''Achatina'' is a genus of medium-sized to very large, air-breathing,

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

land snail A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have gastropod shell, shel ...

s, terrestrial

pulmonate Pulmonata or pulmonates is an informal group (previously an order, and before that, a subclass) of snails and slugs characterized by the ability to breathe air, by virtue of having a pallial lung instead of a gill, or gills. The group inclu ...

gastropod Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...

mollusk Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...

s in the family

Achatinidae Achatinidae (New Latin, from Greek "''agate''") is a family of medium to large sized tropical land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks from Africa. Well known species include '' Achatina achatina'' the Giant African Snail, and '' L ...

.Bouchet, P. (2014). Achatina Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=818098 on 2014-11-07

Distribution

There are some 200 species of Achatinidae in

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

. Some species are kept as terrarium animals due to their size of three inches, and colourful shells.

Shell description

Snails in this genus have medium to large shells which are ovate in shape and often colourfully streaked.

Species

Species within the genus ''Achatina'' include: *'' Achatina achatina''

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologic ...

or giant African snail, agate snail or Ghana tiger snail, from Western Africa (

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

through

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

) grows to be the largest land snail on Earth. *'' Achatina ampullacea'' Böttger, 1910 *'' Achatina balteata'' Reeve, 1849 -

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

to Central

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

. *'' Achatina bandeirana'' Morelet, 1866 *'' Achatina bayaona'' Morelet, 1866 *'' Achatina bayoli'' Morelet, 1888 *'' Achatina bisculpta'' E. A. Smith, 1878 *'' Achatina connollyi'' Preston, 1912 *'' Achatina coroca'' Bruggen, 1978 *'' Achatina craveni'' E. A. Smith, 1881 - Congo,

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

. *'' Achatina dammarensis'' L. Pfeiffer, 1870 -

Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...

*''

Achatina dohrniana ''Achatina'' is a genus of medium-sized to very large, air-breathing, tropical land snails, terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Achatinidae.Bouchet, P. (2014). Achatina Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: Wor ...

'' L. Pfeiffer, 1870 *'' Achatina greyi'' Da Costa, 1907 *'' Achatina hortensiae'' Morelet, 1866 *'' Achatina inaequalis'' L. Pfeiffer, 1855 *'' Achatina iostoma'' L. Pfeiffer, 1854 -

*'' Achatina morrelli'' Preston, 1905 *'' Achatina obscura'' Da Costa, 1907 *'' Achatina osborni'' Pilsbry, 1919 *'' Achatina passargei'' von Martens, 1900 *'' Achatina perfecta'' Morelet, 1867 *'' Achatina pfeifferi'' Dunker, 1845 *'' Achatina polychroa'' Morelet, 1866 *'' Achatina randabeli'' Bourguignat, 1889 *'' Achatina rugosa'' Putzeys, 1898 *'' Achatina schinziana'' Mousson, 1888 -

*'' Achatina schweinfurthi'' von Martens, 1873 - East Africa. *'' Achatina semisculpta'' Dunker, 1845 - East Africa *'' Achatina smithii'' Craven, 1881 *'' Achatina spekei'' Dohrn, 1864 *'' Achatina stuhlmanni'' von Martens, 1892 -

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

. *'' Achatina tavaresiana'' Morelet, 1866 -

*'' Achatina tincta'' Reeve, 1842 - Congo,

*'' Achatina tracheia'' Connolly, 1929 - Southeast Africa *'' Achatina transparens'' Da Costa, 1907 *'' Achatina vignoniana'' Morelet, 1874 *'' Achatina virgulata'' Da Costa, 1907 *'' Achatina welwitschi'' Morelet, 1866 *'' Achatina weynsi'' Dautzenberg, 1891 - Congo

incertae sedis or is a term used for a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

: * '' Achatina vassei'' Germain, 1918 - The internal anatomy of this species is not known, and therefore the generic classification of ''‘Achatina’ vassei'' cannot be made. Bruggen A. C. van (2010). "A new record of ''‘Achatina’ vassei'' Germain, 1918 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Achatinidae) from Mozambique – an unsolved problem". '' Zoologische Mededelingen'' 84
HTM
.

Species brought into synonymy

* ''Achatina albopicta'' E. A. Smith, 1878 - along the coast of

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

and

: synonym of '' Lissachatina albopicta'' (E. A. Smith, 1878) * ''Achatina allisa'' Reeve, 1849: synonym of '' Lissachatina allisa'' (L. Reeve, 1849) * ''Achatina antourtourensis'' Crosse, 1879 : synonym of ''Achatina immaculata'' Lamarck, 1822: synonym of '' Lissachatina immaculata'' (Lamarck, 1822) (junior synonym) * ''Achatina arctespirata'' Bourguignat, 1890: synonym of '' Achatina randabeli'' Bourguignat, 1890 * ''Achatina barbigera'' Morelet, 1866: synonym of '' Petriola marmorea'' (Reeve, 1850) * ''Achatina bloyeti'' Bourguignat, 1890: synonym of '' Lissachatina bloyeti'' (Bourguignat, 1890) * ''Achatina capelloi'' Furtado, 1886: synonym of '' Lissachatina capelloi'' (Furtado, 1886) * ''Achatina fulgurata Pfeiffer'', 1853 -

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

: synonym of '' Achatina eleanorae'' Mead, 1995 * ''Achatina drakensbergensis'' Melvill & Ponsonby, 1897 : synonym of '' Cochlitoma drakensbergensis'' (Melvill & Ponsonby, 1897) * ''Achatina eleanorae'' Mead, 1995: synonym of '' Lissachatina eleanorae'' (Mead, 1995) * ''Achatina ellioti'' E. A. Smith, 1895: synonym of '' Oreohomorus ellioti'' (E. A. Smith, 1895) * ''Achatina fulica'' Bowdich, 1822 or giant East African snail from Eastern Africa is a serious pest in the many tropical countries where it has been introduced, and is listed as an

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

by some governments: synonym of '' Lissachatina fulica'' (Bowdich, 1822) * ''Achatina glaucina'' E. A. Smith, 1899: synonym of '' Lissachatina glaucina'' (E. A. Smith, 1899) * ''Achatina glutinosa'' Pfeiffer, 1854 -

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

: synonym of '' Lissachatina glutinosa'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1854) * ''Achatina gruveli'' Dautzenberg, 1921: synonym of '' Achatina iostoma'' L. Pfeiffer, 1854 * ''Achatina gundlachi'' L. Pfeiffer, 1850: synonym of '' Geostilbia gundlachi'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1850) * ''Achatina hamillei'' Petit de la Saussaye, 1859: synonym of ''Lissachatina fulica hamillei'' (Petit de la Saussaye, 1859) * ''Achatina immaculata''

Lamarck Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biolo ...

, 1822 - Southeastern Africa: synonym of '' Lissachatina immaculata'' (Lamarck, 1822) *''Achatina iredalei'' Preston, 1910: synonym of '' Lissachatina allisa'' (Reeve, 1849) * ''Achatina ivensi'' Furtado, 1886: synonym of '' Achatina pfeifferi'' Dunker, 1845 * ''Achatina johnstoni'' E. A. Smith, 1899: synonym of '' Lissachatina johnstoni'' (E. A. Smith, 1899) * ''Achatina kilimae'' Dautzenberg, 1908: synonym of '' Lissachatina kilimae'' (Dautzenberg, 1908) * ''Achatina lowei'' Paiva, 1866: synonym of '' Amphorella oryza'' (R. T. Lowe, 1852) * ''Achatina lechaptoisi'' Ancey, 1894: synonym of '' Lissachatina immaculata'' (Lamarck, 1822) * ''Achatina letourneuxi'' Bourguignat, 1879: synonym of ''Lissachatina fulica hamillei'' (Petit de la Saussaye, 1859) * ''Achatina lhotellerii'' Bourguignat, 1879: synonym of '' Lissachatina zanzibarica'' (Bourguignat, 1879) * ''Achatina marginata'' Swainson, 1821:Du Cane Godman, Frederick. ''Annali Del Museo Civico Di Storia Naturale "Giacomo Doria"'', Museo civico di storia naturale, Genoa, 1916, p. 245 synonym of ''

Archachatina marginata The giant West African snail or banana rasp snail (''Archachatina marginata'') is a species of air-breathing Tropics, tropical land snail, a terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial Pulmonata, pulmonate Gastropoda, gastropod Mollusca, mollusk in the f ...

'' (Swainson, 1821) * ''Achatina milneedwardsiana'' Revoil, 1885: synonym of ''Lissachatina fulica hamillei'' (Petit de la Saussaye, 1859) * ''Achatina minima'' Siemaschko, 1847: synonym of '' Cochlicopa lubricella'' (Porro, 1838) * ''Achatina monochromatica'' Pilsbry (Deprecated. Old historical synonym of ''Achatina achatina'' var. ''monochromatic'') * ''Achatina moreletiana'' Deshayes, 1851: taxon inquirendum * ''Achatina mulanjensis'' Crowley & Pain -

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

: synonym of '' Achatina immaculata'' Lamarck, 1822 (junior synonym) * ''Achatina nigella'' Morelet, 1867: synonym of '' Homorus nigellus'' (Morelet, 1867) * ''Achatina nyikaensis'' Pilsbry, 1909 -

: synonym of '' Bequaertina pintoi'' (Bourguignat, 1889) (junior synonym) * ''Achatina panthera'' Férussac, 1832 -

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

: synonym of ''Achatina immaculata'' Lamarck, 1822 * ''Achatina pellucida'' L. Pfeiffer, 1840: synonym of '' Blauneria heteroclita'' (Montagu, 1808) * ''Achatina purpurea'' (Gmelin, 1790): synonym of '' Archachatina purpurea'' (Gmelin, 1790) * ''Achatina raffrayi'' Jousseaume, 1883: synonym of '' Leptocallista raffrayi'' (Jousseaume, 1883) * ''Achatina rediviva'' Mabille, 1901: synonym of '' Lissachatina fulica'' (Bowdich, 1822) * ''Achatina reticulata'' Pfeiffer, 1845 -

Zanzibar Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...

: synonym of '' Lissachatina reticulata'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1845) * ''Achatina semitarum'' L. Pfeiffer, 1842: synonym of '' Laevaricella semitarum'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1842) * ''Achatina sylvatica'' Putzeys, 1898 - Congo: synonym of ''Leptocalina putzeysi'' (Dautzenberg & Germain, 1914) * ''Achatina varicosa'' Pfeiffer, 1845 -

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

: synonym of '' Cochlitoma varicosa'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1861) * ''Achatina variegata'' Lamarck, 1801: synonym of '' Achatina achatina'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * ''Achatina variegata var. minima'' Germain, 1912: synonym of ''Achatina achatina elegans'' (Link, 1807) * ''Achatina wildemani'' Dautzenberg, 1907: synonym of '' Leptocalina specularis'' (Morelet, 1866) * ''Achatina yalaensis'' Germain, 1936: synonym of '' Oreohomorus connollyi'' (Odhner, 1932) * ''Achatina zanzibarica'' Bourguignat, 1879 -

: synonym of '' Lissachatina zanzibarica'' (Bourguignat, 1879) * ''Achatina zebra'' Bruguiere, 1792 -

: synonym of ''

Cochlitoma zebra ''Cochlitoma zebra'' is a species of giant snail A snail is a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also us ...

'' (Bruguière, 1792)

References

External links

Achatinidae

Land snails in captivity
{{Authority control Achatinidae Gastropod genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot