The golden apple snail Pomacea cana

The golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata was introduced from Florida and Latin American to Taiwan in the early 1980s to start an escargot industry. The snail’s fast breeding and adaptability, as well as its high protein content, made it an ideal dietary supplement. Consumers did not react as enthusiastically as snail farmers did, however, and though they were initially expensive, the market value of the snail soon plummeted. Additionally, it was discovered that the golden apple snail was just as likely as the native apple snail to transfer the rat lungworm parasite, which can infect humans and is passed through undercooked snail meat. As the market disappeared, snails were readily discarded and released into the wild. These snails soon spread to rice fields, entering through waterways and irrigation canals.