Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822
Benthem-Jutting (1952) descriptions on Achatina fulica – “Shells large, solid, pyramidal with produced spire and rounded base. Ground colour light yellow or fawn, ornated with irregular brown or mauve vertical bans, streaks or blothes under a greenish-yellow epidermis. With soft lustre, little or not transparent. Coarsely striated in vertical direction. Towards the suture and towards the aperture the striae become almost rib-like. In many specimens there is a finer spiral sculpture also, especially on the whorls of the spire, rendering this part of the shell a decussated appearance. The whole is covered by a yellowish or brownish periostracum which peels off easily. Whorls 7 to 9, rapidly increasing in size, moderately convex. The last one large and rather inflated. Top whorls smooth. Umbilicus close, even in young individuals. Suture irregularly crenulated, occasionally lightly margined. Aperture somewhat oblique, broad-oval, pointed above and below. Height of aperture shorter than the spire. Peristome not continuous, the two ends connected by a thin, white callus against the parietal wall. Outer margin sharp, not thickened or reflected. Interior white or bluish-white. In the interior of young shells the flames of the outside colour pattern are shining through. Columellar margin thickened, slightly tortuous longitudinally and truncated at the lower end.”
Achatina fulica – “Dimensions: height 100 to 130 mm, in exceptional cases till 170 mm, width 45 to 60 mm, height of aperture 50 to 55 mm.” (Benthem-Jutting, 1952)
“During the Japanese occupation of the Malay Archipelago (1942-1945) Achatina fulica was purposely introduced for food in several internment camps. The once so highly depised snail now became an appreciated source of animal protein for the straving prisoners. In this way it was transported from island to island and has rapidly conquered new areas acclimatizing perfectly in its new surroundings.” (Benthem-Jutting, 1952)
Predators of Achatina fulica – “Malaysian wood rat, Rattus tiomanicus (Miller); Pacific rat, Rattus exulans (Peale); Rice field rat, Rattus argentiventer (Robinson & Kloss); Pig, Sus scrofa (Linnaeus).” (Limm, 1966)
Distributions – “East Africa, Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius, India, Ceylon, Malaya, Siam, S. China, S. Japan, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, seeral Lesser Sunda Is., New Guinea, Philippines, Guam, Saipan, Tinian Is., New Britain, new Ireland, Hawaiian Is., Palau Is., Okinawa, S. California” (Benthem-Jutting, 1952)
“Achatina fulica has a predilection for plantations, vegetable gardens, refuse heaps etc. where it feeds on fresh and decaying plants, not even respecting such well-armed plants as Opuntia and Euphorbia. It is sometimes found eating latex in rubber plantations. Generally they live on the ground, but occasionally they climb tree trunks. In the dry season they hide away in the soil, retract in their shells and close it with a thin epiphragm. Achatina fulica inhabits the lower altitudes: lowland plains and hilly country up to about 1000 m altitude, mostly in or near human settlements. It has not been found in truly “wild” conditions, and not in tropical rain forest or in the higher mountains.” (Benthem-Jutting, 1952)