BUFORD, Ga. — A menace on the shores of lakes across Georgia, there's a new invasive species that could have devastating consequences.
A slow sunrise over Lake Lanier shines serenity with all of the animals rising under it. Creeping out of the calm - a new threat it rising.
"They are tenacious," said Department of Natural Resources Aquatic Biologist Matthew Rowe. "I admire they're tenacity, they're really tough."
Rowe leads the search with admiration, and a warning, for the newest invasive species oozing into Georgia: the Chinese mystery snail.
"They aren't a mystery, we know what they are," Rowe explained. "that's just their common name."
The mystery snail was imported to from Asia in the late 1800s, but just popped up in Georgia waters this summer. Since then, the population has exploded.
DNR collecting hundreds of snails from Lakes Lanier, Allatoona, Oconee, and Jackson.
"We are trying to figure out how many there are. We are trying to figure out how widely distributed they are," Rowe said.
He said if one finds a snail at a Georgia lake, don't pick it up. He said the best thing to do is snap a picture and then send it to the DNR with the location so a team can look into the report. Rowe warns that people should not touch these snails.
"These mystery snails can grow very abundant, and those abundancies can harbor high numbers of parasites, which can be transmitted to other aquatic life, birds, mammals, even humans," he said.
Take a look at the size difference between a mystery snail and average snail. Click through the photos below for more snapshots of the invasive species. Scroll past to continue the story.
Invasive snails in Georgia lakes
Those parasites pose a problem for people.
"One of them is a nematode called rat lung worm," Rowe explained. "It has a very unpleasant name. It's not a great parasite to get either."
While people get the parasite from consuming or handling the mystery snail, it can cause problems just being in the water: damaging boating equipment, creating a fish kill, or impacting tourism.
Rowe said people may have released their pets, used the snails in a prayer service, or put them in the lake as a food source.
"It's impossible for us to know that unless someone fesses up," said Rowe.
It's a mystery that DNR can't solve.
"They're very likely never going to go away. But hopefully they don't explode in to a really dense population. Because that's when most of the problems occur," said Rowe.
DNR just declared the mystery snails restricted in Georgia, so it is now illegal to possess them.
The scientists at DNR don't know what type of parasites the mystery snails have yet. The agency is sending samples to an expert in Middle Georgia who will test them this fall.
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What to do if you see a Chinese mystery snail in Georgia
Georgia DNR offers some guidance on how to report pesky aquatic species. Here's how to handle an encounter.
Stop the snails' spread
- Don't pick up the snail with your hands
- Avoid relocating it; don't push it with an object or touch it with a covering
- If your skin came in contact, wash that area
How to report it
- Take several photos
- Click the DNR's Report Invasive Species Link
- Fill out the form and include your contact the information
- You can also call your local fisheries to report it
