Abstract and References
Transactions on Science and Technology Vol. 5, No. 2, 143 - 154, 2018

Macro-Geographic Variations of the Invasive Giant African Snail Achatina fulica Populations in Mindanao, Philippines

Genelyn G. Madjos, Cesar G. Demayo

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ABSTRACT
It is argued that widely distributed populations of the ecologically damaging land snail Achatina fulica are expected to harbor less genetic variation due to multiple introductions. Despite of this likely decreased genetic variation, they have successfully established cosmopolitan distribution and invasive status out from their native origin in East Africa. Successful invading species are found to exhibit increased plasticity which may indicate local adaptation to maximize its fitness. Thus, this study was conducted to examine plasticity in the phenotype of the species by employing the tools of both meristic and geometric morphometrics. Variations in the ventral, apertural view of Achatina were described and compared subjecting them to Correlation Analysis Based on Distances (CORIANDIS). This method visualizes congruence and disparity of multivariate traits.  Results of the study show variability within, between and among populations of A. fulica. The plasticity observed was not based on distance and may indicate their inherent ability to adapt to local conditions characterized by the kind of host plants available and maybe due to the differences in the physico-chemical environment of the sampling areas.

KEYWORDS: macro-geographic, plasticity, meristic, geometric morphometrics, Achatina

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