Giant snail inflicting in America

With a body as big as a mouse, giant snails in the US and the Caribbean countries become a threat to trees, vehicles, construction and people.

People around Miami, USA, catch thousands of huge African snails every week, Sky News reported.

The size of giant African snails can be made with mice. They may even be as big as a rabbit. They eat mortar on walls because they need a large amount of calcium, which is essential for shell development.

According to experts, snail shells usually have a length of 15cm with a diameter of 9cm but in some animals, their shells can reach a length of 30cm and a diameter of 15cm.

'Snails eat more than 500 species of plants, attack everything green and things on their way. About 117,000 trees have been destroyed since the first snail appeared in September 2011 in a household, ' said Denise Feiber, a Florentine state official.

Because of carrying the parasitic worms, snails are also a threat to human health. Parasites can spread to humans through contaminated water and vegetables. They cause many diseases in humans, including meningitis, although experts have not found any cases in the United States.

Picture 1 of Giant snail inflicting in America
The giant African snail body can be as big as a mouse. (Photo: Sky News)

In Caribbean countries, giant snails are becoming a big problem. They blew the tires of motor vehicles. Gardeners can also be injured when using a mower because snails can become dangerous bullets.

A snail can lay 1,200 eggs a year and they are harmful to houses because they like to eat mortar - 'food' has a high calcium content.

Ms. Feiber said the government should take the necessary measures in Florida as soon as possible so that the state does not fall into the same state as Barbados - where these mollusks once invaded.

In December, authorities launched a search for snails to limit their numbers.

But giant snails are just one of a number of creatures outside the invasion of Florida. The giant Burmese species also came to this state. Many exotic species grow well in humid environments, subtropical climates in Florida.

Last week, experts met at a science conference on giant African snails in Gainesville (Florida) to find the best measures to eliminate them, including the use of a powerful measure. more than the federal government recently approved.

Ms. Feiber said investigators are trying to identify the origin of the snail.

Scientists are examining whether Miami Santeria, a religious group originating from West Africa and the Caribbean, is the cause of this situation. They found that the group used large snails in religious ceremonies in 2010.

But many animals also accidentally infiltrate into the United States through goods or luggage of tourists. The most recent invasion of this giant mollusk in Florida took place in 1966. At that time, a boy from Hawaii returned to Miami with three snails. Maybe they stick in your pants pocket.

After his grandmother released the snails into the garden, the Florida state authorities spent a million dollars and took 10 years to destroy them.