African Land Snails

[Dany]

anyone ever kept any species? is it true that they actulally are dangerouse in a sense that they can cause meninjitus as they carry the parisite of a rat or something? woudnt they need to eat rat poop or crawl over a dead rat or something?

 

[KathyM]

I keep land snails, and rats. Just like ALL other pets, it's important to wash your hands after handling them - as long as you do that there's no risk of anything.

I have:

8 lissachatina fulica (the commonest species kept as pets) + 1 if we count the last rescue looking for a home.
2 achatina albopicta
2 baby achatina smithii
1 achatina iredalei
2 archachatina marginata var. ovum
7 archachatina marginata var. ovum "white fleshed" eggs waiting to hatch.

Here are some pics:

http/landsnails.mypetpages.net/

 

[Dany]

i know thats it important to wash you hands and stuff but your really if your unlucky going to be a little ill, not die of meninjitus... but is is true thta they are carriers of the rat parasite?

 

[KathyM]

I've heard something about the risk of that with wild caught snails, but again easily avoidable, and rare.

Can giant African land snails be infected with this parasite?

Yes. This type of snail, which can grow larger than a person's hand, is just one of many types that can be infected. But snails can be infected only if they have eaten infected rat feces.

http/www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/an...ntafricansnails

It is unknown whether slime from snails can contaminate people, and the risk of a pet snail coming into contact with rat feces unless wild caught is incredibly tiny. So nothing to worry about really as long an normal hygeine measures are carried out.