Giant West African land snail - (Archachatina Marginata Suturalis) - Gastropets

Adult Suturalis aged approx 1 year and 10 months
Subspecies of Archachatina marginata native to Cameroon and Nigeria.

This particular snail's nickname is Silver, bred from two unrelated Suturalis parents (escaping detection during an egg hunt).
* Luicistic with dark eyes (I just call them pandas)
13cm shell length 
450g weight



General care: 
- Temperature: 24-29c 
- Humidity: 90%
- Adult size: 12-14cm
- Clutch size: 5-6 eggs
- Lifespan: 5 years+


Read my Suturalis care guide below.. (it's long, I'm sorry)





* Requirements for a happy snail:
You may require two or more heat mats with a thermostat to safely achieve these temperatures. A plastic container will be better insulated, but a glass tank can work just as well in a warm room with added insulation on the outside. Ideally these should be adhered to the outer sides, or lid, of the container to provide a more natural heat distribution for your snails.
You should not use lamps or heating cables inside their enclosure due to the risk of burns. Their soil should be left unheated.

I keep 4 adult snails in a 120L x 50D x 60H (cm) glass vivarium. 
They do like climbing (big cork branches will do the trick), but floor space is the most important thing as they do spend the majority of their time on the ground. 
Don't forget to give them a big tunnel to hide in! A tunnel with a large enough opening for 2 Suturalis to pass is a good idea (but not critical).
They are little bulldozers, and will force their way under any decor and tank furniture if they don't better places to dig, no matter how heavy that decor may be. 
For a single adult Suturalis such as Silver, a box or vivarium of at least 90L x 45H x 45D (cm) is the minimum you should have. If you want them to have company, you should look for something with a third more ground space and possibly more height. 


* Enrichment:
I cannot stress enough the pure joy you will bring your snails if you include a large pool for your Marginata to soak in. 
Some snail species will drown in a pool of water. 
Marginata Suturalis are not one of those species. 
In fact Lissachatina Reticulata or Fulica also thoroughly enjoy pool time..!

I use two large pools for my four adult snails kept just deep enough to cover their bodies. I change this every couple of days with filtered/boiled/treated water so they always have something relatively fresh to drink that is chlorine free (and they drink a lot), but change more often if they have thrown a lot of soil in or pooped in it. 
You should have a little more caution with baby Suturalis, but as long as they can get traction along the bottom with their foot they will be fine. They can hold their breaths for several minutes and will surface if they need to - but generally I keep the water level to just under their breathing hole. They can and will tilt their shells to breath if they feel they need to. 

Note: I am happy to recommend a pool for use in a tank, as I spent at least a year searching high and low for the perfect one.


* Humidity:
You should consider investing in a drainage layer using hydro fleece and clay balls underneath their soil. These can be relatively inexpensive and ensures that the soil of the tank cannot become waterlogged. This is doubly helpful if you include a pool. They like it moist, but wet soil isn't healthy for them and can cause issues, not to mention the smell it will produce. 

A drainage layer can improve the ambient humidity if you add some additional water to it, while keeping the soil comfortable. It also supports bioactive setups by developing its own microbiome with good bacteria. Springtails quite like it there.
Live plants will also benefit for as long as they manage to survive alongside your snails.

The most active snails are the ones with the right humidity, and they may estivate if this drops too low. Estivation shouldn't worry you too much and it can be beneficial for your snails to rest, but it is a sign that their environment isn't quite right. 

If you struggle to keep humidity high in their tank then a pool is a must have - they will spend hours chilling and even sleeping in their pool, enjoying being slimy hippos.


* Behaviours:
Relatively confident as a species, but Suturalis will spook easily from disturbances and bumps to their tank. However they can get used to disturbances by their owners especially if you interact with them somewhat regularly (cleaning their tank etc, not necessarily handling them).

More importantly, if a Suturalis feels there aren't enough resources to go around, they are entirely capable of exhibiting resource guarding behaviours and aggression towards their tank mates. 
They can potentially cause damage to each other, but please understand this only happens when they believe food, water or calcium is finite. 
So, to avoid these behaviours, you should ensure that there is enough space for them to roam without feeling crowded (if they are constantly running into or over each other, that's a sign you need a bigger enclosure) and you may need to double up on certain things.

Calcium isn't a big deal for fully grown snails, they don't require it often but it should be available at all times. I would recommend using animal grade calcium powder as you can mix with water and lump it onto branches or in bowls in multiple locations. Cuttlefish is still a fine choice even with its lower calcium content, and I believe they enjoy the texture. 
Do not add food to their calcium as they can have too much. 

With food, just ensure there is enough space for your snails to sit around without crowding. They may do it anyway, they are snails, they often crawl over each other to reach something as the crow flies.

Personally, the aggressive behaviour ended when I added a second pool into their enclosure meaning they never have to compete for what seems to be their most valued resource. Trust me on this. 



*Artificial plants:
These are a must have. They provide the same benefits of a living plant without the inconvenience of it dying - either from poor lighting, being eaten, crushed and trampled, or from their roots being attacked by fungus gnats.
Artificial plants offer dappled light and shaded cover which make snails feel safe, they make any enclosure look great and encourages natural behaviours.

IMPORTANT:   AVOID PLANTS EMBEDDED WITH WIRE!

It has been difficult to find any plants that lack some kind of wire insert, but as long as it is nowhere near the tips of the leaves or branches where a snail might push its way past, it should be safe enough. 

Always check your decor regularly to ensure it is still safe for use. 

Helpful hint: Invest in a Pitcher fly trap species to live near or on top of your enclosure if fungas gnats become a problem. You will almost immediately notice a drop in numbers once you bring one into your home. You're welcome. 


* Other Decor:
Avoid ceramic, stone and glass decor.
These WILL cause damage when your snail falls, and they will fall. Avoiding a hard landing is a must. Use cork bark and branches, plastic or stainless steel. They may still smack the side of their glass tank, but this is fine. 


*Soil
Use a rainforest or insect focused substrate (Such as those suitable for frogs or millipedes) as snails require beneficial bacteria to be able to digest their food. 


* Eggs:
Check for eggs every 2 weeks. Disposing of eggs is easy, you can leave fresh eggs out of their tank, as being in dry air will cause them to crack. For eggs which may be partly or mostly developed, you should freeze and dispose.
You can also crush the eggs to give back to the adults so that they can recycle the nutrients.


I am happy for you to contact me if you have any issues or concerns as there isn't enough information out there for these wonderful little beasts. I'm happy to help!