Snails might breed like rabbits but often people who buy them as pets do not realise they don't need a partner to do so.

So it can come as quite a shock when hundreds of tiny African land snail eggs appear almost overnight in the bottom of the tank.

That reproductive cycle can happen every three weeks, quickly leaving owners knee-deep in baby snails.

The craze for owning giant African land snails has left one animal charity with a large number of the unwanted pets dumped on its doorstep.

The Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare in Ringmer, near Lewes, keeps records of all its new inmates and publishes them in a quarterly review.

At the end of this quarter, leading the league table of unwanted pets were 250 giant African land snails.

Unfortunately, most died because they had not been cared for properly. The centre now has the seven adults and one youngster who survived.

The snails are munching their way through cabbage, banana, parsley, cucumber and cuttlefish, which fulfils their need for calcium. They can live for up to seven years and grow to the size of a man's hand.

The snails were dropped off by an exasperated mother who told staff she could not cope with them anymore.

Jason Caulfield, the animal care manager, said: "The thing is you can't neuter snails. They can lay a hundred eggs at a time every three or four weeks."

The snails are hermaphrodites so can reproduce without a partner.

The 250 tiny snails, with very small soft shells, were delivered in several plastic containers filled with damp peat. Many of them died because they did not have enough calcium in their diet to help their shells form.

The dumping came just weeks after the Sealife Centre in Brighton received an envelope containing about 20 giant African snails eggs. They failed to hatch, possibly because they had been suffocated in the post.

The Raystede snails will be rehomed but with adults who know the commitment the snails need.

Yesterday the centre received yet another telephone call from a snail owner who had 50 of the same species he wanted to get rid of.

Such crazes inevitably leave animal charities clearing up the fall-out.

Jason, who has worked at the centre for 17 years, said people should visit the centre to discuss the commitment some pets need and whether they are suitable as domestic pets.

Raystede, founded in 1952, relies upon donations. It suffered a blow this week after it was forced to cancel its annual carols event due to be held on Sunday. It is the first time in 50 years it has been cancelled.

Morgan Williams, general manager at the centre, said: "It's one of our main fund-raisers. It will hit us quite hard."

The event has been advertised throughout Sussex but cancelled posters have now been issued.

A major building project is underway at the centre and, although it remains open to the public, it was decided to call off the carols event for health and safety reasons.

Staff are hoping those people who usually attend the event will still donate the money they would usually give.

Anyone who wants to make a donation should send it to Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare, Raystede, Ringmer, East Sussex, BN8 5AJ.