Giant African land snails 'lucky to be alive' after being dumped

The RSPCA has issued advice about exotic pet ownership after eight Giant African land snails were found abandoned.

The snails, whose normal habitat is among tropical wetlands and forests in sub-Saharan Africa, were discovered in bushes by a member of the public.

In many countries, they are considered an invasive species with a voracious appetite for plants and can do substantial damage to crops. In the UK they can be kept as indoor pets in a warm environment.

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RSPCA Inspector Ben Cottle-Shaw collected the snails from the finder’s home and transported them to a specialist exotic animal centre in Ossett.

Although they had been put in a large tupperware box with soil and vegetation, they also need a humid living environment with a temperature maintained over 20C - so these snails were lucky to survive.Although they had been put in a large tupperware box with soil and vegetation, they also need a humid living environment with a temperature maintained over 20C - so these snails were lucky to survive.
Although they had been put in a large tupperware box with soil and vegetation, they also need a humid living environment with a temperature maintained over 20C - so these snails were lucky to survive.

Although they had been put in a large tupperware box with soil and vegetation, they also need a humid living environment with a temperature maintained over 20C - so these snails were lucky to survive.

The snails are now in the care of specialist keepers at Ossett's Reptilia, where they will be rehomed to new owners who will be vetted to make sure they are aware of their specific needs.

Giant African land snails include the largest land snail species known (Achatina achatina) and can often grow to shell sizes of 18cms by 9 cms, while some snails have been known to grow to 30 by 15 cms.

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The snails, which were found in bushes at Hartley Brooke Dyke in the Firth Park area of Sheffield, are smaller examples of the species with shell widths up to 5cms.

Inspector Cottle-Shaw said: “The lady who found the snails had them in a storage box. It was quite an unusual find. In fact, I’ve only ever fielded calls about them on three occasions previously and this is the first time I’ve come across them being abandoned.

“As with all pets, it’s really important that anyone thinking of taking on a giant snail is aware of what is involved in taking care of them before they bring one home.”

Giant African land snails are hermaphrodites with both male and female reproductive organs and so their propensity to multiply can be problematic even in controlled environments.

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“They breed very easily and two snails can turn to 20 quite quickly. I collected them and they were observed laying eggs at Reptilia, which they would have already been carrying.

“As they are not sex specific you can have any two snails together and they breed.

“People can end up with lots of them. So they do need to do their research, using expert sources, before taking on ownership.

“They can be kept in a terrarium, a glass box with soil under humid conditions, and they can live for up to 10 years.

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“Because they’re not native to the UK, it’s also illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release these snails, or their eggs, into the wild.”

The RSPCA says anyone taking on the ownership of exotic pets needs to undertake thorough research on the needs of the particular species, including living space and conditions.

Anyone with information about who dumped the snails should contact the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018.

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