The invasive giant African land snail, which can grow to be 8 inches long, decimate agriculture, and carry parasites, has been spotted in FloridaThe giant African land snail may look friendly, but the state of Florida has gone to great lengths to eradicate it — twice.

Now, the slimy creatures are back again.

Officials confirmed on June 23 that a giant African land snail was detected in New Port Richey in Pasco County, located north of Tampa on Florida's west coast, launching another wave of efforts to rid the state of the snail.

The giant African land snail, Lissachatina fulica, can grow up to 8 inches long and procreate in large quantities, laying thousands of eggs at a time that can go on to hatch and wreak additional havoc.

"The giant African land snail is one of the most damaging snails in the world and consumes at least 500 different types of plants," the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said in a statement announcing the discovery."These snails could be devastating to Florida agriculture and natural areas as they cause extensive damage to tropical and subtropical environments."

In addition to its diverse plant diet, the snail is known to feed on paint and stucco for calcium, posing a threat to infrastructure.

Thesnails can also carry the parasite known as rat lungworm, which can cause meningitisin humans, leading officials to warn the public: "DO NOT HANDLE SNAILS WITHOUT WEARING GLOVES!"

The giant African land snail was first detected in Florida in 1969 and eradicated in 1975. It was detected again in 2011 in Miami-Dade County, and again declared eradicated last year. Prior to the recent discovery, a snail had not been detected in the state since 2017.

https://www.businessinsider.com/invasive-giant-african-land-snail-spotted-in-florida-2022-7

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