Invasive African Snail Prompts Quarantine In FL's Broward County

BROWARD COUNTY, FL — The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has quarantined a portion of Broward County in order to eradicate the giant African land snail, one of the most damaging snail species in the world.

According to officials, the snail was detected in the Miramar area of Broward County.

The detection is the latest in a series of others reported throughout Florida counties. In March, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services quarantined a portion of Lee County, several months after the snail was discovered in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County.

According to the agency, the giant African land snail population in Lee County had dark brown shells with grayish-brown flesh, while the snails detected in Pasco County had light to dark brown shells with milky white flesh.

Officials did not specify the appearance of the snail found in Broward County.

The giant African land snail has been eradicated twice in Florida, according to the agency. The most recent eradication of the snail was in 2021 after it was found in Miami-Dade County in 2011.

According to the agency, the giant African land snail consumes at least 500 different types of plants, making it a potentially devastating threat to Florida crops and plant life. The snails also pose a severe health risk to humans because they carry the parasite rat lungworm, known to cause meningitis.

Giant African land snails are illegal to import or possess in the United States without a permit, the agency said. It is also illegal to remove a snail from a quarantine area without a compliance agreement with the state, officials said.

According to officials, the Broward County quarantine starts at the intersection of Pembroke Road and South University Drive, then proceeds south on South University Drive to Northwest 215th Street. From this intersection, it proceeds east to Southwest 62nd Ave. At this intersection, it progresses north to Pembroke Road. The quarantine then proceeds west on Pembroke Road to its intersection with South University Drive.

The quarantine and treatment areas can be found on the map below:

In Broward County, officials have increased surveillance in the quarantined area before moving to eradicate the pest. Officials plan to use metaldehyde-based molluscicide, or snail bait, that's approved for residential use.

All publicly available information on giant African land snails and the current quarantine can be found at FDACS.gov/GALS.

Anyone who believes they identified a giant African land snail should email a photo to DPIHelpline@FDACS.gov for confirmation.