# Giant African Land Snail (A. fulica)



## LeilaNami (Jan 3, 2010)

I really _really_ want one...Too bad they're illegal here   Anyone on the boards have these?  These look like they can devour the produce section at Wal-Mart. :worship:


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## Endagr8 (Jan 3, 2010)

LeilaNami said:


> These look like they can devour the produce section at Wal-Mart. :worship:


Precisely _why_ they're illegal.


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## Avicularia Man (Jan 3, 2010)

I would imagine they are illegal because of the diseases they are known to carry.


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## Galapoheros (Jan 3, 2010)

Nobody would admit if they have them, the authorities would be knocking on their door in a few to get them. I've read that it's the fear of them eating crops and other plants that made the gov decide to make them illegal. The disease thing I see as a scare tactic, propaganda, they do this in gov because they don't think the truth is enough at times. I've seen a couple of vids of gov reps admitting that. The host got them angry enough to spit it out:razz:. Some snails out in the wild in Africa can pick up something like an amoeba:?, maybe it was something else, that causes meningitis and these snails are a local food there. Sometimes people get infected because they don't fully cook the snail. But I read that they are legal in Europe, grow them and eat them there. If the disease isn't there for the snail to pick up, there is not going to be a problem with it. That's as much as I remember about reading about them carrying a disease, and I don't really remember if it was an amoeba or not but it seems like it was something that causes meningitis, I think, I typed before I googled about it but I remember them spending millions to eradicate them from Florida one time and that they are a current problem in Hawaii, lol as far as man is concerned, nature doesn't care Yeah that'd rock if they were legal, maybe they could sterilize them, then sell them to us

Holy diddly!:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjsReAgphEo


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## Alejandro45 (Jan 3, 2010)

My lord I must say it would be a steak of a meal

I was interested in them for a time but after many phone calls I found out you can get them with a Degree in agriculture or entomology...so keep trying and you can apply for all the permits and get them rather quickly.

Im having a hard time finding a mentor to keep venomous reptiles so I called the FWC and found out I could get a permit if I have a degree in Biology..

So now you know stay in school and alot more doors open for you


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## BrianWI (Jan 3, 2010)

They sold the snails locally one year and APHIS came down and laid the smackdown on that. I had a couple, turned them in at a collection point at a show. They were cool and all, but not worth a big fine! I like my hissers better anyway, LOL.


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## Scolopendra55 (Jan 8, 2010)

Every once in a while on ebay there's a man selling freshly hatched GALS as "fishfood" to comply with ebay regulations. They're ridiculously cheap as well, somewhere around $3 US for a group of 5 of em'. He lives somewhere close to england and will ship them to the states. Now keep in mind I am NOT recomending you break the law by obtaining any of these wonderfull creatures, however I do believe very strongly that they should not be out of reach for responsible invert keepers. I mean, what are tho odds of them setting up an established population in Washington state? Probably pretty darn low, now Florida or other south-east states...that's another story. Just goes to show how important it is that keepers of these or ANY other creature must never release them into the wild.


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## TheBugBarn (Jan 8, 2010)

One of the reasons they're illegal here is they are asexual. So let's say you're cleaning out the cage, and throw a couple of tiny eggs away. You could be in for a real "Homer Simpson" moment then. 
Besides that, even if you did order them from oversea, who wants to get caught? The person delievering the package could be a customs agent. From what I've read the guy selling them could be a customs agent.


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## BrianWI (Jan 8, 2010)

If someone in law enforcement "offers" to sell you something proactively, even on ebay, it is entrapment.


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## Falk (Jan 8, 2010)

They eat and poop non stop


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## Mack&Cass (Jan 9, 2010)

They're illegal here, too.

However, a pet store in the city where we live sells them for like $2.99 CAN ea. We actually bought two from there when we were first starting out in our many hobbies, and didn't know they were illegal, then when we found out we got rid of them.

When we told the store they were illegal, they said that they knew. This angered me for two reasons:
1. You're putting anyone who is buying them at risk of being slapped with a fine, and having their collection seized, and I'm sure a lot of people buying them aren't aware they're illegal, and the store clerks certainly don't tell the customers that upon purchase
2. Is it really worth losing your business license over $3 snails? Even on classified ads for our town, I see people selling the babies because they have so many, and I always email them letting them know it would be wise to not advertise illegal animals online

I know the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) is really cracking down on people keeping A. fulica. Galapoheros is right, if anyone does have them, they won't admit it (because AB is the perfect place for the government to look in regards of who is keeping what illegally). The only reason I admitted having them is because we got rid of them when we found out they were illegal.

And by get rid of, I don't mean release into the wild or sell to anyone else. I mean we froze them and cooked their enclosure substrate before throwing it out to ensure that there were no chances of any rogue snails.

Cass


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## TheBugBarn (Jan 9, 2010)

BrianWI said:


> If someone in law enforcement "offers" to sell you something proactively, even on ebay, it is entrapment.


When some in law enforcement wants to do something, they do it. Then you get to fight it out in our judical system; whose slogan should be,"guilty or else".


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## kripp_keeper (Jan 9, 2010)

BrianWI said:


> If someone in law enforcement "offers" to sell you something proactively, even on ebay, it is entrapment.


No, they have to just about force you to buy it for it to be entrapment. If someone buys something illegal on ebay from a cop its still illegal. Because you would have bought it regardless of who is selling it. Its only entrapment if the situation is set up so the idea to perform the illegal act was the police officers himself, and you would not have done it with out his "influence" to do so.


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## Falk (Jan 9, 2010)

Their eggs and babies are a very good calcium source for your lizzards.
I have had A. achatina, A. immaculata. A. fulica and they grow very fast and from baby to mature snail takes aprox 4-5 month and they live up to 7+ years.
They also produce eggs like crazy, i have thrown away thousands of them.


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## Ohana (Jan 9, 2010)

They were very common when I lived in Hawaii (south shore of Oahu).  Plant some plants in the yard and they would be eaten by the snails at night.


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## ZooRex (Jan 10, 2010)

It is my understanding that Giant African Land Snails or GALS for short are illegal due their unbelievably prolific breeding habits. The animals are hermaphrodites and can lay up to 1,200 eggs each year. Just think of the exponential growth from one single animal.

Now I am also learning that the are a "known" health risk.

With this said its too bad that they aren't allowed to be kept in captivity here in the US. Esspecially in the Northern states where I doubt they would ever survive over a winter if they became established.


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## Falk (Jan 10, 2010)

"known" health risk??!!


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## kripp_keeper (Jan 11, 2010)

KingRex said:


> With this said its too bad that they aren't allowed to be kept in captivity here in the US. Esspecially in the Northern states where I doubt they would ever survive over a winter if they became established.


At the rate they breed they would most likely survive even in the northern parts. It only takes a few being in someones house or barn, anywhere warm enough for a few of them to survive the winter then population boom in the spring/summer.


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## BrianWI (Jan 12, 2010)

kripp, you are wrong, but you are allowed to be 

Here in WI they would never survive a winter. But its easier to ban them everywhere then later try to teach snails where the state borders are, LOL.

They were saying the snails could give kids meningitis, but I think that was more a tactic to get people to give them up. Mine weren't exciting anyway, I never missed them after giving them to the collection point they had. Was the same place I bought them. The guys selling them told me they started with 2, and they must have had well over 1000 for sale! They were prolofic, could likely do some damage in warm places. I had them like 6 months when the next poultry show I saw had APHIS putting out info on them. Mine never reproduced and I gavethem and their entire enclosure to the agents so none ever got established here for any time.


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## rm90 (Jan 12, 2010)

I want some soo bad but they are illegal up here in Canada, too.

Oh well, maybe if I ever move to the UK I will get some! :razz:


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## RyoKenzaki (Jan 12, 2010)

African giant snail are everywhere in our country here in Malaysia
U can find them alllllllllll over the place
Often died while trying to cross a path and stomped by people


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## Scythemantis (Jan 16, 2010)

You guys should all know better about "health risks." Animals are ALWAYS declared health risks as a further excuse to keep them banned, when really any pet is a health risk if not kept properly. Dogs and cats transmit far more dangerous diseases and parasites than any snail could.


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## Falk (Jan 16, 2010)

I think the "health risk" is pure bs


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