# Giant, Foot-Sized Stucco-Eating Land Snails Invade Florida! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 4, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983 "2015-08-04T16:53:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/1 "2015-08-04T16:53:32Z")
Walk! Walk for your lives! > [@](#): > > Giant African land snails – which can grow as large as a shoe – reappeared in the Sunshine State in 2011, when they were spotted in Miami for the first time since the 1960s. Since then, Florida has spent $10.8 million to eradicate the species, removing 158,000 of the giant snails. > > Scientists consider the giant African land snail to be “one of the most damaging snails in the world,” according to the Florida Department of Agriculture. The snails eat around 500 types of plants in the region, as well as the stucco on houses. > > It’s also possible for the snails to transmit a parasitic infection that can cause a rare form of meningitis, though it’s unlikely. The snails become infected by consuming rat feces that contains the parasite – which is commonly known as the “rat lungworm” – and humans must consume the snail to get the infection. No snails in the U.S. have been known to carry the parasite, according to the Department of Agriculture. [Snails As Big As Shoes Are Kind Of A Problem In Florida | HuffPost Weird News](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/giant-african-land-snails-florida_55c0c72be4b06363d5a365d7)? The post starts with a clip from _The NeverEnding Story_, too! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/2 "2015-08-04T17:16:24Z")
There is a theory as to why they’re there. > [@](#): > > [Wired.com](http://www.wired.com/2014/01/absurd-creature-of-the-week-foot-giant-african-land-snail) > > The creature was reintroduced here in 2011, and this time, according to Cowie, it may well be “bizarre, voodoo-like religious proceedings” to blame. The snail’s slime, he says, is coveted in certain South American rituals, and practitioners may have released the giant snails into their Miami-area backyards, hoping they’d breed freely. > > The USDA and U.S. District Attorney’s Office are investigating this. It probably doesn’t help the ritualists’ case, though, that [in 2013] authorities questioned a Florida man said to have convinced his followers to drink the fluid from live giant African land snails, which he sliced open before squeezing the slime into their mouths. If you can believe it, the victims fell violently ill — ironic, what with this being a healing ritual. This man allegedly lives in the same neighborhood in which the resurgence was found. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/3 "2015-08-04T17:42:31Z")
So, when do we start bombing Florida? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/4 "2015-08-04T17:45:12Z")
Python vs. Monitor Lizard vs. Giant Snail Florida gets all the good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/5 "2015-08-04T18:22:14Z")
They do look cool, tho. Easy to keep as a pet, I imagine. Odd how they look like a regular garden escargot snail, blown to giant size. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/6 "2015-08-04T18:30:37Z")
$68 per snail? Doesn’t seem like a very good deal on pest control. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/7 "2015-08-04T18:46:39Z")
There used to be a traffic conditions sign near me that flashed warning giant African snails in area! Kinda amusing to imagine them knocking cars off the road. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/8 "2015-08-04T18:50:28Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > $68 per snail? Doesn’t seem like a very good deal on pest control. Yeah, just offer free garlic, butter and breadcrumbs to anyone who brings one in. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/9 "2015-08-04T18:50:29Z")
I find it odd that there’s a link to send e-comments to the author of the article. Surely for this topic, there should be a postal address so you can send your comments by … (I couldn’t bring myself to type it. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/10 "2015-08-04T19:09:59Z")
At least it’s not as bad as that infestation in the Salton Sea back in the '50’s: [https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;\_ylt=AwrBTzpfDcFVfJsALrJXNyoA;\_ylu=X3oDMTExN2w1ZXNrBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDVUlDMl8xBHNlYwNzYw--?p=The+Monster+That+Challenged+the+World&fr=yfp-t-412#id=14&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2F736x%2Fe9%2Fd1%2F00%2Fe9d10017c664c9d60212fc8bcc037c5c.jpg&action=click](https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrBTzpfDcFVfJsALrJXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTExN2w1ZXNrBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDVUlDMl8xBHNlYwNzYw--?p=The+Monster+That+Challenged+the+World&fr=yfp-t-412#id=14&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2F736x%2Fe9%2Fd1%2F00%2Fe9d10017c664c9d60212fc8bcc037c5c.jpg&action=click) [https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;\_ylt=AwrBTzpfDcFVfJsALrJXNyoA;\_ylu=X3oDMTExN2w1ZXNrBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDVUlDMl8xBHNlYwNzYw--?p=The+Monster+That+Challenged+the+World&fr=yfp-t-412#id=1&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fimage.tmdb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw1280%2FaxaiqhO7WVgriU5KtQuCatzokM2.jpg&action=click](https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrBTzpfDcFVfJsALrJXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTExN2w1ZXNrBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDVUlDMl8xBHNlYwNzYw--?p=The+Monster+That+Challenged+the+World&fr=yfp-t-412#id=1&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fimage.tmdb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw1280%2FaxaiqhO7WVgriU5KtQuCatzokM2.jpg&action=click) [https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;\_ylt=AwrBTzpfDcFVfJsALrJXNyoA;\_ylu=X3oDMTExN2w1ZXNrBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDVUlDMl8xBHNlYwNzYw--?p=The+Monster+That+Challenged+the+World&fr=yfp-t-412#id=13&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cultofweird.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F10%2Fmonster-film-girl.jpg&action=click](https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrBTzpfDcFVfJsALrJXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTExN2w1ZXNrBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDVUlDMl8xBHNlYwNzYw--?p=The+Monster+That+Challenged+the+World&fr=yfp-t-412#id=13&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cultofweird.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F10%2Fmonster-film-girl.jpg&action=click) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/11 "2015-08-05T22:25:07Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > So, when do we start bombing Florida? And why have we waited this long? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/12 "2015-08-05T23:45:07Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > And why have we waited this long? We’re working on a project to submerge it, which takes longer but ought to take care of it for good. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/13 "2015-08-05T23:45:39Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > There is a theory as to why they’re there. They arrived on an escargot ship, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/14 "2015-08-06T00:05:23Z")
They get a bad reputation, but if you’re able to coax one out of its shell you’ll find they’re actually very nice, especially in a footlong. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/15 "2015-08-06T00:25:46Z")
Just look at that s car go! I’d think SyFy Channel would be all over this. They can do one of their blended monster-disaster movies…Snailnado? Escarphoon? ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/16 "2015-08-06T00:42:50Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > Just look at that s car go! > > I’d think SyFy Channel would be all over this. They can do one of their blended monster-disaster movies…Snailnado? Escarphoon? Toxic spill makes them fast, gives 'em teeth and a thirst for human blood! The rest writes itself really. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/17 "2015-08-06T01:01:36Z")
How soon until the Made for SciFy movie comes out? Anyone want to start a betting pool? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/18 "2015-08-06T08:13:20Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > How soon until the Made for SciFy movie comes out? Anyone want to start a betting pool? Yes, I can imagine the scene : chased by a giant bloodthirsty snail the hero [del]runs[/del] [del]walks[/del] crawls down the street…Hmm…well, no, in fact, I can’t… ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/19 "2015-08-06T10:02:13Z")
Spongebob: “Gary! Come here at once!” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983/20 "2015-08-06T13:06:02Z")
Floridians are stocking up on the 100-pound size of [Escar-Go!®](http://www.gardensalive.com/product/escar-go-slug-snail-control?p=0164423&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&gclid=CJTQyMfClMcCFZcYHwodlNIPgQ). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-foot-sized-stucco-eating-land-snails-invade-florida/726983.md?page=2)