Childhood Risk Estimation of Lead Metal Poisoining from Edible Land Snail at Abandoned Battery Factory Environment

The childhood lead (Pb) poisoning risk from consumption and risk model data of snail meat from Pb metal contaminated sites of entrance (control), storage dump, dried effluent and waste dump at an abandoned battery factory, in Niger Delta, Nigeria were estimated. Results implicated snail meat from waste dump site with hazard quotient of 2.40 and childhood exposure of 0.12mg/kg/day Pb associated with non carcinogenic adverse effects on health. Control site was risk free. Childhood exposure and snail meat Pb accumulation was dependent on Pb concentration being significantly higher at non-control sites. This study should fast track industrial environmental audits of existing (including abandoned) industrial projects and epidemiological studies in communities around contaminated/polluted sites

Foraging Behaviour Responses in the African Giant Land Snail Achatina Achatina

The study was carried out to determine the conditioning procedure of tentacle lowering to determine foraging behaviour responses in Achatina achatina. Snails were exposed to unripe fruit odour of paw paw and pear as conditioned stimuli (CS), while they ingested carrot as unconditioned stimulus (US). There were 4 treatments of 10 snails each replicated 3 times. During experimentation (conditioning), all snails ate carrot as US, but exposed to the odour of carrot in control treatment (T1); paw paw in T2; pear in T3; pair of paw paw and pear in T4 as CS respectively. Responses were measured through posterior tentacle lowering to sensory stimuli from experimental vegetable odour during feeding. Results indicated T1 with highest tentacle lowering; T2 indicated an acquisition effect; T3 indicated latent inhibition effect; T4 indicated over shadowing effect between paired odour. The A. achatina demonstrated at least 7 days of odour memory retention. The immediate significance of this study is that snail farmers should feed their stock with a diet in which snails will develop habituation and hence optimal performance.Key words: Land snail, tentacle lowering, foraging behaviou

Some Behavioural Responses Of Limicolaria aurora Exposed To Gramoxone

The effects of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 % of combined oral and dermal single-application of 0.1 M concentration of gramoxone (contact herbicide, paraquat chloride) on Limicolaria aurora were determined and compared with control using Amaranthus sp. as bait. Responses were measured through normal feeding and crawling, head retraction into the shell, swelling, excessive mucus secretion, lack of response to mechanical stimuli (mortality). Results showed no effects on controls. Snails exposed to gramoxone fed less as contamination increased. Gramoxone is molluscicidal, it can also result in behaviour–modifying observations in snails which are non-target organisms in the ecosystem. Key words: African giant land snail, gramoxone, ecotoxicology. Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences Vol.19(1&2) 2004: 82-8

Nutritive potentials of white snails Archachatina marginata in Nigeria

No Abstract Available Discovery and Innovation Vol.15(3&4) 2003: 156-15

Zoonotic helminths in fresh water snail (Melanoides tuberculata) from Uruan wetland communities of Niger Delta, Nigeria

We investigated 3 study sites of rural wetland communities of Ikpa, Ibikpe and Ikot Udo for helminth parasites using water snail Melanoides tuberculata fresh specimens. Parasitological gut examination were significant (p<0.05), and revealed that Ikpa community with 90.90% was hyper-endemic for schistosomiasis, while all study communities recorded (<50.00%) endemic prevalence infection for diphyllobothriasis respectively. Egg parasitic loads were above WHO standards of <1.00 helminth egg/L. Helminths co-infection as outlined is a neglected emerging zoonosis, as these could increase livestock and public health disease burden in wetland communities.Keywords: Helminth parasites, zoonosis, water snail, public health, wetland communitie

EFFECT OF LIVE MAGGOT ON GROWTH OF THE NILE PERCH, Oreochromis niloticus (CICHLIDAE) IN SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA

Analysis of the housefly (Musca domestica) larvae (maggot), showed high content of protein, when combined in diet with farm by-product. Wheat offal and the maggot, at a ratio of 4:1 recorded higher growth rate or body weight gain of 3.62% per day and better feed conversion rate of 4.15 than when the wheat offal was fed singly. The maggot can be cheap source of protein for fish farmers. KEY WORDS: Live maggots, Nile perch, Nigeria, fish growth, protein source. Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol.2(2) 2003: 72-7

Antifeedant Activty Of Different Organic Solvent Crude Extracts Of Euphorbia hirta Latex On The Edible Tropical Land Snail (Limicolaria aurora)

The antifeedant activity of different organic solvents (acetone, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, diethyl ether and ethyl alcohol) crude extracts of latex of Euphorbia hirta (family Euphobiaceae) against Limicolaria aurora was investigated, and compared with a control, using pawpaw, (Carica papaya) as bait, at a concentration of 200&#956g/g. Results showed no mortalities. E. hirta extracts depressed diet consumption when compared to control with lower antifeedant index range from 12 to 43% after a 96 hr exposure in plastic snaileries under controlled laboratory conditions. Carbon tetrachloride recorded the highest antifeedant index of 43.24% and the lowest consumption of 3.57 ±2.97g. Keywords: Edible tropical land snails, antifeedant, plant extract, Euphorbia hirtaJournal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences Vol. 4 (2) 2006: pp. 149-15

Effect of carbamate molluscicide on African giant land snail Limicolaria Aurora

The effect of 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500mg/ml of carbamate molluscicide on the behavioural and macroscopic changes of Limicolaria aurora were investigated in the laboratory using Carica papaya as bait for 120h. The data showed that 48h after dosing the organism with furadan, 60% mortality was recorded. Above 200mg/ml deters snails from feeding and becomes sub-lethal. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 9(1) 2005: 99-10