I was never a nature kid. Caterpillars, worms, beetles, if it was outside, I wasn't interested. For some reason, though, I did find snails fascinating.
Something about the swirl of their shells just spoke to me, I guess. Even now, I have as many snails as fish in my home aquarium.
Still, my natural indoor girl-ness always found their sliminess to be a bit off-putting.
So to say that I'm not okay with the knowledge that Giant African Land Snails exist may be an understatement.
When snails get that big, they start to reach alien territory.
On average, they are 7 cm (2.76 in) in height, by 20 cm (7.87 in) in length, or for context, almost the size of a human head.
Giant African Land Snails are actually a severely invasive species. Though native to Tanzania and Kenya, they have begun populating the United States and other countries due to the blackmarket pet trade and accidental release.
They are so invasive that they are banned entirely in Canada, the United States, and Australia.
They are also a common carrier of a parasitic nematode that can infect humans and cause a very case of serious meningitis. Just handling one in the wild can result in infection.
So if you're a fan, maybe just appreciate them in photographs. Me? I'm happy to keep my distance.
h/t: The Open Mind, ADW
