Fushou snail (left) vs. Field snail (right), the difference is obvious
The big man on the left is Fushou Snail; On the right, there is the local field snail.
Photo taken on August 7, 2022, members of the Biological Control Working Group of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the China Green Development Society) and Volunteers of the Green Society were on a fieldwork of fushou snail (Golden apple snail, Latin scientific name Pomacea canaliculata) in the countryside of a province.
Hondo Paddy
The snail in the picture above is a native field snail. Field snail refers to the mollusk of the field snail family, belonging to the family Gastropodidae of the family Gastropodidae. Field snails are found in most parts of China.
According to local people, in the past, before the Fushou snail came, the dams, ponds and fields in the local countryside used to be full of field snails. Field snails, which are also a favorite dish of local farmers, go out with buckets to catch snails, and it won't be long before half a bucket comes back.
In recent years, when Fushou snails settled in the local area at some point, farmers gradually found that the fields and streams were full of Fushou snails. Conversely, local snails are now hard to find.
Local snail (left) vs. Fushou snail (right) difference comparison
As one of the first 16 invasive alien species to invade the mainland, Fushou snail has a wide range of food habits and a large amount of reproduction. How did they kill the local snails step by step? This is a question worth pondering. Globally, after some highly fertile alien species arrive in new environments, due to the lack of control of natural predators for a period of time, coupled with their reproduction rate is too fast, it is easier to rob other organisms of living space, resulting in ecological imbalances and the reduction of other native species.
In fact, human beings are also an effective link in the food chain - if it can be coupled with effective control and resource utilization; Especially in the context of the market economy, we can consider using the power of market demand to reduce the base number by collecting and using Fushou snails, and at the same time harvesting high protein (such as eating under the premise of safety, and as breeding feed, etc.), it also helps to protect the ecological balance.
(This article is an essay on the investigation work)
Text | Wendy
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