Alana Hamlett

Mr. Skipper

Encounters 8

March 1, 2023 

The Snail-pocalypse

Introduction

The Giant African Land snail originated in South Africa and found its way to the United States; this snail is an invasive species in the state of Florida. The Giant African Land snails changed the ecosystem by shifting things that were created from the beginning such as the environment, plants, and  natural resources.These snails are known to get over 500 different kinds of plants. The Giant African Land Snail holds the title of the “largest terrestrial snails”that are invasive to North America (Giant African Land Snail, New York). For a decade now these snails have been a problem affecting the wildlife and agriculture of Florida. Now the snails are illegal in the pet trade system making possession of the snail an unlawful action. There are plans set in motion on getting rid of the snails,  but every few years they are spotted again. In recent times, the Giant African Land Snail is under a quarantine to help keep the snails in a controlled environment and separate them from things that can grow their population. The Giant African Land Snail is an invasive species that is slowly taking over the state of Florida. 

Taxonomy and Description 

The Giant African land snail may look just like a normal snail till you realize if there is one there is bound to be more. The Giant African Land snail is “one of the largest terrestrial snails” invasive to the United States (Giant African Land Snail, New York).  These Giant African Land snails, scientifically known as “Lissachatina Fulica, formerly Achatina Fulica” are making their way all over Florida(Giant African Land Snail, Florida).  The Giant African Land Snail can grow to be “8 inches long and 5 inches in length”(Giant African Land Snail, Florida). These snails can “grow up to about the size of a human fist”(Osborne). That is big for a snail and why they are one of the “largest…snails” (Giant African Land Snail, Florida).  These snails are light brown, and their shells can be light and shiny or dull and dark. The snail’s body can “have light cream-colored bodies with a dark, mottled brown shell” (Osborne).  The snail’s distinct color makes them very “common in the pet trade in Europe and has been intercepted here in Florida previously with the illegal pet trade” (Osborne). The snail’s shell can have a distinctive pattern creating a magnificent look. These patterns can be going from dark to light. This is what makes the Giant African Land Snail so unique.  These snails are shown to be interesting animals by the pattern on the shell being long as a human’s fist. Their color makes them a target for the illegal pet trade system. The Giant African Land Snail is a very unique animal. 

Introduction To Non-Native Habitat

The snails are invasive to Florida causing a problem with how they got here. It was said the snails originated in East Africa but have spread through many countries in Southeast Asia and surrounding islands. The giant African land snail was originally introduced to Hawaii in 1936 and Florida in 1966 (Giant African Land Snail, New York). The Giant African land snail got to Florida from a child carrying some with them back after a trip to Hawaii. The grandma eventually realized them in her backyard and they eventually made their way all over Florida. Getting rid of them is a process called eradication.  It took 1 million dollars and about seven years to get rid of them (Osborne). The snails were coming back and were spotted in 2010 in Florida again. They were reintroduced and eradicated after a decade and $23 million (Osborne). It was uncertain how the snails arrived in Florida this time (Osborne). The snails became illegal to have or import into the U.S. without a permit (Osborne). Eventually, seven years later, more than 18,000 snails were found. These snails were eventually eradicated this time it took 10 years to eliminate these snails.

Florida is now once again faced with an invasion by this snail (Giant African Land Snail, Florida). The Giant African Land Snail contains both female and male reproductive parts. One reason why the snail keeps popping back up is that they can lay a lot of eggs. The snails are quickly reproducing even after one mating session, each snail can produce a set of 100 to 400 eggs (Snails, Infonet). And this can keep happening without having to mate again. A mated adult snail can lay about 1,200 eggs a year. Another reason can be how long the snail's life expectancy is. These snails can live as long as 9 years and that is a lot of damage when the snail can eat almost everything in its path (Snails, Infonet). 

Adverse Effects

The Giant African Land Snail is illegal to possess in the United States because these snails pose serious health risks to humans (Giant African Land Snail, Florida). These snails are known for how they carry a parasite called rat lungworm. The disease is known to cause meningitis in humans (Giant African Land Snail, Florida); meningitis is an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord tissue, typically caused by an infection. This infection can start by eating the snail, “Most importantly, do not eat them. This is not a snail to be put on butter and oil and garlic (Osborne).” This can either have a quick recovery as the outcome or this can be very fatal.

The Giant African Land is invasive to Florida due to its diet and the newer habitat the snails were exposed to. The Giant African Land snail is known to eat almost over 500 different kinds of plants (Giant African Land Snail, New York). These snails can be very devastating to Florida agriculture and the natural areas as they cause extensive damage to Florida’s tropical environment (Giant African Land Snail, Florida). These snails can be found in most plant habitats and are known for how their diet can consume beans, peas, cucumbers, melons, and peanuts in their diet (Giant African Land Snail, New York). Their appetite is enormous, making everything in their diet run out or have a really low supply. 

The Giant African Land Snail’s diet contributes to the economic damage these snails can cause. The snail’s diet can be fruits and vegetables, but since the Giant African Land Snail is invasive these foods are running low and making their value go higher in Florida. The snail can release toxins harmful to human consumption of these foods making the supply drop. Agriculture is a big part economic part of Florida making it urgent to get rid of the snails (Osborne). This is a big problem that can cause over millions of dollars just to try to get rid of the snails (Shannon). This can bring a lot of Florida’s Agriculture businesses down by the invasive snails eating and damaging their foods. 

Conclusion

The Giant African Land Snail may be invasive, but governments are constantly finding ways to get rid of the invasive species. The Giant African land snail is illegal to import or possess in the United States without a permit(Giant African Land Snail, Florida). Since the snail was invasive to Florida, Florida’s original eradication campaign took ten years and cost one million dollars(Giant African Land Snail, New York). The giant African land snail has been eradicated twice in Florida(Giant African Land Snail, Florida). Their efforts to keep the snail population are working but when people bring in the snail as pet food or exotic food for people to eat, the numbers tend to rise again. In the USA, in Southern Florida and Hawaii, the snails are under quarantine(Giant African Land Snail, New York). The quarantine is to help keep the snails in a controlled environment and separate them from things that can increase their population. The most recent eradication of this pest was in 2021 from detection in 2011 in Miami-Dade County. Prior to the recent detection, the last live snail in Florida was collected in Miami-Dade County in December 2017(Giant African Land Snail, Florida). In June 2022, FDACS's Division of Plant Industry began to survey the area, enacted a quarantine, and started the treatment process to eradicate this detrimental agricultural pest. FDACS will treat properties with a metaldehyde-based molluscicide(Giant African Land Snail, Florida). Metaldehyde is a pesticide used to control snails and slugs and is approved for use in a variety of vegetable and ornamental crops in the field or greenhouse. Metaldehyde works by disrupting the mucus production ability of snails and slugs. This reduces their digestion and mobility and makes them susceptible to dehydration. Snails and slugs that have eaten metaldehyde often seek hiding places, become inactive and begin to die within days(Giant African Land Snail, Florida). The Giant African Land Snail is an invasive species that is close to being fully eradicated if the quarantine works out.

Works Cited

Carnevale, Shannon. “Giant African Land Snails: What You Need to Know.” IFAS Extension Polk County, 7 July 2022, blogs.ifas.ufl.edu. 

“Giant African Land Snail.” Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, www.fdacs.gov.

“Giant African Land Snail.” New York Invasive Species Information, https://nyis.info/invasive_species/giant-african-land-snail/.

Osborne, Margaret. “Giant Snails Take over Florida's Gulf Coast Again.” Smithsonian Institution, 21 July 2022, www.smithsonianmag.com.

“Snails (Giant East African Snail).” Infonet Biovision Home, infonet-biovision.org.