These snails are no ordinary snails, they’re freaking giant snails!
Not only are these humongous giant African snails hermaphroditic (they can reproduce by themselves) they reproduce rapidly in the Miami environment and devour everything green in sight whilst laying hundreds of eggs at a time.
Freaking Giant Snails!!
These giant beasts were eradicated in Miami in the 1960s but they were recently reintroduced – allegedly by ritual Voodoo practitioners who value the snail’s natural fluids and the devastation has begun all over again. Florida agriculture officials have collected 137,000 of the things in the last two years and they’ve apparently started eating parts of houses too.
“But this is Miami in the USA”, I hear you say. Well, Brisbane had its own outbreak in 1977 with over 300 giant snails removed before it was announced as eradicated. “Oh but that was so long ago” I hear you say. Well, get ready for the looming danger as in March 2013 a giant snail was removed from Brisbane before it had a chance to reproduce, or did it?
Fun Fact. This breed of snail’s shell is so large and hard that is has been known to puncture car tyres but you can also eat them! Possible cure for world hunger? Only if you like snails.
Want to know more about these amazing creatures? – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achatina_fulica
Stay Curious – C.Costigan
