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Giant Snails Invade Florida

Edgewood_Dirk writes "First spotted in 2011, Giant African Land Snails have migrated to Florida, and are causing massive agricultural and social problems in the state. Hugely destructive to crops, the creatures themselves are dangerous, in that they are able to gnaw through stucco and plastics, will eat almost any organic material, their shells are hard enough to pop tires on the freeway and become shrapnel when run over by lawnmowers. Over a thousand are caught each week in Miami-Dade County and their numbers are only growing as more come out of hibernation. They also carry a form of rat lungworm which can cause meningitis in humans, although no human cases have been reported yet."

8 of 245 comments (clear)

  1. Re:what eats them? by pr0nbot · · Score: 5, Funny

    The French?

  2. He's gaining on me! by SomewhatRandom · · Score: 5, Funny

    Am I the only person that pictured an elderly retiree running from a giant snail in a slow motion chase after reading the title of the article?

  3. Re:what eats them? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The French?

    But what will we do when the French start to run amuck?!

    Why, then we get Germans!

  4. Re:Points at Giant Snails by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 5, Funny

    Could things be any better, here in the Sunshine state?

    They eat stucco.

    In just 24 short months, it is possible that South Florida returns to its native habitat.

    BONUS: With the new, snail-driven housing scarcity introduced to an otherwise depressed real estate bubble, rewards are again possible for developers and speculators!

    Now, mind that sinkhole. We've got a Colombian cocaine submarine to rendezvous with.

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  5. Re:On the bright side they are invading very slowl by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 5, Funny

    Your German is perfect! Both in your grammar, and the quality of your joke.

  6. Re:what eats them? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Russian winters.

  7. Rename Time by ThatsNotPudding · · Score: 5, Funny

    "First spotted in 2011, Giant African Land Snails have migrated to Florida..

    Whoever named these things might have missed one of this species' abilities.

  8. Can't fight what you don't understand by ilsaloving · · Score: 5, Funny

    Before you can do anything, you need to become acquainted with some basics about the land snails.

    Conveniently, someone provided an excellent summary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTV23B5gBsQ