The snail can grow up to eight inches long, and can potentially carry the parasite rat lungworm, which may cause meningitis in humans and animals. The snail should not be handled without gloves because of the meningitis risk.

The snails can lay over 2,500 eggs in just one year, making the population difficult to contain. Florida has successfully eradicated the giant African land snail twice before, in 1975 and 2021.

    • gonesnake@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Yeah, between ‘eight inch snail’ and the words ‘parasite rat lungworm’ all in a row I’m pretty much horrified. And if that isn’t bad enough then they say Florida and meningitis. This article is just creepy pasta.

      • cavemeat@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        I actually agree lol, I find them charming af. Its a shame that they are very efficient breeders and florida’s nice and warm like their original habitat