An Invasive Species of Giant Snail is Plaguing One Texas Community
Residents of this Texas community aren’t kidding when they refer to their new neighbors as “slimy.”
KVUE reports that an “invasive and aggressive species” of snail called channeled apple snails has moved in to the upscale Katy neighborhood of Tamarron. Otherwise known as Pomacea canaliculate, their bodies can be two inches wide to three inches tall with the shell extending up to six inches—comparable in size to an apple, which is how they got their name.
Apple snails, which are found in slow-moving streams, ponds and lakes, are native to South America but started appearing in the Lone Star State in the '90s. According to the Texas Invasive Species Institute, these mollusks reproduce quickly and can wreak considerable damage on an ecosystem. Their bright reddish-pink eggs are easy to identify and are laid in glob-like in groupings of 200 to 600.
An invasive & aggressive species of snail has been found in a Katy, TX, community. They are huge - can be the size of a large apple. Their eggs are easy to spot, reddish pink globs in groupings of 200-600 eggs at once. Story at 10 on #KHOU11 #applesnail #Texas pic.twitter.com/2WMoFqWr0B
— Lauren Talarico (@KHOULauren) July 23, 2019
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Texas Parks and Wildlife lists the snails as one of the most unwanted animals in the state and are urging people who come across them to alert the authorities.
