HELENA, Mont. (NMB) – The Montana Invasive Species Council (MISC) has issued recommendations to guide necessary research and management efforts for the Eastern heath snail (EHS), a terrestrial invasive snail with established populations in Montana.
The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) first discovered a population of the Eastern heath snail in July 2012 near Belt.
Since that time, MDA has worked with landowners and stakeholders in and around Belt to monitor and suppress the population and to detect and respond to new populations. Since their initial introduction, satellite populations have been discovered in Monarch, Great Falls, and in the Highwood areas.
Invasive terrestrial snails have invaded a variety of habitats around the world and have the ability to damage native plants, agricultural crops, contaminate agricultural exports and potentially transmit parasites to livestock, wildlife, and people. MISC partnered with MDA as well as the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), and the Montana State University (MSU) to enlist assistance from the scientific community by forming a science advisory panel.
In December 2020, MISC convened panelists comprised of gastropod managers, scientists, and researchers to review the state of science about the basic biology of the EHS and identify gaps in knowledge. The panel identified key challenges associated with containing and managing the EHS and approaches to address those challenges; they provided next steps to be taken by researchers, regulators, and managers regarding the containment and management of the EHS.
Key challenges and recommendations can be found at misc.mt.gov.
Information from MISC
