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George, Reclusive Hawaiian Snail And Last Of His Kind, Dies At 14

George, the last known Achatinella apexfulva, a Hawaiian land snail, died on New Year's Day. David Sischo/Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources hide caption

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David Sischo/Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Animals

George, Reclusive Hawaiian Snail And Last Of His Kind, Dies At 14

While he was but one very lonely Achatinella apexfulva, his death takes place amid a crisis for Hawaii's native snails, whose populations have been decimated by invasive species.

For This Vineyard, It's Duck, Duck, Booze

Indian runner ducks have been used in Asia for thousands of years to control pests. Now they're used in a South African vineyard to eat snails that damage the vines. Sarah Birnbaum for NPR hide caption

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Sarah Birnbaum for NPR

Parallels

For This Vineyard, It's Duck, Duck, Booze

You've heard about the running of the bulls — how about the running of the birds? Each morning, hundreds of ducks are released to patrol a Cape Town vineyard.

For This Vineyard, It's Duck, Duck, Booze

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Florida's Hunt For Giant Snails Leads To 'Smelly Easter Eggs'

Giant African land snails, like this one found in Florida in 2011, eat almost any plant. Florida officials are determined to eradicate the invasive pest. Andrew Derksen/Florida Department of Agriculture/Reuters/Landov hide caption

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Andrew Derksen/Florida Department of Agriculture/Reuters/Landov

Animals

Florida's Hunt For Giant Snails Leads To 'Smelly Easter Eggs'

The state has so far spent $6 million trying to eradicate the giant African land snail, an invasive species that devours gardens, carries disease and leaves behind a trail of foul-smelling mucus.

Florida's Hunt For Giant Snails Leads To 'Smelly Easter Eggs'

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Save The Escargot! Snail-Devouring Predator Rears Its Head In France

A specimen of Platydemus manokwari collected in a greenhouse at Caen in Normandy. You can see its white pharynx protruding from the underside, ingesting soft tissues of a specimen of the Mediterranean snail. Pierre Gros/PeerJ hide caption

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Pierre Gros/PeerJ

The Salt

Save The Escargot! Snail-Devouring Predator Rears Its Head In France

The New Guinea flatworm is a vicious little thing with an appetite for snails. Its discovery in Normandy has raised concerns about the fate of Europe's snails — and France's famed mollusk appetizer.

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