Mating of Giant African land snails (Achatina fulica)

Today early morning I was lucky to video shoot mating of Giant African land snails. But I was also very disappointed that though I could watch the final act of retracting their individual sexual parts, I could not record it. The reason is that this love game was going on for more than 20 minutes (and I do not know when it had started). Most of the time the pair was in close embrace and only movement was that of their tentacles. Though I could record their mating, I did not continue shooting because I did not know how long it would continue. So I had switched off my camera and was waiting to see 'What next?'  Suddenly they started moving their tentacles very fast and before I could switch on my camera, they had already started retracting their sexual organs. After the act was over, they remained in embrace for about another 3 to 4 minutes and then got separated. Each moved in opposite direction. The funniest part, which I never knew was, that their sexual organs were near their heads; as if where their ears would have been, if they were humans. This made me think of Kunti of Mahabharat; who gave birth to her son Karna, through her ear.

Snails are bisexual animals. Each individual has both male and female organs. They are called as hermaphrodites and are capable of laying eggs without mating also. While mating one acts as a female and the other as a male. 

Their eggs are slightly larger than Sago (साबुदाना). Eggs are deposited normally in decomposing leaves or in moist soil. In a year a snail delivers about 6 clutches of eggs, each clutch numbering about 150 to 200 eggs. Eggs hatch in about 18 days. Snail hatchlings have no shells. They eat their own egg shells, which are rich in calcium. This helps them in forming new shells. In drought-like condition the snails enter the shell and seal it tight to retain body moisture. 

The Giant African snails, brought in India for certain research, somehow escaped from the labs and are causing severe damage to many plants and crops. They devour any vegetative growth that they find. They happily feed on spiny cactus plants also. They live for about 5 to 6 years and can grow up to 20 cm. long. Since they have no natural enemies, they multiply in thousands within very short time.  

Giant African land snail foraging a cactus

Pistol plant (Pellionia repens, Syn: Pellionia daveauana)

This wonderful plant is very ideal for hanging baskets. It is meant for its cute, dainty foliage. Flowers are insignificant, but most wonderful characteristic of this plant lies in these flowers.

Pellionia repens

Pellionia repens flowers

The flower buds are almost the size of a mustard seed. The flowers grow in large groups, each having more than 50 to 60 flowers. The tiny buds normally start opening at noon time. Slight drizzle (or water spray) on the buds, along with bright sunlight on them induces the bud opening. The buds open with such a force that thousands of pollens ooze out. Pollens are white in colour. Almost all buds start oozing pollens one after other and this wonderful spectacle is just breath taking. Tiny clouds of pollens look as if the plant is smoking. 'Pistol plant' is a common name of this plant; alluding a just fired pistol, from which smoke comes out.

Botanical name of this plant is Pellionia repens, Syn: Pellionia daveauana. It belongs to Urticaceae family. Some other species of this plant also have these 'Smoking flowers'. The plant can be easily propagated with stem cuttings.