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Post by jayne on Jul 24, 2011 14:36:40 GMT
I have just returned from a reptile/invert show and I bought 2 snails being sold as Achatina Zebra The guy who sold them said they were home bred by him and were definitely not fulica (which I had already guessed) or marginata. He said they laid eggs that were larger than fulica but smaller than marginata and the clutch sizes were slightly bigger than margies too. After questioniong him as much as I could I bought 2 as they were not expensive. Any thoughts on whether they are indeed 'zebra'?    |
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boone
Achatina achatina
Posts: 54
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Post by boone on Jul 24, 2011 18:35:18 GMT
Achatina achatina would be my guess
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on Jul 24, 2011 23:12:42 GMT
I don't know which species they are, but they are beautiful.
Moving to Identification section.
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Post by heydihoo on Jul 25, 2011 1:07:18 GMT
i would also say achatina achatina
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Acha-Roby
Achatina achatina
Acha-Roby
Posts: 43
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Post by Acha-Roby on Jul 25, 2011 6:36:11 GMT
For me they are A. achatina. Maybe a subspecies not common...
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Post by brunni on Aug 3, 2011 12:05:51 GMT
Hi Jayne  I would say that the invert supplier could well be correct and that you have got a nice couple of A. zebra there.  They are definitely not tigers. In your second photo the columella is clearly visible and it is flesh colored, not deep crimson as would be the case with tigers. Also the lower half of the columella is raised slightly, where as in a tiger it would be completely flat. The clinch is the pattern and the arrangement of the whorls. In the pattern the darker bands are very widely spaced, this kind of pattern is only seen in some special kinds of tigers ( A. achatina bayoli ). The whorls increase in diameter very rapidly in your shells, giving the very last whorl the appearance of a round ball. I'm posting a pic of an A. zebra shells found by a friend of mine in the hills around Port Elizabeth, RSA. As you can see adult shells are beautiful. Post some more pics of your lovely snails again in a few months so we can see how they are getting on.  |
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Post by jayne on Aug 3, 2011 16:59:35 GMT
Thanks for that,I hope you are right!
I will post new photos in a few weeks so you can see how they are developing
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Post by brunni on Aug 4, 2011 9:13:36 GMT
Here's that pic I forgot to attach, notice the flesh colored columella just like your wee ones Attachments:
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Acha-Roby
Achatina achatina
Acha-Roby
Posts: 43
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Post by Acha-Roby on Aug 4, 2011 13:29:12 GMT
I think a better photo of the columella is essential. A photo with the body completely in and fully exposed columella will be the best thing!
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Post by jayne on Aug 4, 2011 15:10:04 GMT
I'll try to take better photos,I'd realy like a definite ID
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foghog
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 235
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Post by foghog on Aug 4, 2011 17:34:09 GMT
Those shells are gorgeous.
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Post by jayne on Aug 4, 2011 18:25:33 GMT
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Acha-Roby
Achatina achatina
Acha-Roby
Posts: 43
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Post by Acha-Roby on Aug 4, 2011 21:53:31 GMT
i see a red-vinaceous columella in two pics..... A. achatina, nothing more, nothing less
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Post by brunni on Aug 5, 2011 15:42:21 GMT
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Post by ness on Aug 5, 2011 22:01:12 GMT
Well on the one hand Brunni knows snail shells well and I wouldn't discount his opinion. On the other hand the flesh is very much like tiger snail flesh. I believe zebra have smoother bodies, sandy in colour. The crimson is lurking there beneath the flesh which is covering the columella in the photos, I can see it's there showing through on one of the photos.
The shell pattern is similar to that of some tigers that I used to have. I can't identify the varient but I had some very much like those.
It is highly unlikey that they are zebra also because it would be complicated to export them out of Africa. People have been trying to get hold of them for years....
How large of they?
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Post by copigeon on Aug 5, 2011 22:25:01 GMT
I'd have to agree with ness. They look like very much like Achatina achatina. The collumella is visible as crimson where the body is pushed back in a couple of the shots. I think the wide spaced markings and clear contrast between the markings and the base shell colour are deceptive. A. achatina are highly variable in that respect.
Another thing to be aware of - the poor early growth is in stark contrast to the body whorl, when a snail suffers incorrect conditions/feed and then suddenly obtains the right conditions it can cause the sudden later growth to look very different to how a healthy shell develops. The result can be odd stretched patterning, etc, which again is quite deceptive.
It could be a variant - perhaps even localised. I'd highly doubt A. zebra.
Only way to be sure due to the early shell damage would be to produce offspring and compare more evenly grown adults/juveniles.
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Post by crossless on Aug 7, 2011 14:57:23 GMT
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Post by SojMad on Aug 21, 2011 1:05:53 GMT
That's two A. achatina. Even though it's a bad picture of their "tail", the V shape is still visible from the side. And as only Achatina-species with a V shape on it's tail/foot, it can only be Achatina achatina. The only reason that the columella is flesh colored is that it IS their flesh, that covers their columella when they aren't completely retracted in their shells. |
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