Legal warning — read this first. Giant African snails are illegal to import, possess, or transport in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) states plainly: “Do not buy or keep snails for any purpose.” Federal law makes no exception for personal pets, educational use, or small-scale keeping. This article is an explainer about the ban and about care in countries where keeping them is legal — it is not a guide to keeping them in the United States.
Why the ban exists
The giant African snail — most commonly Lissachatina fulica, with Achatina achatina and Archachatina marginata also in the pet trade — is one of the world’s most damaging invasive species. It grows up to 8 inches (20 cm) long, eats at least 500 types of plants including peanuts, beans, peas, cucumbers, and melons, and damages buildings by eating stucco and plaster for the calcium in its shell. It can also carry rat lungworm, a parasite that can cause meningitis in people.
The snail was first introduced in Miami in 1966 and eradicated in 1975, reintroduced in 2011 and eradicated again in 2021, at great public expense. APHIS continues to respond to new introductions in Florida. That history is why the rules are absolute: the species is classified as a quarantine-significant plant pest, and federal law prohibits possession regardless of how the snail was obtained — buying one online or receiving one as a gift is not a defence.
Only research and government institutions may keep them, under a USDA APHIS permit (PPQ Form 526) and very strict containment conditions. If you find a giant African snail in the United States, do not touch it or pick it up: photograph it, note the location, and contact your State plant health director or State department of agriculture immediately. Never release any pet snail into the environment.
At a glance
- Scientific names: Lissachatina fulica, Achatina achatina, Archachatina marginata
- Adult size: up to 8 inches (20 cm) long
- Lifespan: several years; commonly cited around 5–10 years in captivity (check the species guide for your animal)
- Native range: East Africa, south of the Sahara
- US status: illegal to import, possess, or move across state lines — federally, no pet exception
- UK status: legal to keep as a pet; illegal to release into the wild
Care where keeping them is legal
The care facts below describe practice in countries where keeping giant African land snails is legal, such as the UK. They are included so readers outside the United States understand the animal’s needs — not as instructions for keeping one where it is banned.
- Enclosure: a well-ventilated glass or sturdy plastic tank with a secure lid, kept out of direct sunlight, away from radiators and draughts, and away from insecticides and fly sprays. A tank of about 45 × 30 × 30 cm or larger suits one or a small group.
- Temperature: the RSPCA advises keeping snails at 21–23°C for normal growth, and never letting the tank fall below 18°C or rise above 29°C. A heat pad under half of the tank can be used if the room is too cool.
- Humidity: warm and humid, roughly 70–90% relative humidity. Keep the substrate damp but not soaking, mist lightly with warm water every other day, and provide a water bowl.
- Substrate: a 3–6 cm layer of peat substitute or coco coir (in some guides, 15–20 cm for burrowing), kept damp. Avoid fertilised compost and untreated acidic peat.
- Diet: herbivorous — leafy greens (lettuce, cabbage, spinach, dandelion), vegetables (courgette, cucumber), and fruit (apple, melon, banana, grapes). Wash food to remove chemicals, chop it, and remove uneaten food within 24 hours. Avoid citrus, salty, and processed foods.
- Calcium is not optional: a cuttlefish bone, natural chalk, or crushed eggshell must always be available — calcium builds and repairs the shell.
- Water: a very shallow bowl only. A snail can drown in more than a few millimetres of water.
- Handling: snails are nocturnal and mostly active at night. Handle gently by the shell, never pull a snail off glass by force, and wash your hands after handling.
Even where keeping them is legal, never release snails or their eggs into the wild. In the UK, release is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Legal alternatives if you want a pet snail
If you are in the United States and want the experience of keeping snails, choose a species that is legal where you live — and verify that with your state agriculture department, because rules change:
- Mystery snails and nerite snails are common, legal aquarium snails in the US pet trade. They live in freshwater tanks, eat algae, and are widely available.
- Native land snails may be legal to keep in some states — check state rules first, and never collect from protected areas.
- Other invertebrates in this guide — cherry shrimp, hermit crabs, tarantulas, and praying mantises — are legal in most of the United States (check local rules) and scratch the same itch: a quiet, low-space pet you observe rather than cuddle.
Whatever you choose, buy captive-bred animals from a reputable source, and never buy a giant African snail from an online seller offering to ship to the United States — the seller is breaking federal law, and so would you by receiving it.
Sources
- USDA APHIS — Giant African Snail: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/mollusks
- USDA APHIS — Snails and Slugs FAQs: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/organism-soil-imports/snails-slugs/snails-slugs-faqs
- Furry Critter Network — GALS Legality: https://www.furrycritter.com/pages/articles/invertebrates/gals_legality.htm
- RSPCA — Giant African Land Snails (care sheet, PDF): https://www.rspca.org.uk/documents/1494939/7712578/Giant+African+land+snails.pdf/9cc80746-c984-9872-2858-5b2f74c81e26?version=1.2&t=1607698331607&download=true
- Pets4Homes — Giant African Land Snail Care: https://www.pets4Homes.co.uk/pet-advice/snails-as-pets-the-giant-african-land-snail.html