The RSPCA is looking to find new owners for a collection of Giant African Land snails who have arrived at the charity's Mid Norfolk and North Suffolk Branch.

The charity will provide guidance as the pets require knowledgeable owners

The exotic pets are renowned for the rate at which they can multiply as they are hermaphrodites, which means they possess both male and female reproductive organs.

Even single snails kept on their own are capable of laying eggs, so the branch is hoping to find owners who can be diligent about tending their enclosure to ensure numbers do not spiral out of control.

Initially, the branch took delivery of 20 baby snails from an owner who had become overwhelmed by their growing numbers.

Now there are 14 left in its care after new homes were found for six of the snails. Four of the tiniest ones sadly passed away, but - coincidentally - at the same time the branch also found themselves taking on four adult Giant African Land Snails from another member of the public.

While they may be quick breeders, their snail pace has encouraged staff to hand them some colourful names, including Sonic and Speedy, in addition to Michelle, Shelby, Steve and Gary!

The animal charity says prospective owners, like anyone taking on the ownership of any exotic pet, need to undertake thorough research on the species, including the living space and conditions they require, using expert sources, although it will provide plenty of guidance too.  

Chloe Shorten, the branch's head of animal welfare, said: "We've rehomed six already and we have interest in one or two of the others.

"They are not your average pet and not everyone will like them, but they can make fantastic, fascinating companions, and we will offer new owners help so they know how to provide for their needs.

"We took 20 snails initially from a lady who had missed a lot of the eggs in the tank she was keeping them in and she had ended up with a rather large number. She had double that number, but we split them between ourselves and a local reptile rescue.

"They do breed quickly and their enclosures need sweeping of eggs, so anyone taking them on would need to humanely dispatch the eggs to prevent them from multiplying.

"We recommend people read up about Giant African Land Snails before considering adoption, although we will provide a pack and do a home visit to explain the requirements in more detail."

Giant African Land Snails can grow to shell sizes of 18cm (7in) by 9cm (3.5in), making them the largest land snail species known.

But most of those at the North Suffolk Branch are much smaller baby snails.

Their normal habitat is among the tropical wetlands and forests of sub-Saharan Africa, so they need to be housed in a humid living environment at temperatures maintained over 20°C (68°F).

Their feeding regime may be more straightforward, though, as Chloe explained: "We've found our snails' favourite snack is courgettes and they also quite like to eat the herb dill.

"While they do require a bit of knowledge to take care of properly, it is certainly worth the effort. It has been interesting to watch them interacting with each other and moving around their enclosure. They can be quite tame as well and they are certainly a unique pet to own."

Anyone interested in adopting one or more of the Giant African Land Snails should in the first instance fill in the branch's enquiry form.