Tiger Land Snail

Achatina achatina

The tiger land snail, Achatina achatina, is a giant West African land snail also called the giant Ghana snail or giant tiger snail. It has a long conical shell patterned with dark brown to black chevrons on a yellowish or tan background, which explains the tiger name. Native populations occur in humid forest and farm-edge habitats of Ghana and nearby parts of West Africa. Adults can become very large for a terrestrial snail, and like many land snails they are hermaphrodites capable of laying clutches of eggs after mating.

People keep or farm tiger land snails for display, education, and food in regions where they are legal, but the species requires warm humidity, deep clean substrate for burrowing and egg laying, and constant calcium for shell growth. Diet is based on leafy greens, vegetables, and other plant matter, with uneaten food removed before it spoils. Because large achatinid snails can damage crops and carry parasites, importation and ownership are restricted in many countries. Responsible keepers prevent escapes, dispose of unwanted eggs carefully, and never release surplus snails outdoors.