French fear invasive flatworm could take escargot off menu forever

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/04/french-fear-invasive-flatworm-could-take-escargot-off-menu-forever/



French fear invasive flatworm could take escargot off menu forever
By Agence France-Presse
Tuesday, March 4, 2014 9:37 EST

Snails, one of France’s signature dishes, could be off the menu if the country fails to stem an invasion by a slimy worm from Southeast Asia, scientists warned on Tuesday.

The warning is being sounded over a voracious species called the New Guinea flatworm.

It is already on a list of the 100 most dangerous invasive species in the world as it has a relentless appetite for native snails and earthworms in places where it has been introduced.

Workers at a botanical gardens in Caen, Normandy, called in scientific help after they spotted a strange, dark, flat-as-a-pancake worm among their greenhouse plants.