Dangerous Giant African Land Snail Spotted in Texas

Residents of a Houston neighborhood are warned by authorities to be wary of the giant African land snail after a woman spotted it in her garden and snapped a photo of it, reports NBC News.

These giant African land snails are very dangerous as they carry a deadly strain of meningitis.  Authorities warn the residents to stay far from this deadly creature and avoid touching it, and in case anybody happens to come in contact with the giant land snail, they need to wash their hands thoroughly.

"Unfortunately, humans are picking the snails up. They carry a parasitic disease that can cause a lot of harm to humans and sometimes even death," Dr. Autumn J. Smith-Herron, the director of the Institute for the Study of Invasive Species at Sam Houston State University was quoted as saying in Click2Houston.

Originally from East Africa, these snails are listed as one of the top invasive species in the world. They are pest organisms that destroy agriculture, natural ecosystems and also affect human health. They grow up to a height of 7 centimeters, with a length of 20 centimeters. They lay close to 1,200 eggs per year.

On identifying the land snail in the Briar Forest neighborhood of Houston, the woman informed workers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. This is the first mollusk spotted in Texas. Officials are currently investigating whether the snail is indeed a giant African land snail. Apart from this, an investigation is being launched by the USDA.

"That's crazy," Jack Fendrick, who lives on Twin Circle Drive and hadn't heard about the rare finding was quoted as saying in Click2Houston. "I think most people, kids especially, will see a big snail and want to touch it. With meningitis as one of the side effects, that's scary."