Effects of temperature and incubating medium on the hatchability of giant African land snail, Archachatina marginata

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the effects of different incubating temperature and incubating media on the hatchability of the eggs of giant African land snail, A. marginata. A total of 240 eggs weighing 70-100 g were allotted into two temperature regimes in an automated incubator. Temperature I consists of temperature and relative humidity of 27°C and 70% respectively, while Temperature II consist of 340C and relative humidity of 70%; and three incubating media (Medium I - saw-dust, Medium II - soil, and Medium III - mixture of saw-dust and soil at ratio 1:1 w/w). The incubating medium was replicated four times within the incubation chamber, with 10 eggs per replicate. These incubating media were placed into each temperature regime. The result showed significant effect of temperature and incubation medium on the hatchability and incubation period of snail's eggs. There was an increase in the hatchability at a lower temperature (270C) rather than in higher temperature (340C). In this present study, it was shown that the higher the temperature the lower the incubation period.
There were no significant differences in the hatchability of snail egg when soil and saw-dust were used as incubating medium (53% and 50% respectively). Though the combination of soil and saw-dust gave lowest hatchability (42%), it reduces the incubation period to 17.86 days. At higher temperature (340C), there was a negative effect on the hatchability when soil was used as the incubating medium. This study establishes the fact that incubation temperature and the incubating medium are among the factors influencing hatchability and incubation period of A. marginata egg at the relative humidity of 70%. Snail eggs incubated in Saw-dust at 270C increases its hatchability, and soil as an incubating medium at higher temperature of 340C had negative effect on the hatchability and period of incubation.