Growth performance of (Archachatina marginata) snail, under the diets of soya beans powder, green beans, and tomatoes in Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11303329Keywords:
Archachatina marginata, diet, growth, land snailAbstract
A study was conducted to determine the growth performance of the African giant land snail Archachatina marginata using different feedstuffs in the Laboratory of the Wildlife and Range Management Department of the Josep Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Forty (40) juvenile snails with an initial average weight of 47.95g were purchased from Wadata market in Makurdi, acclimatized, quarantined, and made to starve for 2 days before the commencement of the experiment. Forty (40) snails were allotted at random to each of the 4 hutch boxes and were subjected to four treatments A, B, C, and D in replicates of 10 snails per each of the four replicates. Each snail in the group was numbered using an indelible marker. The initial body weight of the snails was measured on the first day, and the subsequent weights were taken every week till the end of the experiment using a sensitive weighing balance, the shell length and shell width of the snails were measured with thread and straight on the ruler to ascertain the width on weekly basis. Data obtained were subjected to descriptive statistics such as tables, charts, percentages, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Significantly different means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test to determine the relationship between growth parameters. The result obtained revealed that snails fed with Diet 1 (Green beans) had the highest shell development at 8.75cm, while snails fed with Diet 3 (Tomatoes) had the least 8.20cm. For weight gain, the initial weight was similar across the treatments, after subjecting to various treatments it was found that snails fed with Diet 3 (Tomatoes) had the highest mean weight gain value of 62.65g while those fed with Diet 1 (Green beans) had the least value 56.29g). The average feed intake of snails fed with experimental diets showed that T1 (93.57g) had superior values compared to T2 (59.01g) and T3 (51.38g) while T4 was the least (44.71g). The study recorded a mortality rate of 8 snails, 2 (25%) for Diet 1 while Diet 2 and 4 recorded a high mortality rate of 3 (37.5%) each with no mortality recorded in Diet 3. Treatment 3 (T3) had the highest survival rate followed by T1 while T2 and T4 had a low survival rate as they both recorded the highest mortality rate. In conclusion, It could be noted in this study that; not all single plant matters are suitable as feed for African giant land snails.
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