6-22-2004 |
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State and federal agriculture officials Thursday picked up the first two Giant African Land Snails (GALS) discovered in the state so far, following a phone call from a woman who suspected she had been given two of the animals at a yard sale in Pennsylvania. "I congratulate the Plant Industries and PPQ staffs, respectively, for working together so efficiently to quickly respond to this call," said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. "It pleases me greatly to see this level of cooperation between state and federal agencies." The discovery was credited to public outreach conducted by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture Plant Industries Division (WVDA-PID) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA-APHIS-PPQ) office in Ripley. "We received a phone call last week from a Preston County woman who said she was looking at photos on the Department's webpage when she realized she had two Giant African Land Snails," said Gary Gibson, assistant director of WVDA-PID. "PID and PPQ both had personnel in the area, so both agencies responded to the report." USDA Malacologist Dr. David G. Robinson later positively identified the snails as GALS. GALS have been used in classrooms because their large size makes them easy for children to study. They are also sold at flea markets and swap meets as pets. However, the snails are considered serious agricultural pests because they can grow up to eight inches long, are voracious eaters, and can fertilize their own eggs. They can also transmit encephalitis to humans through parasites they harbor. They are illegal to possess in the United States, but State and federal agricultural officials trying to locate the prohibited snails are currently working under an amnesty program where individuals who report having the snails, and voluntarily relinquish them, are not prosecuted. "We simply want to find out where they are and deal with them in the appropriate fashion," said Gibson. "Most people who have them don't know they are illegal or the dangers associated with them. They buy them at a flea market or yard sale as a novelty-type pet and never think twice about them being an invasive species." The snails, two terrariums and several eggs that had been laid
are currently being held at the Department of Agriculture. PID has
arranged to clean and return the terrariums to the owner. Contact: Buddy Davidson The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org. |
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