Archachatina knorri ?

[brunni]

Searching for additional alien habitats of A. fulica I came accross this curious doc compiled by some heavy weight organizations ( APFC, FAO and USDA Forest Service ). It is surprisingly full of mistakes. I therefore opted not to quote any of the habitats mentioned in it. Take a look :
www.fao.org/docrep/012/al333e/al333e00.pdf
- Now what is a GAS ? A GAS is a GALS without the L ! = Giant African Snail.
- Only the third illustration is Achatina fulica ( the subject of the paper ) the other two are not this species; they do not even seem to be Achatina, rather Archachatina ( rounded apex ).
- The first photo has been "flopped" giving the appearance of a rare sinistral snail !
- Now here's the gem : the first 2 illustrations bear a strong resemblance to the elusive Archachatina knorri, known from the forests of Sierre Leone and Liberia. As far as I know the live animal has never been photographed.

[ness]

Well that's certainly not a fulica in that top picture! Yes I agree it's Archachatina, but which type is beyond me. It could be a marginata variety as these are quite variable, though the bodies are rather brown... hope that it is the knorri though Either way that is a bit of a mistake to make!

At least the basic message is accurate - they are terrible pests in the wrong places, and attempts to get rid of an infestation can cause further damage.

[brunni]

Without better images, and origin/size data I can not really confirm the species of Archachatina in the doc., though I have stated my opinion.
I searched through hundreds of photos of A. marginata variations until I found one with some resemblance to the fao.org/doc. Then I turned it and flopped it to agree with the first doc. photo.

The fao/org/doc photo differs in two ways. First the suture is simple, in A. marginata there is always a subsutural ramp often bold ( as in this photo ) and crenelated. Second the nuclear whorls in A. marginata are clear ( can be red, orange, brown or cream ) without darker markings.
Image courtesy Pete Krull, size 77.6mm ex Cameroon

[ness]

I have to admit the photo in the document looks more like a squat Archachatina marginata species and has colouring and pattern quite akin to marginata that I have kept. The shells can be quite variable in terms of colour, pattern, sharpness of stripe edges and even the way the whorls 'sit' with each other.
The variablity of snail shells makes it both difficult and interesting to try to identify eh?

[brunni]

I've written to the APFISN Coordinator who compiled and edited the fact sheet, asking for more info on the first 2 illustrations in the paper. If I get a response it will be posted.

[ness]

Hope you get a reply

[coyote]

I will be very surprised if you get a reply, but very interested in it if you do.

[brunni]

In fact surprises do happen ! ;D Received today :

Dear ....................,

I write this on behalf of the Cordinator, APFISN regarding the image which appeared in the newsletter.

The first and the second images in the newsletter are the same, taken from the following link:

www.infobibos.com/Artigos/2009_1/Caracois/index.htm

The image of the snail had been cut from the second image, rotated anticlockwise and the first image was pasted. As you can see, the apex is hidden behind the plant and hence we cannot use the shape apex as an ID. The third picture was taken from Kerala.

We are extremely sorry for the confusion ensued due to our mistake. Many thanks for taking the trouble to point out error. We are in the process of calling back the newsletter. The corrected version is ready for replacing it.

warmly

Dr TV Sajeev
Scientist
Forest Health
Kerala Forest Research Institute

Unfortunately I cannot open the link, so am trying to track down more info on those first two image.

[brunni]

Following my last post I googled this :
2 Sep 2009 – Mas, os Achatina que já ví se parecem realmente com esses, Como nesse artigo: infobibos.com/Artigos/2009_1/Caracois/ind ex.htm ...
and this led me here :
www.flickr.com/photos/mario_martins/3887646971/
Now the plot thickens , because it could well be the same source as the APFISN images !
- seems we are in southern Brazil
- another image of "Achatina fulica" is posted , but this time the image is a pair of indigenous snails belonging to the family Strophocheildae, and what beautiful species at that ! See www.femorale.com.br/shellphotos/thumbpage.asp?family=STROPHOCHEILIDAE&cod=5029
for more info on this amazing family. ;D
The sad thing is that postings like this only confuse the public what the indigenous and invading species look like, and the "good guys" get eradicated because they are being mistaken for the bad ones.
Anybody got time to post a correction to the Flickr comments ??

[ness]

I tried posting the following ...

This is definitely not Achatina fulica. It appears to be a STROPHOCHEILIDAE species. This species belongs there and should not be harmed. I hope that no-one mistakingly exterminates the worng type of snail in the belief that it's a fulica.

Unfortunately I couldn't post it as I couldn;t get into my yahoo account, even after resetting the password. Sigh.

[coyote]

Try doing a hard refresh on the page, Ness (shift command R on a Mac), and see if that works.

[coyote]

Jan 24, 2012 9:06:20 GMT brunni said:

In fact surprises do happen ! ;D Received today :

Dear ....................,

I write this on behalf of the Cordinator, APFISN regarding the image which appeared in the newsletter.

The first and the second images in the newsletter are the same, taken from the following link:

www.infobibos.com/Artigos/2009_1/Caracois/index.htm

The image of the snail had been cut from the second image, rotated anticlockwise and the first image was pasted. As you can see, the apex is hidden behind the plant and hence we cannot use the shape apex as an ID. The third picture was taken from Kerala.

We are extremely sorry for the confusion ensued due to our mistake. Many thanks for taking the trouble to point out error. We are in the process of calling back the newsletter. The corrected version is ready for replacing it.

warmly

Dr TV Sajeev
Scientist
Forest Health
Kerala Forest Research Institute

Unfortunately I cannot open the link, so am trying to track down more info on those first two image.

That's great that you got a reply, Brunni. I'm rather impressed.

The link goes to a page in Portuguese titled "Control of snails and slugs on vegetables and ornamental plants," according to Google Translate.

I copied and pasted the text of that page into Google Translate, and this is the result, unedited:

Control of snails and slugs on vegetables and ornamental plants

Francisco José Zorzenon
Tércio Barbosa de Campos

Slugs and snails are mollusks responsible for economic losses in the production of vegetables and ornamental plants (Fig. 1).
1 - Slug changes in ornamental palm

Cause both quantitative and qualitative losses, because in addition to reducing productivity, reducing product depreciate its value due to the presence of mucus or even the animals themselves in vegetables. In ornamentals aesthetic damage that in some cases, limit.

Economic losses can vary depending on the type of culture attacked. In the case of no-till now quite widespread, there was a significant increase in pest molluscs. For example, beans, there is a reduction of approximately 20% of productivity.

Snails and slugs live in humid and shaded places, damaging plants usually overnight. In hazy conditions and high humidity, they can be seen during the day, after the rains. These animals scrape with a structure called the radula, leaves, stems and young shoots, which can, in severe infestations lead to plant death (Fig. 2).
2 - Leaves shaved - slug damage on palm seedlings

Briefly, the management involves a series of measures including the use of toxic baits based on metaldehyde, manual collection of adults and use of traps based on beer or milk, or debris, and the use of strips of lime or ash, with at least 20 inches wide, around the culture.

Management practices for shellfish in vegetables and ornamental plants:

Scavenging: the manual collection of adults is feasible when the acreage is small. You should collect the adults with rubber gloves or plastic bags because molluscs can transmit diseases to humans through their mucous. Adults should be destroyed in boiling water or manually.

Toxic baits, usually based on metaldehyde (moderately toxic product), pellets are to be distributed at a dose of 50 grams per square meter, achieving a reduction of over 80% of the weed. There is also a market-based bait ferric phosphate, also in the form of pellets, but with less environmental impact (less toxic to wildlife, domestic, etc..), Which can be used following the manufacturer's guidelines.

Attractive traps, consisting of burlap or cloth soaked in beer or milk prepared from infested culture. Place these traps at dusk and collected early the next day. Both beer and milk attract slugs and snails, which must be manually collected and destroyed or boiling water. May also be willing Vegetable waste (stalks, leaves, etc.). As attractive on paper or plastic canvas.

Lime or ash, arranged in bands 20 cm wide around the culture. These tracks makes this difficult for slugs and snails culture. After each rain or weekly, you must repeat the procedure.

Giant African snail

The introduction of the species Achatina fulica (Giant African Snail) (Fig. 3), in Brazil, for commercial purposes to replace the snail (Helix spp.), Caused her to become an agricultural and urban pests of economic importance ( infest ornamentals, various vegetables such as beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.). Because it is an exotic and extremely aggressive, both in demand for food and in their reproduction, has no natural enemies and compete with native species can lead to decreased diversity of molluscs in a region. It is found in all parts of the country. In addition to economic damages, also has important health because it can transmit worms harmful to human health, which are causing serious illness with symptoms ranging from nervous system disorders, severe and constant headaches, bowel perforation, and abdominal bleeding, resulting in some cases, death. Therefore, it should be captured only by the use of rubber gloves or plastic bags.
3 - Achatina fulica - Giant African Snail

There are several other native snails, some similar to the A. fulica. The giant African snail is usually large, the shell has dark, sometimes streaked with lighter colors and edge of the thin shell (unlike Megalobulimus sp., Which is also a large snail, native and has usually lighter shell and thick border). The baits should only be used when the infesting species cause significant damage, thus avoiding unnecessary application and disposal of non-pest species.

Source: Biological Institute - www.biologico.sp.gov.br

Francisco José Zorzenon graduated in Biology from the Catholic University of Campinas (1988), specialization in Urban Entomology from the University Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (2004) and technical-vocational course-by Benedito Storani Agricultural College (1981). He is currently a research scientist at the Biological Institute - Centre for Research and Development of Plant Protection. He has experience in Zoology with an emphasis on entomology.
Lattes CV: lattes.cnpq.br/9478317221950077

Contact: [e-mail]


Tertius Barbosa de Campos holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from Escola Superior de Agricultura de Lavras (1962). He is currently a Scientific Researcher of the Biological Institute - Centre for Research and Development of Plant Protection. He has experience in Agronomy, with emphasis on Plant Health.
Lattes CV: lattes.cnpq.br/8675107066789505

Contact: [e-mail]

This is the snail in Figure 3, labeled Achatina fulica, Giant African Snail:

[brunni]

Sorry you did not hear me sooner, had to spend more time in the forest and when I'm in town my server has been S-L-O-W !
@ ness : thanx for trying to post a protest to Flickr - plse keep trying !
@ coyote : how can u open pages I can't ? You got a mine of info here !
@ Dr TV Sajeev, Scientist, Forest Health, Kerala Forest Research Institute : your cooperation and information is greatly appreciated !
I'm weighing up all this info and will post on it soon. ;D ;D ;D

[brunni]

With Coyote's help we tracked the image back to Francisco José Zorzenon who seems to be a government researcher in southern Brazil ( Tércio Barbosa de Campos ) and it is possible that the figured specimen could conceivably be Achatina fulica, photographed from an invasive local population. But, Hey !, how can a scientific researcher post an image of a sinistral shell and labeled it Achatina fulica, Giant African Snail...........without further comment ? Also I never seen a fulica with color pattern like that ( red ! ). So the image remains highly suspect.

Secondly this image was copied to the FAO doc with some amendments. Dr. TV Sajeev commented As you can see, the apex is hidden behind the plant and hence we cannot use the shape apex as an ID. The first image in the FAO doc was modified in the protoconch area, so that it resembled an Archachatina ( rounded apex ) instead of an Achatina ( pointed apex ).

I concluded the picture which started this thread is so controversial that this thread is better renamed. It is probably not Archachatina knorri (Jonas, 1839).

The moral must be that images made public concerning invasive species, must be clear and concise, so that there is no possibility they could be confused with local indigenous species.

[brunni]

Take care with pictures of Achatina originating from Brazil ! They are often misleading or wrongly identified.

1. Original picture of Achatina fulica, Giant African Snail, courtesy Francisco José Zorzenon, Brazil
2. Archachatina marginata 77.6mm ex Cameroon, courtesy Pete Krull ( original image has been "mirrored" and resized )
3. Achatina fulica 121mm ex Philippines ( brunni image )
4. Detail of banana plant, the probable background on image 1 ( brunni image )