That is scary stuff. I read a couple of weeks ago how quickly they are multiplying in Florida.

Yes, I read it on the National Geographic site. The link above doesn't seem to work. Maybe this one will.

Here is a link that might be useful: About Giant African snails on N. G.

Link above worked for me. This is really scary. Beats chili thrips even, and they're bad enough.

Here is a link that might be useful: giant snails in Houston

We had some giant snails about that size in Hawaii. Well,maybe they weren't THAT big. I do not know if they are one and the same. Kids loved to jump on them and some of us ATE them. Some one says these are a delicacy too..That is how they got to Brazil. Someone was farming them.

This post was edited by wantonamara on Wed, May 8, 13 at 18:52

I just came across an article that states the snail found in Houston was misidentified and was in reality a native Rosy Wolf Snail. Interestingly, this predatory species has been introduced in other parts of the world, including Hawaii, to control the African Land Snail. It is considered an invasive species elsewhere but very beneficial in our state.

Here is a link that might be useful: Misidentified Giant Snail Terrorizes Texas

That's great news! Now we all know more about the Giant African snail than we ever wanted to know ... :-)

I love the part where they state that the Giant African snail has the annoying habit of eating lots of plants and STUCCO HOUSES. Now that's annoying! LOL.

Very annoying! Sounds like something out of a science fiction movie.

Yes, but are they edible? I LOVE escargot, and free ones would be awesome! :D

They were being farmed in Brazil for escargot. the worms though are a little scary but HEY we ate pork with trichinosis for millennium.

Mara, it is the same ones in Hawaii. I remember seeing them crawling across the sidewalk, they were bigger than my hand. GROSS! That was in Honolulu.
Tally HO!

I handled them lots and never got sick and died. I ate them cooked in wine and butter. They were always running across my yard. No one was really freaked out about them. But that was back in the day when people didn't get riled very easily. Then again, it was Hawaii and everyone is too relaxed and living life island style to get riled about much. White fly got their attention.

You could sprain an ankle trying to squish one of those.

IT took two feet and man what a squish! Yuck. The Buffo frogs were huge and poisonous too.

These snail are freaking scary! I like all my little garden creatures (well, except flying palmetto bugs which are the only thing on the planet that will prompt me to get a can of something to spray and kill!) ... but I can do without these Snails on Steroids anywhere near me or my garden. Omigosh! I heard a story on NPR or somewhere recently about them and they apparently do a great deal of damage. Along the lines of the darned zebra mussels or the giant pythons.

Invasive species - yuck!!!

robyn, aren't Palmetto bugs really just American cockroaches? I'm curious why some people call them palmetto bugs? [I'm from Denver originally]

How wonderful that snail was misidentified. Eat them or not eat them, African snails are needed in North America. NOT.

This post was edited by merrybookwyrm on Sun, Dec 8, 13 at 11:46

I hate when a snail gets a bad rap! ;o)

Kiko - the nickname of Palmetto bugs is maybe just something from the south, though I do think there is a difference between the two bugs. All I know is that when one is flying at me when I'm enjoying music and wine on my porch at night, I do the girl thing and freak. I really hate, HATE, those things. Armed with boric acid every year, I swear I'm going to prevent one from landing in my hair ... alas, I've never succeeded yet. :)

I hate those dang palmetto bugs too! Yeah, ,they are a roach. EEEWWWW!

We just got a call from a lady in Spring who found one of these in her yard. We gave her the phone # for Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Tally HO!

Laughing! It's 'wildlife' alright!

My poodle dog Sport goes after them big time and keeps the house cleared.