Sunday, August 3, 2014

Photo of the day - is this the invasive Giant African Land Snail? Found Sun 8/3/14 on the edge of Palmetto Bay / Cutler Bay

The things you can see while taking the morning ride along the Old Cutler Bike Trail.  Is this (yet to be fully confirmed) a Giant African Land Snail that I ran across today, Sunday, 8/3/14, on the path at (theoretical) 18551 Old Cutler Road?
Is this, or is this not a Giant African Land Snail?
There are many places in Palmetto Bay where you can spot invasive species. Click on the label "Invasive species" to see the various articles.  This is the first time that I may have seen a Giant African Land Snail. See: Giant African Land Snail and Giant South American Snails: Field Recognition (a download able .PDF field identification resource)

I recommend reviewing the official Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website: Giant African Land Snail
Scientists consider the giant African land snail (or GALS) to be one of the most damaging snails in the world because it is known to consume at least 500 different types of plants, and can pose a serious health risk to humans. These snails could be devastating to Florida agriculture and natural areas because they cause extensive damage to tropical and subtropical environments. GALS are illegal to import into the United States without a permit. If you have seen one of these snails please contact the Division of Plant Industry (DPI) helpline 1-888-397-1517. 
Report any sightings. 



1 comment:

  1. Hey there,

    This is Gary from PlantCareToday.com

    No one likes bugs but it’s important to know which bugs in the garden are harmful and which insects are beneficial.

    I'm emailing you today because we just published an article on Bad Bugs in the garden.

    I noticed you included

    http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Plant-Industry/Pests-Diseases/Giant-African-Land-Snail

    in your post here:

    http://eugeneflinn.blogspot.com/2014/08/photo-of-day-is-this-invasive-giant.html

    The article looks at 30+ bad bugs and might make a nice addition and resource to your page. What do you think?


    Review the article at:

    https://plantcaretoday.com/bad-garden-pests.html

    If you have any suggestions to improve the article please let me know.

    All The Best,

    Gary
    PlantCareToday.com

    ReplyDelete