Influence of various feeding regimes on the performance of Archachatina marginata snail

Abstract

This study was to evaluate the growth response of Archachatina marginata as influenced by four natural diets: Pawpaw (Carica papaya) cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta), cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium), and cassava (Manihot esculenta) leaves and growers mash (a compounded ration). One hundred and twenty (120) grower snails (Archachatina marginata) were purchased from a farm in Ibadan, Oyo State. Data were collected on the growth parameters (weight, length and circumference of shell of the snails arranged in a Completely Randomized Design and replicated three (3) times. The results showed that pawpaw (Carica papaya) recorded the highest mean in all the parameters measured and throughout the duration of the experiment. Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) leaf had a better mean than the Cassava (Manihot esculenta) leaves in terms of weight gained whereas the reverse is the case in terms of length and circumference of shell. Pawpaw (Carica papaya) is therefore, recommended to both local and small scale farmers in Abia State and in Nigeria for feeding their snails and cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) leaves and growers mash as an alternate feed.