Effects of diet quality and dietary calcium on reproductive performance in Archachatina ventricosa (Gould 1850), Achatinidae, under indoor rearing conditions

Ten month old Archachatina ventricosa (Gould 1850) snails with an average body weight of 53.37 g and 68.50 mm shell length were fed two vegetable (R 1 and R 2) and four concentrated diets (R T, R 3, R 4 and R 5) with variable calcium content (0.83%; 4.65%; 06.84%; 12.01%; 14.02% and 16.01%, respectively) in order to determine the effects of diets and dietary calcium on reproductive performances. Concentrated diets stimulated reproduction while these events were reduced by vegetable diets. The results showed that the characteristics of the eggs (mean weight, largest diameters and smallest diameters of eggs) increased with the dietary calcium increment. In general, reproductive parameters decreased with dietary calcium increment excepted diet R 5. However, the best reproductive performance was obtained with a mixture of a pilot diet (R T) and a calcium rich, concentrated flour diet (R 5)