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Cellpic Sunday — We Meet a Giant African Land Snail

Giant African Land Snail.

April 2025.
Kālaheo, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i.

Note: We are traveling again with limited Internet access. Feel free to comment, but I may be slow to respond.

Given the title of this post, you might think this photo was taken in South Africa during our October 2024 visit. However, you would be wrong. Early one April morning last year, I noticed this 3-inch-long (7.6 cm) snail on the house’s siding, where we had rented for 2 months in Hawai‘i. It was moving down the wall, eventually parking on the screen door a few feet from where this photo was taken. The screen door hinge is a standard 3-inch hinge.

Giant African Land Snail
Giant African Land Snail.

This is the largest snail I’ve ever seen. I took cell phone photos to share on this week’s Cellpic Sunday. As I am not a terrestrial malacologist (someone who specializes in land snails), I turned to the Internet to identify the snail species I had found. After cross-checking several sources, the consensus is that this one is indeed an African snail introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the mid-20th century.

As it turns out, these things are a major invasive species in Hawai‘i. They can grow up to a massive 8 inches long, sporting a cone-shaped shell with dark brown stripes. Beyond being a serious agricultural pest, they also carry a nasty parasite that can cause meningitis in humans—definitely not something you want to handle.

Beyond being a serious agricultural pest, they also carry a nasty parasite that can cause meningitis in humans—definitely not something you want to handle. They tear through local crops like papaya, banana, and taro, while easily outcompeting Hawai‘i’s native snails for food and space.

About the photos: I captured them with my Samsung S23 Ultra cell phone in JPG mode. I imported them into Luminar Neo, cropped the images, and used the new Auto-Adjust button in the Develop module to tweak the exposure settings. In the first photo, I added a touch of Accent AI to enhance the golden-hour light of the morning sun. For a closer look at the images in 2K HD or to scan the metadata, click either image to view it on my Flickr site, or view the gallery here.

I invite fellow bloggers to join in by creating their own Cellpic Sunday posts. There’s no set theme. The first rule is that your photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or other mobile device. The second rule is simple: link your challenge response to this post or drop a comment here with your link so others can find it. And remember, despite the name, there’s no penalty for sharing on a day other than Sunday.

John Steiner.

37 comments

    • I couldn’t see your site, Brian. My Jetpack app kept sending you my requests. I am using a phone app since I am out of the U.S. I am not sure what’s up, but it is probably my lack of access.

      Reply

  4. Wonderful photos, John. I have never seen a snail quite that large before. I love the effects in the lighting in the first image. Thank you for the information on the snail,”s origins, and for your processing insight.

    Reply

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