Achatina fulica

Basic information
Scientific name	Achatina fulica	Click to magnify
Common names	Giant African snail
Higher taxon	Achatinidae, Stylommatophora, Gastropoda, Mollusca
Natural range	Savanna region nearby Mozambique Channel, E Africa.
Habitat	Bush nearby forest and crop field.

Invasion information
Range in Japan	Ogasawara Islands, Amami Islands, Okinawajima Is., Miyakojima Is., Yaeyama Islands, and mainland of Kagoshima Pref.
Origin	Taiwan
Date	Introduced in 1932, and established by 1945.
Route	Deliberate: for food.
Impact	Predation, competition against native species. Carrying pathogen. Harmful to Agriculture. Native organism(s) affected: Vegetation, native land snails, crops.
Regulation in Japan	Achatinidae is designated as a Quarantine Pest (the Plant Protection Law).
Introduced range in other countries	Madagascar (ca. 1760, for food), Mauritius (ca. 1800, for medicine), Comore, India, SE Asia, S Continental China, Taiwan, Hawaii, Banuatu, etc.

Reference

Notes

DECO (ed) (2006) Dictionary of Alien Species. Tokyo-Shoseki, Tokyo. (in Jpn)
Ecol Soc Japan (ed) (2002) Handbook of Alien Species in Japan. Chijin-Shokan. (in Jpn)
JWRC (ed) (2008) A Photographic Guide to the Invasive Alien Species in Japan. Heibonsha. (in Jpn)
Ohbayashi & Takeuchi (2007) Fluctuation of the distribution and population of the giant african snail, Achatina fulica Bowdich (Pulmonata: Achatinidae) in Chichijima and Hahajima Islands, of the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, from the years 1995 to 2001. Jpn J Appl Entomol Zool. 51(3):221-230 (in Jpn)
Plant Protection Station (2011) The Plant Protection Act. Quarantine Pest List. (Accessed on 2012-5-16) http://www.pps.go.jp/law_active/Notification/basis/5/245/html/245.html (in Jpn)

100 of the World&rsuo;s Worst Invasive Alien Species. 100 of the Japan&rsuo;s Worst Invasive Alien Species.