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An invasive species of mollusk with no natural predators has forced the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDCAS) to issue a quarantine order for a community in Broward County, Florida.
Officials announced that several square miles of the city of Miramar, a Miami suburb, would be under quarantine as officials attempt to eradicate the snails from the area.
“Under the quarantine, it is unlawful to move a giant African land snail or a regulated article, including, but not limited to, plants, plant parts, plants in soil, soil, yard waste, debris, compost or building materials, within, through or from the defined quarantine area without a compliance agreement,” said a June 20 press release from FDCAS announcing the order.
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The snails were first reported in June, “prompting required increased survey,” the release said.
“As treatment begins, FDCAS will continue to use the same treatment methodology for this pest which is a metaldehyde-based molluscicide (snail bait) and is approved for residential use,” it also said.
Scientist Mary Yong Cong holds one of the Giant African Snails she keeps in her lab in Miami, Florida, on July 17, 2015. The invasive species was recently discovered in Miramar, Florida, prompting a quarantine. (Getty Images)
Two areas within the larger quarantine area will be treated with the snail bait, according to a map released by FDCAS.
While the name “giant African land snail” may sound innocuous, the animal is an environmental menace, said the agency’s website.
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It “is one of the most damaging snails in the world and consumes at least 500 different types of plants,” it also noted.
“These snails could be devastating to Florida agriculture and natural areas as they cause extensive damage to tropical and subtropical environments,” it continued.
Two giant African land snails held in gloved hands. The species was recently discovered in an area of Broward County, Florida. (Getty Images)
The snails are also capable of eating through materials such as stucco, said a fact sheet posted on the FDCAS website.
Additionally, the snails carry the parasite rat lungworm, which can cause meningitis in humans.
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Adult snails range in size from two to eight inches. They come in a variety of colors, according to FDCAS.
While they are illegal to possess as pets, the large size and unique color of some of the snails have made them “desirable” among collectors.
This is not the Sunshine State’s first brush with the creatures, according to that agency.
Dr. Trevor Smith, Florida Department of Agriculture, picks up a giant African land snail as he works on eradicating a population of the invasive species in Miami-Dade County on Sept. 15, 2011, in Miami, Florida. The eradication took about a decade, before the snails were once again discovered in the state. (Getty Images)
“The giant African land snail has been eradicated twice in Florida. The first detection was in 1969 and was eradicated in 1975,” it said.
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In 2021, the giant African land snail was finally eradicated, 10 years after it was detected in Miami-Date County.
The snails are illegal to possess in the United States without a permit, said FDCAS; they reproduce quickly, as females can lay up to 1,000 eggs at a time and up to 2,500 a year.
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Anyone who thinks they may have encountered a giant African land snail should email a photo to DPIHelpline@FDCAS.gov, said the organization — adding that a person should not handle the snails without a pair of gloves.
