Posted on 04/15/2013 6:20:45 AM PDT by Red Badger
South Florida residents are being warned to be on the lookout for one of the world's most destructive invasive species: the giant African land snail, which can grow as big as a rat.
The huge mollusks were first spotted in Florida in 2011, and their numbers are growing, Reuters reports. More than 1,000 are being caught each week in Miami-Dade County and more will continue to emerge from hibernation in the coming weeks.
The snails can gnaw through stucco and plastic, and attack "over 500 known species of plants ... pretty much anything that's in their path and green," Denise Feiber, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, told Reuters.
In some Caribbean countries, such as Barbados, which are overrun with the creatures, the snails' shells blow out tires on the highway and turn into hurling projectiles from lawnmower blades, while their slime and excrement coat walls and pavement.
"It becomes a slick mess," Feiber said
A typical snail can produce about 1,200 eggs a year and the creatures are a particular pest in homes because of their fondness for stucco, devoured for the calcium content they need for their shells.
The snails also carry a parasitic rat lungworm that can cause illness in humans, including a form of meningitis, Feiber said, although no such cases have yet been identified in the United States.
Experts gathered last week in Gainesville, Florida, for a Giant African Land Snail Science Symposium, to seek the best ways to eradicate the mollusks, including use of a stronger bait approved recently by the federal government.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Bait & Dinner !!
Marco Rubio supportive.
Oh man... I wonder how many times you could re-use one of these in a crab pot?
Wow!
All we need to do is get out a rumor about how eating these delicacies will enhance male sexual performance. The Chinese will buy them all, farm them and sell ‘em at Walmart’s around the world.
That picture is disturbing for a couple of reasons.
First, the snail is huge.
Second, what is the species of the thing holding the giant snail? Three fat fingers, no thumb, and latex-like skin ... has a species of terrible guitar players been assisting the giant snails in their conquest of Florida?
Them’s good eatin.
That’s it. How do they taste?
Check out pic at post #54......
Sounds like some enterprising soul needs to develop the snail equivalent of the "cattle guards" they used to mount to the front of trains. Bolt a couple of straight-tined rake heads across the front of yer mower. Probably need a triangular shape to assure they get pushed to the sides.
So don't eat'em raw (or rare). Same as for pork. Heating should kill both the lungworm and the meningitis bug it carries.
Chinatown will figger it out!
How about just don't eat them at all. I can't understand the fascination shown by the people on this thread with eating something that carries parasites. Why bother? Aren't they getting enough to eat? And BTW the incidence of trichonosis in today's pork in the USA is virtually nil. Do they also have "protected" sex with AIDS carriers? Do they routinely drive motorcycles 50 MPH over the speed limit in the rain?
Why do somthing that has a high know risk associated with it. Parasite eggs are particularly difficult to kill. From the comments on this thread some of my fellow freepers are seriously deficient in their mental ability to parse risk and reward.
There is risk of disease and parasitic infection when eating any wild fish or game. The risk represented by this snail, when properly cooked, ought not be any higher than that represented by eating any other wild animal.
And you make this pronouncement based on the observed numbers of rat lungworm eggs and their frequency in the snails vs the number of parasite eggs in say a grouper or a tuna? The number of infections recorded in areas where the snails and parasites are endemic vs the number of parasites contracted through game and fish? Where did you get your information? Were you aware that snails are an essential part of the schistosomiasis trematode's life cycle?
Like I said before anyone here is welcome to my share of these disease ridden things.
What do they taste like? Like chronic disabling lung disease. An acquaintance contracted a bird mycobacterium in her lung. Will need three years of antibiotic treatment to get rid of it. As I previously stated the risk reward calculation in my fellow posters' brains seems to have been disables.
In that case, I recommend you avoid eating any meat from feral hogs as well.
Waiter: Would monsieur care for another bottle of the Chateau Latour? [Lisa note - really great French Bordeaux, one of the top wines]
Steve: Ah yes - but no more 1966. Let's splurge! Bring us some fresh wine! The freshest you've got - this year! No more of this old stuff.
Waiter: Oui monsieur.
Steve: He doesn't realise he's dealing with sophisticated people here. [Steve realizes with horror what is on Marie's plate] Marie, now just stay calm. Stay calm. Don't look down, don't look down! Look up! Just keep your eyes up and keep them that way, OK.
Steve, to the waiter: Waiter - there are snails on her plate. Now get them out of here before she sees them! [to Marie] Look away, just look away, keep your eyes that way! [to the room of people, which is now watching the pair] You would think that in a fancy restaurant at these prices you could keep the snails off the food! There are so many snails there you can't even see the food! [to the waiter] Now take those away and bring us those melted cheese sandwich appetizers you talked me out of!
Waiter: Oui, monsieur.
Steve: Can you believe this? First, they didn't have the bamboo umbrellas for the wine, and now snails on the food! Two boobs! That's what he takes us for!
I don't do that now - never have.
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.