Plate 060 · on wet leaf litter, beside an egg IdentificationFive marks on the plate
- 1Large, oblong shell, chestnut brown.
- 2Short spire of a few broad whorls.
- 3Growth lines fine and distinct.
- 4Long tentacles with eyes at the tips.
- 5Chalky egg large, like a bird’s.
Easily confused with Oblong giant snailMegalobulimus oblongusVery similar; the lip of the opening is deep pink. They were once treated as the same species. 060 / 100 · INVERTEBRATES · STROPHOCHEILIDAENOT EVALUATED Giant land snail
Megalobulimus lorentzianus
Caracol gigante · Lorentz’s giant snail
The largest land snail in NW Argentina. It spends the day buried in soil or leaf litter and comes out at night, above all when it rains. It lives in the Yungas and Chaco of NW Argentina and southern Bolivia, always at low densities.
- Shell
- c. 8 cm long
- Altitude
- c. 400 – 1,200 m
- Activity
- nocturnal, after rain
- Lifespan
- up to c. 20 years in the genus
- Land mollusc
- Nocturnal
- Long-lived
- Hermaphrodite
Altitude rangeLower forest and hill scrub
Records in Tucumán Museum specimens come from El Cadillal, Villa Nougués, San Pedro de Colalao and the Sierra de Medina. It lives in at least two habitats: Yungas and Chaco hill forest.
FoodA soil recycler
- Decaying leavesdamp leaf litter
- Fungiin the litter
- Fallen fruitsoft
- Soil calciumfor shell and eggs
Snails of this genus feed mainly on decaying plant matter, returning nutrients to the soil.
BehaviourSlow, nocturnal and long-lived
J F M A M J J A S O N D Active in the rainsLow activity - Nocturnal. It comes out at night and on rainy days. That is why empty shells are found more often than live snails.
- Burrows. In the dry season it stays buried and inactive, with its opening sealed.
- Large eggs. It is a hermaphrodite but needs a partner. It lays a few large, chalky-shelled eggs.
Where to look in Tucumán- Sierra de San Javier (Villa Nougués)
- El Cadillal
- San Pedro de Colalao
- Sierra de Medina