Giant African snail (sign)

Description:

A slime trail of the invasive giant African snail, a 'sign of wildlife'. For a spotting of the animal in question see http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/692... "The East African land snail, or giant African land snail is a species of large, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Achatinidae. As they develop rapidly and produce large numbers of offspring, this mollusc is now listed as one of the top 100 invasive species in the world. It is a voracious feeder, and recognized as a serious pest organism affecting agriculture, natural ecosystems, and human health and commerce."

Habitat:

Spotted on a tropical pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) leaf in a large semi-urban yard & garden near a disturbed patch of remnant forest.

Notes:

"Snail slime is a kind of mucus, an external bodily secretion which is produced by snails, gastropod mollusks. Land snails and slugs produce mucus, but so does every other kind of gastropod, from marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snail_slime...