By Arty Schronce
Georgia Department of Agriculture
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin urges Georgians
to assist in the hunt for giant African land snails, a threat to
human health and a serious plant pest.
African land snails are known to carry a parasite, rat lungworm,
that can cause serious diseases, such as eosinophilic meningitis,
in humans. These diseases can be transferred to humans by eating
raw, undercooked infected snail meat or contaminated vegetables.
Vegetables can become contaminated if the snails move across
them.
Humans can also become infected by handling live giant African
land snails and getting the snails’ secretions into their eyes,
noses or mouths.
Scientists consider giant African land snails to be some of the
most damaging snails in the world because they are known to
consume at least 500 different types of plants including beans,
cucumbers, melons and peanuts.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture warns they could be
devastating to Georgia agriculture and natural areas.
Not in Georgia, yet
No African land snails have been reported in Georgia to date, but
the state’s Commissioner of Agriculture has instructed state
inspectors to search for the snails at pet dealers, flea markets
and other places exotic pets are sold.
The snails are illegal to import into the United States without a
permit and currently no permits have been issued.
The commissioner’s declaration follows a pest alert from the
United States Department of Agriculture and recent seizures of
the snail in schools and pet dealers in Wisconsin and other
states.
“We want to determine whether these snails are in our state and
if so, eradicate them as quickly as possible,” Irvin said. “The
confiscations in other states are of concern because some of the
snails were found at schools where [teachers and students] were
unaware of the potential threat. We want to make sure all
Georgians are aware of the dangers associated with this pest.”
If found, call for removal
Anyone who has an African land snail in their possession or has
seen any of these snails is asked to contact the Georgia
Department of Agriculture immediately by calling 1-800-282-5852
or via e-mail at
You can also report a finding to the USDA’s Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) at 770-922-9894 or via
e-mail at Philip.A.Bailey@aphis.usda.gov.
Officials with the Georgia Department of Agriculture or USDA
APHIS will remove the pests from any location and dispose of them
properly.
Up to eight inches long
There are several species within the giant African land snail
group. Achatina fulica, from East Africa, is one of the largest
land snails in the world growing up to eight inches long and 4.5
inches in diameter. When fully grown, the shell consists of seven
to nine whorls (spirals), with a long and greatly swollen body
whorl. The brownish shell covers at least half the length of the
snail.
Each snail can live as long as nine years and contains both
female and male reproductive organs. After a single mating
session, each snail can produce 100 to 400 eggs. In a typical
year every mated adult lays about 1,200 eggs.
In 1966, a boy smuggled three giant African land snails into
Miami from Hawaii as pets. His grandmother subsequently released
them into her garden. Seven years later, more than 18,000 snails
were found. It took almost 10 years and more than $1 million to
eradicate this pest from Florida.
For more information about giant African land snails visit the
following USDA APHIS Web sites:
or
