The giant African land snail has been spotted in South Florida, the place where invasive
species constantly make headlines, after being declared eradicated from the region just a year earlier. These snails can grow up to eight inches long and carry the meningitis-causing parasite.
The snails were spotted by a Pasco County gardener in June.
To contain them, the state quarantined a part of Pasco County. Plants, yard waste,
debris, compost, and building materials are not allowed to be lawfully moved out of backyards in case there are snails in them.
The parasite they contain is called rat lungworm. These parasites can be transferred to
humans and animals if, for example, they eat unwashed foods that the snails have slimed.
The state began using a bait that contains metaldehyde on Wednesday. Metaldehyde is
a pesticide that disrupts the snails’ digestive systems and kills them. They have also started
using rescue dogs to sniff out the snails.
This time, the snails look different than before. In the past, the snails have had grayish
brown flesh, but the snails recently seen in Pasco County have a creamy white flesh. This fact is causing officials to suspect that the snail population in Pasco County may have started from a pet snail being released into the wild. According to Christina Chitty, the creamy white flesh “is the more desirable trait for the illegal pet trade.” However, Bill Kern of the University of Florida says that “we probably won’t know how the Pasco County population came to be.
species constantly make headlines, after being declared eradicated from the region just a year earlier. These snails can grow up to eight inches long and carry the meningitis-causing parasite.
The snails were spotted by a Pasco County gardener in June.
To contain them, the state quarantined a part of Pasco County. Plants, yard waste,
debris, compost, and building materials are not allowed to be lawfully moved out of backyards in case there are snails in them.
The parasite they contain is called rat lungworm. These parasites can be transferred to
humans and animals if, for example, they eat unwashed foods that the snails have slimed.
The state began using a bait that contains metaldehyde on Wednesday. Metaldehyde is
a pesticide that disrupts the snails’ digestive systems and kills them. They have also started
using rescue dogs to sniff out the snails.
This time, the snails look different than before. In the past, the snails have had grayish
brown flesh, but the snails recently seen in Pasco County have a creamy white flesh. This fact is causing officials to suspect that the snail population in Pasco County may have started from a pet snail being released into the wild. According to Christina Chitty, the creamy white flesh “is the more desirable trait for the illegal pet trade.” However, Bill Kern of the University of Florida says that “we probably won’t know how the Pasco County population came to be.
