Massive Snails Invade Florida, May Have Been Imported For Santería Followers To Drink Their Mucus
The latest in a long line of destructive invasive species in Florida might be one of the worst. Last week in Gainesville, Florida, experts gathered for a Giant African Land Snail Science Symposium to discuss Florida's latest panic-inducing invasive species. The land snail, Achatina fulica, is one of the most destructive invasive species in a state home to dozens of destructive invasive species: it's massive, up to 10 inches long, eats just about any plant product it can find, devours stucco on houses, sometimes eats car tires, and can carry a parasite that's dangerous to humans. It's difficult for the researchers to get across how awful these snails are; people seem to kind of like them, with their big eyes waving around on their eye-stalks. But they're significantly more damaging to the natural ecosystem than, say, the Burmese python, which also took hold in the swamps and cypress forests of South Florida....