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Biological Evidence 2011, Vol.1, No.2, 2-3
http://be.sophiapublisher.com
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Scientific Discovery Open Access
The Invasive Species,
Achatina fulica
Ferussac, Competent Colonized in Hainan
Island
Fujiong Fang
Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, China
Corresponding author email: hitar@hitar.com;
Biological Evidence 2011, Vol.1, No.2 doi: 10.5376/be.2011.01.0002
Received: 31 Aug., 2011
Accepted: 30 Oct., 2011
Published: 30 Nov., 2011
This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article as:
Fang, 2011, The invasive species,
Achatina fulica
Ferussac, Competent Colonized in Hainan Island, Biological Evidence, Vol.1, No.2 2-3 (doi:
10.5376/be.2011.01.0002)
Abstract
The author reported the event of an invasive snail (
Achatina fulica
Ferussac), that inhibits in the betel nut plantation
located at North Latitude 18°23'8.19", East Longitude 109°9'14.76" on 25th August, 2011. Five photos and one video chip as
evidences were provided in this report. Being an invasive species,
Achatina fulica
originated from East Africa, has now colonized in
the island that has growing up as the dominant population. The potential ecological risk is urgent to be assessed.
Keywords
Snail;
Achatina fulica
Ferussac; Invasive species; Ecological risk; Hainan Island
The author recorded the biological
evidence of the Snail’s (
Achatina fulica
) invasion heavily; colonization and
reproduction in the betel nut plantation of Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources located at
18°23'8.19" N, 109°9'14.76" E, in Hainan Island. Five photos and one video clip were provided to reveal the
existence of this evidence.
Photo slide
(http://bio.sophiapublisher.com/
Video clip
(http://bio.sophiapublisher.com/
article_picture.php?article_id=428&type=be) article_detial.php?article_id=428&type=be)
Achatina fulica
Ferussac, commonly known as giant African snail, is an invasive alien species in Hainan Island,
and has now become a dominant species that probably will make the island ecosystems at risk. The invasive snail
is a macrophytophagous herbivore mainly feeding the leaves of plants and seedlings, preferable saprophagous
mixed diet, and habitats dark and damp environment where vegetation and humus are rich.
The snail is kind of hermaphrodite with allogeneic mating, and it has strong reproductive ability to lay eggs up to
100 to 400 once per clutch (lay 5~6 clutches per year). The snail grows rapidly for five months to be mating and
spawning and reproduces large numbers of offspring. Life expectancy is commonly five or six years in captivity.
Under severe conditions, the snail can hibernate for years.
The snail, native to East Africa, artificially introduced Hainan Island because of food purpose. This mollusk is
now growing a huge dominant population in Hainan Island, which has become a voracious feeder and recognized
as a serious hazard pest to agriculture, forestry, horticulture. Besides, the giant snail is the intermediate host of