Keep your eyes open for Giant African Snails

State and federal officials are working together to keep giant African snails out of Florida and they are asking the public for help.

Giant African snails are considered a serious pest because they reproduce quickly and eat at least 500 types of plants. And they don’t stop there. They also eat plaster, stucco and other calcium rich materials needed to grow their shells. And to top it off the snail carry a parasitic worm called rat lungworm that can pose a human health risk.

The snail has not been seen in Florida for a while but in the 1960’s a boy smuggled three snails into Miami as pets and his grandmother released them into her garden. Seven years later, there were more than 18,000 snails which took almost 10 years and more than $1 million to eradicate.

The giant African snail shouldn’t be too hard to see. It is one of the largest land snails in the world growing up to 8 inches in length and 4.5 inches in diameter.
Anyone who thinks they have seen a giant African snail, or may have information on illegal snail smuggling, is asked to call the Department of Agriculture’s toll-free helpline at 888-397-1517.


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