Florida: Miami Slimed by Giant Snails


B. McPherson


Miami is being slimed by giant snails. It will do no good to call on GhostBusters. This job is too big for them. Giant African land snails have invaded the tropical state and are wreaking havoc on the vegetation.

Miami is making a concerted effort to corral these molluscs before they can do more harm. They feast on at least 500 plant species; their slime trails and feces are unsightly; and they can even munch through stucco to get the calcium they need for their shells. Over 1000 are caught and destroyed in Miami each week. More than 100 000 have been gathered since the fall of 2011. It may be like trying to bail out a boat with a teaspoon. The double sex  snails can produce 1200 eggs four and five times a year. The hermaphrodites are both male and female so both of the mating pair produces offspring.

Some people look at them and see cute, mobile lawn ornaments but they are sadly mistaken. These invaders can be killers. They play host to the rat lungworm. It is a particularly nasty parasitic worm that people can catch when they handle or eat(yes eat) these creatures.

Normally the parasite infects rats where it invades the rat’s brain. When they invade a human brain, they cause a form of meningitis. When the worms die, they cause brain swelling. Infection can be accidental.

"He was kind of two-thirds recovered. He could walk again, but it was a stumbling walk. And he could talk but it wasn't quite right yet and he kind of didn't look you in the eye. It's just terrible."
It seems the unfortunate man had accidentally eaten a slug in lettuce. BBC News Magazine

The Giant African snails are considered enough of a serious threat that a symposium was held last week in Gainesville to discuss the best ways to eradicate them. Dealing with exotic species is an expensive undertaking. Invasive species are responsible for the extirpation of many native species and lead to loss of biodiversity.

These invaders originated in East Africa and have invaded nearly every wet, warm niche around the world. South America has been hard hit. Even the Galapagos Islands and Hawaii have been invaded.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has a hit list of the 100 worst invasive organisms.
Location: Miami, FL, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Prince Rupert Says No to Enbridge Pipeline

Image
B. McPherson Prince Rupert city council joined a growing list of BC coastal communities that are saying “No” to the Enbridge proposal to build a twinned pipeline from Edmonton to the coast. The decision of the Prince Rupert city politicians was unanimous. Already the village of Kitimaat, Terrace and the Skeena Queen Charlottes Regional District have voiced their opposition to the project. There are ongoing hearings by a federal court appointed Joint Review Panel which are gathering input from interested parties about the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline which would bring crude petroleum from the oil sands of Alberta to the coast of British Columbia. The proposal would see a twinned pipeline run over the Rocky Mountains and through wilderness to the treacherous west coast. The proposed terminus at Kitimat would require tankers to wend their way through the maze of islands and reefs to load up at the head of Douglas Channel. While the hearings and the finding
Read more

Abandoned Oil Pipelines What Lurks Below?

Image
These photos were taken July 2012 in the historic Turner Valley, Alberta B. McPherson Controversy over new oil pipelines is reaching boiling point in many circles. Heated debate is taking place over the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway and Keystone Pipeline proposals. Safety, disruption to landowners  and more are being weighed against the money to be made transporting and selling petroleum products. It got me thinking about the old pipelines. What happens to a pipeline when it is too old to use or not needed? It’s a bit of an Alice in Wonderland scene. The US laws and regulations are different from ours in Canada. The Pipeline and Gas Journal is a source of information about abandoned pipelines in Texas. Apparently a pipeline in Texas may be abandoned by a company, but it still retains ownership and may choose to reactivate the line at a later date. In the meantime, the right of way or easement is no longer maintained, but the through which the pipe extends is not free
Read more

Efficient Rail Transport May Make Pipelines Obsolete

Image
B. McPherson What happens to all the abandoned pipelines? Oil pipelines have huge direct costs to build, but they also have many hidden costs. In spite of dire warnings by environmentalist the world is demanding ever greater supplies of the black gold. For those countries that have it and market it successfully, money comes rolling in. But at what cost? An oil pipeline is a hugely complex thing. Enbridge Corp. has been battling citizens in British Columbia over its proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline and the Keystone Pipeline in the US has been stalled for months. When Big Oil needs to transport oil or bitumen to refineries, it usually gets a smooth ride to approval. Labelling energy security as a national priority, property rights are infringed upon. People in Canada cannot legally stop the installation of a pipeline across their property. The high pressure conduit is often buried only a few feet below the surface leaving crops, buildings and livestock vulnerable to a
Read more