Back from the Reptile Show....

[Toirtis]

....and came away with nothing reptile....bought a used 75W aquarium heater and one of these (and about this size, too):

 

[fishyrican]

That thing is huge!

 

[Toirtis]

That thing is huge!

...and only about half-grown....one species gets a shall about the size of a standard football.

 

[fishyrican]

I did some research on the snail just to learn a little more. Do you know the exact Achatina species you bought? Those look like really fascinating creatures. How much did you pay for them? Do you have other snails or did this one just catch your eye?

Man, I don't even want to imagine the conversation with my wife if I brought one of those home. 8O

 

[Toirtis]

O believe it to be A. fulica, although A. achatina would be ever so much more cool. $10 got me this one...lots of breeders up here, and although I never bothered having any before, I liked this one and the price was right.

You can't have any Achatina ssp. in the US, anyways....the department of Agriculture down there prohibits them nation-wide....a few actually made it into some school classrooms about 2 years ago, and the Ag guys actually burst into classrooms during classes and seized the snails....of course, if you hang out on any online snail groups, you will know that there are a fair few being kept privately down there.

 

[fishyrican]

Cool. Although I would fear my wife more than Ag department.

 

[mrcrazypants05]

Whats wrong with them... are they poisonous snails or something???

 

[Zagz]

Cool. Although I would fear my wife more than Ag department.

LOL, that cracked me up. That is a huge snail, I can't imagine having one in my house. It might eat a cat!

 

[Toirtis]

Whats wrong with them... are they poisonous snails or something???

No, they eat vegetation...and at an amazing rate (by the big guys), so they are considered a potential serious agricultural pest....I doubt that they would have a hope in hell of surviving anywhere but the most southern parts of the US, though.

 

[Menagerie]

I doubt that they would have a hope in hell of surviving anywhere but the most southern parts of the US, though.

They could battle it out with the Bufo marinus.

 

[Toirtis]

They could battle it out with the Bufo marinus.

Go toads!