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Thread: Deadly giant snail found in Houston

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    Moderator puzzld's Avatar
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    Deadly giant snail found in Houston



    http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...&lite=obinsite
    Residents of a Houston neighborhood are being warned to stay away from giant African land snails after a woman found one in her garden and snapped a photo of it.

    The snails, researchers warn, are potentially dangerous to touch, in part because they can carry meningitis. Scientists have warned anyone who comes in contact with them to wash their hands thoroughly.

    "They also carry a parasitic disease that can cause a lot of harm to humans and sometimes even death," Autumn Smith-Herron, director of the Institute for the Study of Invasive Species at Sam Houston State University, told NBC Houston affiliate KPRC.

    A woman gardening in the Briar Forest neighborhood of Houston found the snail and notified workers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center who deal with invasive plants. It is the first reported sighting of the mollusk in Texas, and no one seems to know how it got there.

    The giant snails can lay 100 eggs per month, and though only one has been found, it is believed more are in the area.

    Jack Fendrick, who lives near where the slimy giant was discovered, said he will do his part to warn of the potentially deadly snails.

    "I think most kids especially would look at a big snail and want to touch it," he said. "That's scary."

    Augh. My title got mangled.
    Last edited by puzzld; 05-08-2013 at 11:54 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    lol at Nestle being some vicious smiter, she's the nicest person on this site besides probably puzzld. Or at least the last person to resort to smiting.
    Quote Originally Posted by nestlequikie View Post
    Why on earth would I smite you when I can ban you?

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    Lionfish Whisperer PCP777's Avatar
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    Senior Member morbidT's Avatar
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    Is it just me or is it stupid to share a photo of someone holding the snail, with bare hands, to warn people not to handle these particular snails? Snap a pic with the snail on the ground or someone wearing a hazardous materials outfit with a radioactive placard in the background. But don't warn people about touching them and share a pic of someone touching it!


    Quote Originally Posted by blighted star View Post
    ..... it wasn't anything personal, she just mistook him for a serial killer......

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    Moderator puzzld's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by morbidT View Post
    Is it just me or is it stupid to share a photo of someone holding the snail, with bare hands, to warn people not to handle these particular snails? Snap a pic with the snail on the ground or someone wearing a hazardous materials outfit with a radioactive placard in the background. But don't warn people about touching them and share a pic of someone touching it!
    Sorry... the original story has a video, so I went and found a picture.
    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    lol at Nestle being some vicious smiter, she's the nicest person on this site besides probably puzzld. Or at least the last person to resort to smiting.
    Quote Originally Posted by nestlequikie View Post
    Why on earth would I smite you when I can ban you?

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    Senior Member morbidT's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by puzzld View Post
    Sorry... the original story has a video, so I went and found a picture.
    OH! I thought it was the pic the gardening lady took. LOL


    Quote Originally Posted by blighted star View Post
    ..... it wasn't anything personal, she just mistook him for a serial killer......

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    Senior Member AgathaAppleswine's Avatar
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    Those snails are awesome! I kind of want one.

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    Moderator nestlequikie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AgathaAppleswine View Post
    Those snails are awesome! I kind of want one.
    Guard snails!!!!
    I hope that when the world comes to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to. - Donnie Darko

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    Senior Member AgathaAppleswine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nestlequikie View Post
    Guard snails!!!!
    Yes!

    I guess I will need to buy a very large aquarium for them....

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    Moderator puzzld's Avatar
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    Yeah. If it wasn't for the whole disease and death thing... I'd want one too.
    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    lol at Nestle being some vicious smiter, she's the nicest person on this site besides probably puzzld. Or at least the last person to resort to smiting.
    Quote Originally Posted by nestlequikie View Post
    Why on earth would I smite you when I can ban you?

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Hah! Didn't I choose the right avatar this week! Our friendly local Jervis Bay sea hare (slightly smaller than a guineapig & sitting in my daughters hand)versus the Giant Snail of Horror. Can you imagine your garden if they all came out at once to enjoy the rain the way little snails do? It'd be so cool & freaky. I don't care about the terrible reputation, I WANT ONE. Shit, you could make a collar & lead for it!! Walkies/slidies would take a few months , but it would be totally worth it for the reaction of onlookers. I now have to add these guys to the list of pets I need to emigrate to own :

    Hamster
    Chinchilla
    Iguana
    Capybara
    Tarsier (bancanus not spectrum)
    Kangaroo (nope, not a joke, seriously illegal as pets here)
    Giant African Land Snail


    (the 4 little bumpy bits at the left side on Mr Blobby are his nostril tubes at the bottom & his ear tubes further up, 100 or so years ago someone decided the higher set looked like rabbit ears - hence the name sea-hare, they really look like small jelly hippo's though & are amazingly friendly, but will squirt magenta/beetroot ink when startled).
    Last edited by blighted star; 05-08-2013 at 06:26 PM.

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    Rational Republican Chauncy's Avatar
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    Would be fun to step on.

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    Senior Member Ruthven's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chauncy View Post
    Would be fun to step on.
    That's so mean but....

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Yeah, unless you were barefoot. A shell that size is probably going to slice you up as much as Mr Snaily. But of course, you meant with great big fucking boots I expect. It'd take a helluva long time to scrape off either way & I wouldn't trust something that size not to turn round & sink a set of teeth into my ankle. Which would make it all the more fun as a pet.

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    has supermodel tits neenerneener's Avatar
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    dafuq? NO. thats like some prehistoric shit right there. giant snails? DO NOT WANT.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ron_NYC
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    * wow you truly are the sterial cunt here are yo not.I fuckin hate you cunt* - Loonywop
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    has supermodel tits neenerneener's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ron_NYC
    I want to kiss your lips. Both sets.
    * wow you truly are the sterial cunt here are yo not.I fuckin hate you cunt* - Loonywop
    ★ take the sig down ★ - Loonywop

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    Senior Member marshmallow's Avatar
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    you'd need a big old bowl of beer to kill that thing, that's a waste of perfectly good beer
    Marshmallow here is the one I liken to Ed Gein... Originally Posted by Heartbroken1


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    Senior Member AgathaAppleswine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blighted star View Post
    Hah! Didn't I choose the right avatar this week! Our friendly local Jervis Bay sea hare (slightly smaller than a guineapig & sitting in my daughters hand)versus the Giant Snail of Horror. Can you imagine your garden if they all came out at once to enjoy the rain the way little snails do? It'd be so cool & freaky. I don't care about the terrible reputation, I WANT ONE. Shit, you could make a collar & lead for it!! Walkies/slidies would take a few months , but it would be totally worth it for the reaction of onlookers.
    The neighbors would complain if it got loose and ate a tree of theirs.

    Definitely want one. As for the whole disease and death thing, one word: Gloves

    Oh, and what is Mr. Blobby? The picture is so little I'm having a hard time figuring him out.

  18. #18
    Senior Member of_corpse_not's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by neenerneener View Post
    AGREE. ugggh ew ew do not want.

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    Lionfish Whisperer PCP777's Avatar
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    Senior Member SuchAClassicGirl's Avatar
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    Second the salt!

    And it's weird enough someone's holding that slug on their bare hand but is she feeding it a fucking Granny Smith?

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    fun hater Shins's Avatar
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    Deadly snail!? LET'S TOUCH IT!



    On another note, Nom Nom Nom....

    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    Listen, if no one cares when a crazy noodle walks in and executes children with a gun, no one cares about anything.

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    Senior Member mialynneb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chauncy View Post
    Would be fun to step on.
    I stepped on a slug barefoot. It was like a weird hard egg/dog deuce. No bueno.

    Quote Originally Posted by Chauncy View Post
    Huh? you're a woman?

  23. #23
    fun hater Shins's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mialynneb View Post
    I stepped on a slug barefoot. It was like a weird hard egg/dog deuce. No bueno.
    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    Listen, if no one cares when a crazy noodle walks in and executes children with a gun, no one cares about anything.

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    I just read about this snail two days ago. They are in Florida (Miami) and puncture tires with their shells. So omg, wear shoes so you have a little bit of a buffer.
    Btw, I read a year ago that two random capybaras were found in the US at a waste treatment plant. I forget the state, but probably CA. No one sounded like that was odd, rainforest rodents in US at sewage site. They, I believe, were taken as pets. Freaking awesome.

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    Senior Member SuchAClassicGirl's Avatar
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    Capybaras are cool!

    I still say she's feeding that slug an apple

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