Yangcheng Evening News reporter Xue Renzheng reported that recently, many slapped snails appeared in Guangdong after the rain. These big snails are brown shells, gray meat, dragging a long mucus "swagger", and also on the hot Internet search list at one fell swoop. Many netizens were surprised: "Are all the snails in Guangdong so big?" "With so much meat, 'food' applied for war!"
In response to netizens' curiosity, experts warned that this kind of snail is not hygienic, and it is better not to touch it, nor eat it.
Androgyny, amazing fertility
"This slap sized snail is not actually a 'local snail' in Guangdong. Its scientific name is the brown cloud agate snail, and it is often called the 'African snail'." He Xiaofang, associate professor of the Department of Entomology of the Zihuan College of South China Agricultural University, said that the African snail can harm more than 500 plants, including crops, trees, fruit trees, vegetables, flowers, etc, It is the intermediate host of many human and animal parasites and pathogens, especially the transmission of tuberculosis and eosinophilic meningitis, and has been included in the List of the First Batch of Alien Invasive Species in China. They usually like to hide in wet places, and they often haunt in ditches and flower beds. They are most active when they are wet after rain.
African giant snail has the characteristics of hermaphroditism, and its reproduction ability is amazing. Every year, an adult African snail can lay hundreds or even thousands of eggs, far exceeding the fecundity of native snails. This amazing reproduction ability allows them to quickly take advantage in the new ecological environment, causing serious damage to the local ecosystem.
Keep away from carrying germs
Many "foodies" see big snails and think they have more meat, so they want to try them. However, the experts emphasized that "African snails, you'd better not be greedy."
"Snails (snails) are edible, but African giant snails and many snails (snails) are the intermediate hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, and taking health risks to satisfy their cravings is not worth the loss." He Xiaofang said that if you want to taste delicious food, you should buy white jade snails, an albino species specially bred for African giant snails, through formal ways to taste mature food.
The African giant snail has a big body, which is several times larger than our common native snail. Its living environment is complex. It often accompanies various rodents and mosquitoes. It also eats rat feces and carries a variety of bacteria and viruses. Once touched, it is easy to be infected, which may cause swelling, itching, rash, etc., or virus and bacteria invasion into the body, causing more serious symptoms. The mucus it left behind when crawling may also carry pathogens. If it crawls over fruits, vegetables, etc., it may be indirectly transmitted to humans.
"If you encounter African snails on the road, you should wash them in time if you accidentally touch them." He Xiaofang reminded that you should also wash vegetables and fruits carefully to avoid infection.
Edited by: Wu Jiahong