Apple Snail in Orange County

I received a call last week about pink eggs along the water's edge in the median near I Interstate 10 and Highway 62 in Orange Texas. The identification of this pink mass was eggs produced by an invasive species, the Apple Snail. I was unaware of their presence in our county and began to research. I contacted Texas Parks and Wildlife and spoke to Monica McGarrity, Senior Scientist for Aquatic Invasive Species.

She informed me they had seen the spread of this invasive species in Texas, likely through the past floodings from Harvey and Imelda. In 2020, the first records of apple snails in Orange County were recorded in Smith Lake in Vidor, and in a drainage ditch near 62 and Interstate 10. Other reports in 2021 and 2022 were in a canal near Bridge City and Ten-mile Bayou in the Beaumont area. (USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database)

Invasive species negatively affect the natural ecosystem. Apple snails eat a heavy amount of aquatic vegetation. Aquatic vegetation keeps soil in place to prevent erosion and filter the water.  They may affect rice production in other countries. In Texas, they have increased the cost of farmers' levee maintenance due to their burrowing. (TexasInvasives.org) They have also been known to increase costs in Texas for some crayfish farmers to remove the snails from their harvest.

Apple snails, originally from South America, can grow up to 6 inches in length. Snails can lay up to 500-700 eggs per clutch. (TexasInvasives.org) Their eggs have a very distinctive color, a bright pink when recently laid and a paler pink later in development.  To help manage population growth it is encouraged to destroy the eggs. The best method is to compress the egg with a stick or canoe paddle until all the eggs break. Discarding the clutch in water will not guarantee the eggs will not hatch.

Because the eggs do contain a toxin that may be harmful, it is recommended to wash your hands before eating if the eggs are touched. Apple Snails have been known to carry the rat Lungworm parasite, which causes meningitis-like symptoms. Although it has not been reported in apple snails in Texas it has been found in other invertebrate species and in these snails in Louisiana. It is also recommended to wear gloves when handling the adult snails and use thorough hand washing before eating.

For more information about apple snails in Texas, or if you would like to report a new sighting go to https://www.texasinvasives.org/; a picture and GPS coordinates from your smartphone are requested when making a report.