Following a sighting of giant African land snail in Florida’s Pasco County, north of Tampa along the gulf coast, a quarantine was enforced by the officials last week. This snail species is a significant cause of pest issues all around the world.
The snail is also among the top 100 invasive species in the world. It is a vector for many plant diseases and human diseases as well. This snail has been given top national quarantine priority in America because of the past incidents.
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How A Snail Species is Creating Ruckus In One Florida County?
According to Florida’s agriculture department, this species is “one of the most damaging” mollusk subtypes in the world. They are unusually large in size and have the ability to reproduce very fast. This gives the snail an advantage in invading the surrounding areas. Not only that they also possess an appetite for 500 different plants as well as paint and stucco. At only four months old, a single snail can lay almost thousands of eggs at a time. As an adult, they can grow up to 8 inches in size.
The snails are motile, according to experts they “cling to vehicles and machinery”. Not only that they also cling to trash, to “move long distances”. They can survive for almost a year being “inactive” and buried in the soil to protect themselves from bad environmental conditions. They also pose significant health hazards to people because they spread the rat lungworm, which is a parasite. These can lead to meningitis, which is an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. When handling them, it is advisable that people put on safety equipment, such as gloves.
Giant African Snail Infestation In Florida
The snail has caused havoc in Florida previously also. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Although they are not native inhabitants of the state, officials have traced infestations dating back to the 1960s to escaped house pets and illegal importations by religious groups.”
According to US law, the owning and transporting of these snails without a permit is illegal and will have severe consequences. Even moving the snails following a sudden sighting is also illegal.
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