THREE MAJOR EDIBLE SNAIL SPECIES OF AFRICAN ORIGIN
by Chigbogu, Nnachetam The two most popular edible snails in West Africa are the giant snail, Achatina achatina , and the big black, Archachatina marginata . Most studies on snails in West Africa have concentrated on these two species and on the garden snail, Achatina fulica . In Ghana Achatina achatina is considered the most prized species for eating, followed by Archachatina marginata and then Achatina fulica . Other edible species exist, but they are of minor, local importance. Achatina achatina Common name: giant snail, tiger snail (Ghana)\ Description: Achatina achatina can be considered a good candidate for snail farming in most areas of West Africa, although it requires higher humidity than the other two species and needs a longer growing time to reach sexual maturity. They are reputedly the largest land snails in the world. Although usually much smaller, they can grow up to 30 cm in body length and 25 cm in shell height. Average adult shell length is 18cm, ...