Posted on 03/14/2002 5:07:26 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
Florida has a lot of strange things, especially in the water.
Well, they were all eaten within a year, or less, and this was 42 years ago. I guess you were in middle school. Were you anywhere near the canals down there where the piranha almost got established a decade or two back?
Well they had some wildlife officer who was supposed to be fighting it on the Jack Paar Tonight Show, about the time I graduated high school. Paar wasn't into hoaxes, he was no Letterman. By the way, I notice you were on the 'Bachelorette Parties Are Getting Risque' thread. Looks interesting!!
'**Achatina fulica**
is a very large snail found through out the world. It was imported as a food source, but soon became a pest. It lays between 150-1000 eggs (depending on age), just about every 3-4 weeks. They will eat just about any plant matter too.
They are illegal in the United States. If caught with them, you could be subject to a $5000 fine and up to 5 years in jail.
In the early 70's a young boy, from Hawaii, was visiting his grandmother in the Miami area of Florida, and brought a few with him (from Hawaii). She decided to let them go in her back yard and they soon became a major agricultural pest, destroying entire orange groves. It took the US millions of dollars and several years to eliminate the pest from the state. They were introduced to California around the same time, presumably on a shipment form a foriegn port. There too, they have been eliminated.
There are some pictures at this link that should really gross JenB out: http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Zoo/9522/achatinaf.html
Yep that's what they say about these silly Orca swimming things. Can't get them in a pet store either. As Sheila Jackson Lee said, you can see them where the US made its Mars landing.
Fish are the least of my worries today. My F-I-L is not doing well at all. Kidneys have shut down. Other organs have shut down and he has rejected dialysis.
It's a matter of time now. We're trying to work out details to get my wife to Raleigh today (car is still in the shop, but we hope to get it shortly after 8:00)
I'll be back later...
Now I feel really bad...bad hobbit!
Seriously, though, we SHOULD get back to the five post rule. Things have gotten a bit out of hand.
It DID help us pass the Never-Ending Story thread, though...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.