Giant African Land Snails

These creatures fit their names perfectly. In the photo above, that is an adult hand holding a pair of these snails. There are a few species and they vary in size, but some reach a length of 12 inches. It is hard to imagine the slimy trail these guys leave behind.

Though the thought of holding a 12 inch snail is scary enough for some people, the scariest part of these snails is their ability to thrive as an invasive species and wreak havoc on ecosystems. Though they are kept legally as pets in some parts of the world, they are strictly illegal to own in the US. In warmer parts of the US the snails could thrive and there is concern over their potential to do massive damage to both agriculture and natural vegetation. In the 1960s a boy brought 3 of these snails back from his vacation to his home in Florida, where they were eventually released into the garden. It took the Florida government 10 years and a million dollars to track down and eradicate the 18,000 snails that resulted from those 3 released pets.

More on African Land Snails:

• Giant African Land Snails
• Should Giant African Land Snails be Kept as Pets Anywhere?