BONE MEAL AS SOIL TREATMENT FOR CALCIUM SOURCE IN AN INTENSIVE SYSTEM OF GIANT AFRICAN LAND SNAILS (Archachatina marginata)

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of bone meal on certain growth parameters of Giant African Land Snails (Archachatina marginata) when used as soil treatment for calcium source in an intensive system. This was carried out to monitor the weight, aperture width, aperture height and shell thickness on different levels of bone meal. During the study, weekly data were collected on the weight of the mollusc, the width of the aperture, the height of the aperture, and the thickness of the shell. The data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to determine the significance of differences between the treatment groups. The snails were divided into three treatments, treatment one served as the control, receiving no bone meal (0%). Treatment 2 received a moderate level of bone meal (15%), while Treatment 3 received a higher level of bone meal (30%). The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of calcium requirements for optimal growth and shell formation in Giant African Land Snails, and may have implications for commercial snail farming practices.