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I for one welcome our new giant African land snail overlords

Beau Vine

By Beau Vine
in Daily Texan

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Beau Vine

Beau Vine 54471

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A Florida county is under quarantine due to the discovery of a fast-growing population of invasive giant African land snails.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) confirmed there were giant African land snails in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County on June 23, according to FDACS’ website.

The snails pose a health risk to humans because they carry a parasite called rat lungworm, which can cause meningitis, Christina Chitty, a public information director at FDACS, told CNN.


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They can produce up to 2,500 eggs per year, so the population is difficult to control.

This photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows two Giant African Snails that were seized at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Two dogs, part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's "beagle brigade," sniffed out the two Giant African Snails in the luggage of a passenger arriving at Atlanta's airport from Nigeria.    (U.S. Customs and Border Protection via AP)
An invasive snail species was discovered in luggage at the Atlanta airport thanks to a pair of beagles
According to Chitty, the population in Pasco County likely originated from the illegal pet trade. Giant African land snails are illegal to own as pets in the United States. But some exotic pet owners still keep the invasive pests. If the owners discard them into the wild or accidentally lose them, they can quickly establish a foothold, feeding on over 500 different plant species and even consuming the paint and stucco off houses as a source of calcium.

Chitty said the department is currently investigating the population and determining how many snails are in Pasco County. The snails are native to east Africa and can grow up to 8 inches long.

The quarantine took effect June 25 and prevents residents from moving the snail or related items, like plants and soil, in or out of the designated quarantine area. Residents who think they have spotted a giant African land snail are advised to call the FDACS hotline and avoid touching the snail without gloves on due to the meningitis risk.

According to Chitty, FDACS plans to spend three years eradicating the population in Pasco County, using the pesticide metaldehyde to treat the soil.

“The goal is to eradicate” the snails, said Chitty. “It is a comprehensive and extensive process.”

This is not the first time Florida has dealt with an invasion of giant snails. In 2011, a population of the pests was discovered in Miami-Dade County. It wasn’t until 2021 the population was fully eradicated.

While the snails in Miami-Dade County had grey-colored flesh, the snails in Pasco County have white flesh, said Chitty.

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RamjetFDO

RamjetFDO 10578

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The Romans used to grow and eat these ... when they expanded the Empire, they'd take boxes of snails and populate/breed them locally.  A historically-preserved Roman villa in England keeps a number of these just "free ranging" around the site as examples:

image.thumb.jpeg.5b73112ded9f1f864a6d71cac563f9da.jpeg

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InkaUtexas

InkaUtexas 26192

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1 hour ago, RamjetFDO said:

The Romans used to grow and eat these ... when they expanded the Empire, they'd take boxes of snails and populate/breed them locally.  A historically-preserved Roman villa in England keeps a number of these just "free ranging" around the site as examples:

image.thumb.jpeg.5b73112ded9f1f864a6d71cac563f9da.jpeg

So NASA food? Can we grow them on Mars? 

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JMFP

JMFP 1126

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5 hours ago, WBT said:

Good luck with all that.  Anything can live in south Florida and they never seem to be able to get rid of any of the invasives.

Several years ago I watched a documentary about this crew in Florida that went out to do research on the invasive pythons... But the fist snake they found wasn't a python, it was a cobra just chillin out in the woods. 

 

 

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3 hours ago, JMFP said:

Several years ago I watched a documentary about this crew in Florida that went out to do research on the invasive pythons... But the fist snake they found wasn't a python, it was a cobra just chillin out in the woods. 

 

 

@futureman

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Vegas64

Vegas64 678

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16 hours ago, SquishMitten said:

With a name like "rat lungworm," I'm glad to hear it only causes meningitis. Someone went a few extra levels on the how-scary-should-the-name-be scale.

I don't know, when I think meningitis, I think potentially lethal and could kill you. Rat Lungworm just sounds like something you take some laxative for and a week later you are 10 lbs lighter.

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TexasEd

TexasEd 8077

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26 minutes ago, hookemATL said:

For those considering fucking the snails, I won’t fully judge as they do kind of look like huge disembodied vaginas with a helmet on. I’m sure weirder things have been used for such purposes. 

Written like you’ve already done it. 
image.jpeg.ba2d1ff27b94d326730960f82426cdd9.jpeg

 

1 hour ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Lungwürm imo 

 

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BabaYaga

BabaYaga 15331

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15 hours ago, Sawbonz said:

They won’t get past Louisiana 

Tell that to the GD Nutria.  Fucking river rats.

We had them for a while at the ranch and the ranchers had kill orders on every damn one of them.  They'd erode the edges of the tanks creating this swampy marsh area that cattle would get stuck in.  

I got rid of them, but they were a problem.  

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nedtugent

nedtugent 28

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you're gonna need a helluva lot bigger set of snail tongs or grippers or pair of pliers - maybe even some vice grips.  and get alot more butter and garlic while your at it .....

..... and might as well get a bigger boat.

actually met a commercial snail farmer guy.    

 

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