Pest Alert: Giant African Snails

Pest Alert Giant African Snails “Giant African snail” is the Services. This action resulted common name used to describe in the State’s second giant several foreign snail species African snail detection. The that could become serious U.S. Department of Agriculture agricultural pests in the United (USDA) and Florida have States. The most important giant invested several million dollars African snail is Lissachatina since this second detection, fulica (formerly Achatina fulica). and work continues today to Figure 1. A mature Lissachatina fulica eradicate this pest. maneuvers in its environment. The Giant African Snail Description/Life Cycle Scientists consider L. fulica to be one of the most damaging Reaching almost 8 inches land snails in the world. It is (20 centimeters) in length and known to feed on at least 5 inches (13 centimeters) in 500 different types of plants, diameter, L. fulica is one of the including peanuts, beans, peas, world’s largest land snails— cucumbers, and melons. If about the size of an average fruits and vegetables are not adult fist. When fully grown, available, they will eat a wide its shell consists of seven to variety of ornamental plants, tree nine whorls, with a long and bark, and even paint and stucco greatly swollen body whorl. The Figure 2. A penny is used to show the size of on houses. giant African snail eggs. brownish shell with darker brown lengthwise stripes covers at L. fulica is established least half the length of the snail. throughout the Indo-Pacific Florida and the Giant basin, from east Africa to African Snail Each snail contains both Hawaii and Guam, including female and male reproductive the Southern Asian region. This In 1966, a Miami, FL, boy organs. After a single mating, mollusk has been introduced smuggled three giant African each snail can produce 100 to several Caribbean islands snails into South Florida upon to 500 eggs. These snails can including Anguilla, Antigua, returning from a trip to Hawaii. reproduce several more times Aruba, Barbados, Cuba, His grandmother eventually without mating again. They can Dominica, Dominican Republic, released the snails into her generate clutches of eggs every Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles, garden. Seven years later, more 2 to 3 months. Marie-Galante, Martinique, Saint than 18,000 adult snails were Lucia, Saint Martin, and Trinidad. found, along with thousands of Although this species thrives in It is also widespread in several eggs. It took 10 years and cost tropical and subtropical areas, South American countries and, $1 million to eradicate the pest it can survive in cold conditions. in 2016, was reported in Spain in Florida. In winter in the Northern United for the first time. States, the snail would become In September 2011, a resident slow and sluggish, almost of Miami found a snail and hibernating until warmer contacted the Florida Department weather returned. of Agriculture and Consumer Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine Figure 3. Giant African snail infestation on the Figure 4. Shell of an immature giant African Figure 5. USDA technician holds giant African Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. snail. snail shells found during a pest survey. Distribution sick from ingesting improperly Learn More cooked snail meat or by handling Like other invasive pests and live snails and then touching For more information on giant diseases, giant African snails their eyes, nose, or mouth. African snails, visit the APHIS can hitchhike into the United website at www.aphis.usda.gov/ States on imported cargo. Control plant-health/gas. People are also known to bring snails into the country illegally Because of the potential damage to keep as classroom exhibits these snails can cause, they are USDA is an equal opportunity or pets or to use as food or for illegal in the United States. If you provider, employer, and lender. ceremonial purposes. have a giant African snail, do not release it into the environment Damage or give it away. Instead, APHIS 81-35-009 Issued July 2004 immediately report it to your Slightly revised May 2018 Giant African snails cause State department of agriculture extensive damage to crops and or to the USDA Animal and plants in tropical and subtropical Plant Health Inspection Service areas. These snails are also (APHIS) office in your State. known to carry organisms that For a list of APHIS offices, can cause diseases in humans go to www.aphis.usda.gov/ and livestock. People can get planthealth/sphd..

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