Harry G. Lee wrote:
> Dear Andrew, 230 mm???!!!

* didn't Prof Huxley say something about taking a datum such as this
every morning before breakfast, in order to reorganize your mind?

fred.
=====================================================

> At 06:23 PM 7/17/2007, I wrote:
>> To: Conchologists List <[log in to unmask]>
>>
>> I don't possess any record-sized achatinid shells, which are the
>> largest land shells on earth, but I can tell you about some purported
>> records for the four largest species.
>>
>> De Winter (1997) reviewed the literature, A. R. Mead's personal notes,
>> and museum specimens and arrived at this rank:
>>
>> (1) /Achatina reticulata/ Pfeiffer, 1845: 209 mm (X 94 mm).
>> (2) /Achatina achatina/ (Linnaeus, 1758): 205 mm.
>> (3) /Achatina fulica/ (Bowdich, 1822): 200 mm.
>> (4) /Archachatina marginata/ (Swainson, 1821): 190 mm.
>>
>> The author then recited an account of his travels in S.W. Cameroon,
>> where he easily collected /Archachatina marginata/ in trees. In the
>> village of Nyangong, he showed his largest shell (a 159 mm whopper) to
>> the villagers, who asserted there was a much larger shell owned by one
>> of their neighbors. De Winter was directed to the proper house and,
>> indeed, the owner had a very large specimen. He said it had been
>> collected a long time before by one of his ancestors. Nevertheless,
>> the shell was offered for sale and the author made the purchase,
>> albeit with some reluctance.
>>
>> The specimen measured 214 X 124 mm and he indicated that it was
>> "probably the largest and most voluminous, shell of a recent land
>> snail ever recorded." Color photo's (no scale) accompanied the report.
>>
>> That's a real come-from behind story for number (4)!
>>
>> De Winter, A. J., 1997. A giant specimen of /Archachatina marginata/
>> (Gastropoda Pulmonata: Achatinidae). /Basteria 61/: 41-42.
>>
>> At 06:07 PM 7/17/2007, Alan Gettleman wrote:
> Alex,
> Joseph Bequaert in Studies in the Acatininae, A group of African Land
> Snails, Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 105:1, Sep 1950,
> mentions the largest specimen that he saw was 171mm, greatest width 81mm,
> Aperture 74mm length, 42.5mm Width and 8 2/3 whorls (p.75).  He
> indicates the
> largest shells tend to be thinner, and mentions (p.76) a 1926 report from
> Malaya that large shells get to 6 1/2" or 170mm.  Also of curiosity in 1950
> there were only three sinistral specimens known.  With the unfortunate
> proliferation of this pesky snail, sinistral specimens are no longer rare. I
> presume with current expanded range of that sp, there would be other shells
> in the range of your specimen.
>
> For curiosity, Bequaert lists A. achatina up to 194 mm long and 106 mm
> width.  While everyone is checking their land snails, are there larger ones
> of that monster species around?  My shell is a mere baby at about 175mm...
>
> -----Original Message-----
> Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 4:08 PM
>
> Dear List
> Does anyone know large/record sizes for Achatina fulica? I have bought a
> monster shell at 183mm long and 250g collected in Ghana in 1973. This is a
> truly extraordinary specimen! I have many other examples in my collection
> from many localities, but nothing approaches this particular shell in length
> or weight.
> Regards
> Alex Menez
>
> At 02:05 PM 2/3/2010, Andrew Grebneff wrote:
>> Speaking of Achatina fulica, has anyone ever seen a really BIG one (ie
>> something close to its supposed maximum length of 23cm)? Wouldn't mind
>> obtaining one of those.
>> The only big achatinids I have seen were other species, tiddlers at 14.


--
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