A chance discovery last week has paired a Lafayette ecologist with a species of snail never before discovered in Lafayette.

A species that could become a threat for area rice farmers called the Island Apple Snail.

Lafayette Ecologist Jacoby Carter was studying nutria rats at Gerard Park when he stumbled upon something no one in Lafayette has seen before; pink egg sacks which turned into a number of Island Apple Snails indigenous to South America and a select few of the country's states. And where they're located someone had to have introduced them to the area.

While they look much like a typical snail their impact is much greater and dangerous. Not only to humans, if eaten, but to the ecosystems Gerard park gives them easy access to.

"That lake there dumps into the rest of the canal system and then later they can get from there and into the Bayou vermilion" says Carter

Which could turn into a major crop threat, the apple snail packs a powerful appetite, eating mainly leaves and rice crops, something the bayou vermilion has plenty of.

"When these snails first hatch they're so small they're barely even noticeable, but the concern is how much rice and leaves these things can eat" says Carter.

Carter took TV10 to the spot where he stumbled upon the snails. To kill whatever eggs were left from his previous visit.  A process intended to help control their population and prevent spreading.

What started as a simple discovery has turned into a whole new study, something Carter says he'll continue to do for the remainder of the year.

Researchers say to help control the population of the snail, if you're using them in home tanks, return them to the pet store or kill them after you're done... Also to notify the wetlands center if you see any in the wild.

Robert Burns