Effects of two management systems on the growth performance of juvenile African giant land snails (<i>Archachatina marginata</i>)

Abstract

The study of the effects of two management systems on the Growth Performance of juvenile African Giant Land Snails (Archachatina marginata) was carried out in the wildlife domestication unit of the Department of Forest Resources and Wildlife Management, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. One hundred and twenty (120) African giant land snails (Archachatina marginata) of average body weight 36.35g ± 0.32g were used for the study. Sixty (60) snails were raised in an intensive system of management while sixty (60) snails were raised in an extensive system of management. Each of the system of management served as the treatment and each treatment was replicated three (3) times with twenty (20) snails per replicate and sixty (60) snails per treatment in a Completely Randomize Design. Results showed that there was a significant difference at (p<0.05) in the weight gain of the Archachatina marginata of the two management systems. The intensive management system had a higher weight gain of 136.53g with mean value of 5.25 while the extensive management system had a weight gain of 106.53g with mean value of 4.10. There was also a significant difference at (p<0.05) in the shell length increment and shell width increment of the Archachatina marginata of the two management systems. The snails in the extensive management system had a higher shell length increment of 9.94cm with mean value of 0.38 while the snails in the intensive management system had a shell length increment of 8.02cm with mean value of 0.31. The snails in the extensive management system had a higher shell width increment of 10.46cm with mean value of 0.40 while the snails in the intensive management system had a shell width increment of 9.02cm with mean value of 0.35. The Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) of the snails in the intensive system of management was 1.99. It was concluded that formulated feed used in feeding the snails in the intensive system of management contributed to the higher weight gain.

Keywords: Juvenile, Archachatina marginata, intensive system, extensive system, weight gain