O caramujo exótico invasor na vegetação nativa em Morretes, PR: diagnóstico da população de Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822 em um fragmento de Floresta Ombrófila Densa aluvial

Abstract

The giant African snail Achatina fulica is frequently found in antropic environments in different Brazilian municipal districts, which leads to consider the possibility that its establishment is associated to disturbed habitats. For this reason, the objective set in this paper is to diagnose the occurrence and the population characteristics of the invasive snail in an Atlantic forest fragment in the municipal district of Morretes of the State of Paraná. Although the fragment is a secondary forest, few species of non-native vegetation were found there, and the area is characterized by great floristic diversity. There were collected 396 snails and large spacing was registered between the animals. The animals were found in activity and mainly on the ground during the whole morning period, which provides evidence of expanded forage periods. Results suggest that the animals present in the native forest fragment constitute a recently arrived population, resultant mainly of the saturation of disturbed areas under human influence. This implies urgency for measures to control and decrease populations of giant African snails in urban areas as a way to avoid invasion of natural forests.

Ocorrência do Caramujo Africano Achatina Fulica (Bowdich, 1822) em Várzea Grande-MT: Estudo de Caso na Sede do Ministério da Agricultura

“…Como invasor, ocupa ambientes antrópicos e naturais, competindo com as espécies nativas, representando uma ameaça à biodiversidade, principalmente, as espécies de moluscos nativos (FISCHER et al, 2006).…”

<htm>Registro de <i> Achatina fulica </i>Bowdich (Mollusca, Gastropoda) no ecótono Cerrado-Caatinga, no sul do Estado do Piauí, Brasil</htm>

“…Due to its high resistance to environmental changes and high breading capacity (FISCHER & COLLEY 2005), this mollusc is easily found in urban areas, living in small domestic plantations and in ornamental plants of house gardens, but also can be found in forests and commercial plantations (FISCHER et al 2006). Furthermore, this snail was recorded in some Brazilian Conservation Units, as Reserva Biológica de Poço das Antas (Rio de Janeiro), Parque Nacional Chapada dos Guimarães (Mato Grosso) and Parque Nacional Saint-Hilaire/Lange, Guaratuba, Paraná (FISCHER & COLLEY 2004, THIENGO et al 2007.…”

Population dynamics and reproductive biology ofAchatina fulica Bowdich, 1822 (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in Salvador - Bahia

“…Known as giant African snail, the land pulmonate mollusc Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822, reaches considerable dimensions, nearly 20 cm shell length and weigh up 200 g (Teles et al 1997, Vasconcellos & Pile 2001, but in Brazil the maximum average records vary in about 11 cm and little over 100 g (Vasconcellos & Pile 2001, Carvalho et al 2003, Simião & Fischer 2004, Fischer & Colley 2005, Fischer et al 2006). …”