AND PROSPECT
Snails rearing are economical due to the fact that it matures with within a short period of time. Most people are not into this business due to mere ignorance about the animal. Mature snails now cost over $3.00 in the markets, which is likely to cost nothing for maintenance. Assuming each snail lays and hatches between 6 and 10 eggs in a breeding season, the initial number might double within a year. So, dear USMEFAN members, lets work towards regenerating agricultural sector, lets shed light to what seems un-important to the people, and revolutionize agriculture globally. Thanks.
Joshua Oluwaseunayofunmi Smart Ajayi.
USMEFAN O.O.U
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by HAMMED Rahman on -
Nice write-up
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Permalink Reply by HAMMED Rahman on
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Nice write-up
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Permalink Reply by HAMMED Rahman on
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Nice write-up
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Permalink Reply by Louis Loizou on -
Thank you for this Joshua Oluwaseunayofunmi Smart Ajayi. It is most enlightening.
I am interested to know if the snail meat is culturally palatable locally, and how you might prepare it for human consumption?
If I have not done so already, welcome to World Family. I am so inspired by the weekly steady growth of members from Universities other than OAU, and from the quality of such contributions as yours.
Thank you Joshua Oluwaseunayofunmi Smart Ajayi, your parents named you well!
Remain Blessed
Louis from Brighton.
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