MAYFLOWER, Ark. — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) wants you to be on the lookout for an invasive snail species.
Giant Apple Snails were recently spotted in live crawfish shipments in Arkansas, and officials need your help stopping them from spreading.
Although they've yet to be found in the wild, AGFC said they're still concerned.
"If they are to escape into the wild, they could establish and cause serious environmental and economic harm here in our state," AFGC Aquatic Nuisance Species Program Coordinator Matt Horton said.
Horton said it's not common to find them in crawfish shipments.
"This is the first time that apple snails have been documented in live crawfish shipments," Horton said.
Additionally, he said they can harm more than just the environment.
"Apple snails are also known to carry a parasite called rat lungworm, which can infect humans through the consumption of raw or uncooked snail meat or contaminated produce," Horton said.
You can usually tell they're apple snails if they're bigger than a quarter. They can also be found on shorelines and aquatic vegetation in ditches, ponds, lakes, rivers, or streams.
"We just want everybody to inspect all bags of crawfish that come in for snails, plant material, or other organisms, particularly right now the giant Apple snails," Horton said.
If you come across an apple snail, he encourages you to take a picture, immediately report it to game and fish and dispose of it correctly.
"The best way to do that is to double-bag it in a garbage bag," Horton said. "Tie or tape the bag close to seal it. Make sure that they can't escape. If possible, place the bag in the freezer for 24 hours to ensure the snails are euthanized, and then dispose of the sealed bag and a trash receptacle."
Horton said they could also impact our state's rice industry.
If found in crawfish, click here for the AGFC's apple snail report form. On the same page, people can find the form to report them in the wild.