A Giant Snail Forced A Florida County To Quarantine & The Species Can Grow Up To 8 Inches
They are "one of the most damaging snails in the world". 🐌
A giant African snail in someones hand. Right: A giant African snail.
An unusually large snail has come back to Florida, and they pose such a threat to the community, an entire county was forced to quarantine on June 25.
The giant African land snail was found in Pasco County, which is near Tampa.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) took the necessary steps on June 29 to treat the properties affected and control the damage caused by the invasive, parasite-carrying species.
They are pretty hard to miss — they are named "giant" for a reason. In fact, these snails can grow all the way up to eight inches! They can be as large as an adult hand.
They can start to reproduce as young as four months old and they can lay thousands of eggs.
According to FDACS, these snails are "the most damaging" in the world. Not only do they eat up to 500 different types of plants, but they can carry rat lungworm, which causes meningitis.
In this instance, a master gardener in the county discovered the snail, but this isn't the first time they've been found in the Sunshine State.
The first detection was back in 1969 and they weren't removed until 1975. The second time the species was removed from the area was just last year in 2021 after being identified back in 2011.
CNN reported that it was likely found in Florida from an alleged illegal pet trade. These animals are illegal to import or possess without a permit.
It is illegal to move these snails; if you ever do touch one, it is advised to wear gloves.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.