Today, in the homes of many of our compatriots, you can see unusual pets. Someone contains monkeys, someone - rare birds, and someone lives Achatina. it the biggest snail in the world. It belongs to the family of gastropods. After reading today's article, you will learn about the main features of these creatures.
Habitat
Immediately, we note that the largest snails in the world come from Africa. Later they spread across the territory of Malaysia, Indochina, India, Madagascar and the Seychelles.
Several individuals trapped in the USA gavenumerous offspring. After just a few years, so many Achatineas bred in the country that they were considered a national disaster. Giant mollusks destroyed fields, ate wood bark and plaster houses.
The inhabitants of Japan appreciated the taste qualities of thesehuge creatures and began to organize farms that specialize in their cultivation. It was also believed that the largest snail in the world helps to get rid of tuberculosis. Therefore, it has become very popular in many states.
Appearance of mollusks
That Achatina are the largest representatives of the land snails. The length of their body can reach thirty centimeters, and the diameter of the shell is often about twenty-five centimeters.
These mollusks have a brain and a heart.They can breathe not only through the skin with a huge number of folds, but also through a single lung. The body of these creatures is hidden under a massive sink, protecting them from drying out and mechanical damage. Those who do not know how much the largest snail in the world weighs, it will be interesting that the Achatina mass can reach one kilogram.
These mollusks move by reducing the well-developed sole. To facilitate movement on dry surfaces, mucus is produced from the two leg glands.
What to feed Achatina?
At home the biggest snail in the worldcan eat watermelons, grapes, plums, peaches, apples, pears and bananas. From vegetables they are allowed to give carrots, peas, corn, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, Peking and cauliflower. Also giant Achatina is recommended to be fed with various greens, including plantain, spinach, parsley, dill and lettuce.
Кроме того, в их рационе обязательно должны Present foods such as baby food, chopped nuts, boiled eggs, oatmeal, sour cream, milk and bread. It is strictly forbidden to treat mollusks with smoked, salty, spicy, pickled and fried dishes. To strengthen the shell, the Achatina menu should be supplemented with mineral stones for parrots, eggshell, cottage cheese and chalk.
Features of breeding
Immediately, we note that in conditions of optimalhumidity is the largest snail in the world able to reproduce offspring throughout the year. Individuals who have reached the age of seven months are considered sexually mature. Two weeks after the contact took place, both mollusks burrow into the ground to lay in it. One snail is able to bring up to fifty eggs, of which two months later babies appear.
Under all conditions, the cochlea is sufficientgrow fast. For the first few days, newborns are in the ground. At this time, babies eat the remnants of their shell. After the young individuals begin to emerge on the surface, they can be fed with grated vegetables with the addition of crushed limestone. In captivity, these creatures can live up to ten years.
