New York City has rats. Florida has snails.
An invasive species called the giant African land snail has been steadily taking over South Florida's Miami-Dade County ever since one was first spotted in September 2011.
The snail can grow to be the size of the rat, and is particularly annoying because it eats all kinds of plants, as well as building materials like plaster and stucco, and can carry a parasite that leads to meningitis in humans.
The giant African snail is one of the largest snails in the world.
Snails are typically only a few inches long, but this one can grow up to 8 inches long and 4 inches wide, or to about the size of a rat.
The Florida Department of Agriculture considers the giant snail to be one of the most damaging snails in the world for several reasons.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider