At 03:46 AM 1/27/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Good point Mr. Rosenberg. At the bottom of the web-page is a disclaimer
>stating that the little critters are illegal to own as a pet in the U.S.. I
>didn't see anything about a permit but will take your word for it. I
>remember a HSN article about the problem with African land snails in
>Florida some years back. Eradication programs must have worked. To bad we
>can't combat other non-indigenous invaders the same way. Ferral cats in San
>Francisco are killing off shore birds at an alarming rate. Mark
>
>
>
>At 03:09 PM 1/27/98 -0500, you wrote:
>>>(It's illegal to own live Achatina without a permit from
>>>the United States Department of Agriculture)
>>
>>Correction, it's illegal to own live Achatina in the United States, except
>>Hawaii, where they are established.
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Gary Rosenberg, Ph.D.                     [log in to unmask]
>>Malacology & Invertebrate Paleontology    gopher://erato.acnatsci.org
>>Academy of Natural Sciences               http://www.acnatsci.org
>>1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway            Phone 215-299-1033
>>Philadelphia, PA 19103-1195 USA           Fax   215-299-1170
>>
>>
When I was stationed on Okinawa from 1974 to 1978, we had recovered about
$50,000,000 in useable assets from Viet Nam.  We convinced Department of the
Army that it would be good economics to return this property to Stateside
depots, where potential users could acquire same by paying second
destination transportation costs.  The trouble began when Department of
Agriculture inspectors discovered a dead - I repeat dead, Achatina fulica in
a large container.  Since this pest is all over Okinawa, having been
imported for use as food in the 30's or 40's, Agriculture became very
concerned about importation of this snail into the US, particularly after
the Florida debacle with the same animal.  As a result of this dead
specimen, we were required to perform a 24 hour fumigation with methyl
bromide of all the property being shipped. Envision a stack of stuff 30 ft
wide and 200 ft long covered with black plastic sandbagged around the edges
to insure a seal, then multiply that stack by the hundreds, you can get some
idea of the fear of this snail.  They are voracious and prolific.  I could
walk into my yard with a salt box and kill a hundred every day (sorry about
my killer instincts for those who only collect dead snails).  Two large
Achatinas could decimate a large papaya bush overnight.  I guess I'm overly
windy but thought a first hand account of my encounter might be of interest.
 
Horatio