floridensis
beneath the spanish moss with janson jones
Pomacea maculata, 22 March 2015
Pomacea maculata, the Island apple snail;
Collier county, Florida (22 March 2015).
By the early 1990s or so, the Island apple snail, a species native to South America, gained traction in south Florida. It was most likely introduced via people dumping their aquarium contents into Florida’s freshwater systems. Since the 90s, this fairly massive, herbivorous species has steadily made its way north through the peninsula. It is considered to be one of the most invasive species on the planet. Photographed here is the remnant shell of one such Island apple snail.
floridensis 