'Reappearance of the Giant African Snail' That Eats Signboards and Paint... US on Alert

In Florida, USA, the harmful animal known as the 'African giant snail,' which can grow up to 20cm in size, has been discovered after two years, triggering an emergency response.

According to major foreign media on the 21st (local time), the African giant snail was found earlier this month in Miramar, Florida, prompting authorities to designate the area where it appeared as a quarantine zone and strengthen inspections.

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Belonging to the family Achatinidae, the African giant snail is a harmful animal that consumes over 500 species of plants. Adults can grow up to 20cm in size and primarily inhabit warm and humid regions. Although their movement is slow, they can attach to vehicles and machinery, allowing them to infiltrate other areas.

This snail is notorious for relentlessly consuming plants, destroying ecosystems such as farmlands and nature reserves. To supplement calcium, it gnaws on building materials like plaster and paint, and can also chew on trash bins and signboards.

After four months of age, a single snail can lay thousands of eggs, demonstrating high reproductive capability, and its shell is hard enough to damage vehicle tires. If people consume agricultural products that have come into contact with the African giant snail without washing them, parasites such as rat lungworm can enter the body through the mucus, posing a risk of meningitis.

Although this snail is mainly found in tropical rainforests, Florida is no stranger to the problems it causes. After appearing in 1969, it reappeared in 2011, with reports of 170,000 snails captured over about ten years. In 2021, more than 1,000 were caught after being discovered again.

Authorities believe that the African giant snail eggs were introduced through containers loaded on ships arriving in Florida or plants imported from the Caribbean. It is also possible that snails that entered in the past were not captured and remained until now.

In the United States, it is illegal to possess or import African giant snails without permission. There is also a possibility that the snails were brought in through exotic pet trade or smuggling.

Once the snails reproduce and spread, it can take years to completely eradicate them, putting authorities on high alert. Currently, an area of about 1,700 pyeong (5,630㎡) around the site where the African giant snail was found has been sealed off.

Access to the quarantine zone is allowed, but moving soil, waste, fertilizer, plants, and other materials in and out of the zone without permission is prohibited. It is also reported that authorities are using metaldehyde, a snail pesticide, to capture the African giant snails.

Florida authorities stated, “The African giant snail causes extensive damage in tropical and subtropical environments,” and “It can have a fatal impact on Florida’s agricultural areas and natural environment.”

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