Resource Search

Note: Complete text of the book by Albert R. Mead (1961. Albert R. Mead. The University of Chicago Press. Chicago. 257 pp.)

Note: APHIS Declares Eradication of the Giant African Snail (Lissachatina fulica, formally Achatina fulica) and Removes All Quarantine Areas in Florida [Dec 22, 2021; PDF, 179 KB] -- Federal Order issued for the removal of the domestic quarantine which was under regulation since April 2012.

Giant African land snails (GALS) could be devastating to Florida agriculture and natural areas because they cause extensive damage to tropical and subtropical environments. GALS are illegal to import into the U.S. without a permit. If you have seen one of these snails please contact the FDACS helpline (888) 397-1517.

The giant African land snail (Lissachatina fulica (Bowditch)) (GALS) is one of the most invasive pests on the planet, causing agricultural and environmental damage wherever it is found. This snail was twice established in southeastern Florida and was successfully eradicated both times. On June 21, 2022, FDACS-DPI recieved a report of a possible population of the snail in New Port Richey, Pasco County. On June 23, a survey of the property confirmed the presence of a white form of the giant African land snail, which is popular in the pet trade in other countries. This snail is a Federally prohibited organism that cannot be legally sold or possessed in the USA.

If you see a suspect GALS, take a picture, and contact the DPI Helpline at 1-888-397-1517 or DPIHelpline@fdacs.gov for instructions how to submit pictures and needed information. 
See also: Pests & Diseases - Giant African Land Snail for more information

Officials issued a quarantine to control the invasive species, which devours vegetation, damages structures and can carry a parasite dangerous to humans. The invasive giant African land snail—one of the most damaging snails in the world—has returned to Florida for the third time in the state’s history. Florida's Broward county giant African land snail quarantine prohibits people in the 3.5-square-mile area from moving the giant African land snails, and they also must not transport certain plants, soil, compost and yard debris that could contain snails or their eggs.

Invasive species are one of the most dire threats to the endemic flora and fauna of the Galápagos Islands. One of the most aggressive species is the Giant African Snail (Lissachatina fulica), which was reported for the first time in Galápagos in 2010 and is a highly invasive species that appears on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) list of the 100 most harmful invasive species in the world. Galápagos Conservancy President Dr. Paul Salaman recently signed a new agreement with the Galápagos Biosecurity & Quarantine Regulation & Control Agency (ABG) to strengthen control actions and prevent the spread of the African snail on the islands.