Florida has alligators, sharks and now African land snails. And they’re huge!
These slimy mollusks – which grow to more than five times the size of a garden snail – pose a health risk to Floridians while also threatening the state’s agriculture and wildlife. They are capable of causing extensive damage to tropical and subtropical environments, according to reporting by the Naples Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Network.
On June 20, Florida quarantined another county – Broward – because of the giant African land snails. Lee and Pasco counties on Florida’s west coast have been under quarantine since last year.
Where have the giant African land snails been found in Florida?
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) confirmed a giant African land snail sighting in Broward County earlier this month.
The state has quarantined a 3½-square-mile tract at the southern border of the county in Miramar and made it illegal to move a giant African land snail – even if it’s moved within the quarantined area. The rule also applies to plants, soil, compost, yard waste and debris where the snails or their eggs may be hidden.
The troublesome snails also were detected in Pasco County in June 2022 and Lee County in December that same year. Once quarantined, a three-year process of treatments and monthly surveys ensure they’ve been eradicated.
This isn’t Florida’s first encounter with the snails, though. The invasive species was first detected in 1966, according to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
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What do giant African land snails look like?
The snail’s shell has seven to nine whorls (spirals) when it is fully grown. At least half of the snail’s length is taken up by its brownish shell, which has darker brown lengthwise stripes.
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Are the giant African land snails edible?
No − you don’t want to eat these snails.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the snails can carry the rat lungworm parasite, which is known to cause parasitic meningitis in people who eat raw or undercooked snails. Some children have been infected by swallowing snails “on a dare.”
If you have to handle these snails, wear gloves and then wash your hands throughly.
How big do giant African land snails get?
The “giant” in its name refers to its ability to grow to roughly 8 inches long and 5 inches in diameter, about the size of an adult man’s fist. That makes it one of the biggest mollusks in the world.
Life cycle of the giant African land snail
Giant African land snails are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both female and male reproductive organs. Each snail can produce 100 to 500 eggs after a single mating. Although each snail is equipped with female and male reproductive organs, they rarely self-fertilize. They will still find a mate and fertilize each other’s eggs. Every two to three months, the snails can produce new egg clutches.
What to do if you see a giant African land snail
It’s illegal to import or possess giant African land snails in the United States without a permit.
According to experts, if you see an African land snail, you should contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service office in your state or your state’s Department of Agriculture.
Floridians who suspect they may have discovered one are advised to take a picture and contact the Florida Department of Agriculture Helpline at 1-888-397-1517 or DPIHelpline@fdacs.gov.
Contributing Mary Walrath-Holdridge/USA TODAY
