Achatina achatina
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Superfamily: Achatinoidea
Family: Achatinidae
Genus: Achatina
Species: A. achatina
The largest existing species of terrestrial gastropods, Achatina achatina is native of the forests of Western Africa (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Liberia…). Because of its golden shell with black stripes it is also colloquially known as tiger snail. The body is usually dark grey or brown, almost black, with a distinctive V shape on the tail but it should not be confused with Archachatina marginata, who has a much blunter shell and finer body texture. It feeds on plants and decaying matter.
Now a popular exotic pet in Western countries, it requires a combination of constant, warm temperatures (25°C-30°C) and high humidity (90%).
Snails & Slugs 