A snail found on the Alabaha River in Pierce County last month has been identified as a channeled apple snail, a species native to South America. The specimen is the first of its kind discovered in the state according to biologists from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).

The snails feed heavily on a variety of aquatic plants, which many native species rely on for foraging and shelter. The specimen was found downstream from the Highway 84 bridge over the Alabaha in Blackshear, Ga., raising some speculation that it may have been a pet that was dumped out of an aquarium. The snail was collected by a local resident and given to a WRD law enforcement officer, who forwarded it to WRD biologists in the Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Section for identification.

“This discovery is one of particular interest because of the invasive nature of the species,” said Jon Ambrose, assistant chief of the WRD Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Section. “Because of the array of problems that can arise from releasing non-native species into Georgia’s waters, we want to stress that this is not a responsible practice for pet owners.”

Channeled apple snails have been found in the wild in at least nine Florida counties, including Leon County on the Georgia-Florida state line. Breeding populations of the channeled apple snail also exist in Texas, California and Hawaii. Biologists hope Georgia’s slightly colder winters will keep the South American species from proliferating in the state.

Shells of channeled apple snails can reach a width of more than two inches and a height of three inches, and are yellowish to brown in color.

WRD Fisheries Biologist Ted Hendrickx said conservation agencies nationwide are working to stop the spread of non-native aquatic plants and animals, citing concerns about the potentially harmful impact to native species.

“It is amazing how many people still just dump out their aquatic pets and plants,” said Hendrickx, the aquatic nuisance species coordinator for WRD. “The wrong organism in the wrong place could eat native species or plants that provide critical habitat, which can have serious impacts on an entire aquatic community.”

Non-native or nuisance species can also be spread by anglers releasing live bait into the water. For more information about aquatic nuisance species, visit www.protectyourwaters.net,  www.gofishgeorgia.com, or call WRD at (770) 918-6400.

Additional information on identifying apple snails is available at www.applesnail.net.  Georgia residents who believe they have observed a channeled apple snail are asked to photograph it and report its location to WRD.

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