NEWS RELEASE
May 9, 2025
TEMPE, Ariz. — Biologists from the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) teamed up with the Phoenix Zoo and its ZooTeens and Trailblazers programs to lead youth volunteers on a mission to remove invasive apple snails and learn how these “bad snails” impact local environments.
Jeff Sorensen, AZGFD’s invertebrate wildlife program manager — affectionately known as the department’s ‘snail guy’ — said Sunday’s event was a great success.
“About 20 volunteers removed 551 egg masses and 17 live apple snails from the Lo Piano Habitat Area canal near Tempe’s Papago Park,” Sorensen said. “It was a wonderful opportunity for these young volunteers to learn and contribute to the health of this habitat.”
AZGFD first recorded apple snails in Arizona in 2009. Likely released as unwanted aquarium pets, the snails quickly became a problem in some of the state’s waterways.
“A single female apple snail can produce thousands of eggs a year,” Sorensen said. “Unfortunately, most wildlife find them unpalatable, so without natural predators, their populations can explode.”
Because they face few predators and are highly adaptable to Arizona’s waters and climate, apple snails have a clear advantage over native species.
“Apple snails are able to outcompete — and even predate on — our native snails,” Sorensen said, “which are a key part of the food base for Arizona’s waterfowl, fish, and aquatic wildlife.”
The Phoenix Zoo, whose waters fortunately remain free of apple snails, recognizes the serious threat that these invaders pose to neighboring waterways and aquatic habitats across central and southern Arizona.
“This event was a great way for our ZooTeens and Trailblazers to engage with the community on an important issue,” said Nina Loughman, the Zoo’s Youth Engagement Manager. “It was a success not just in removing invasive snails, but also in providing a very impactful experience for the teens and their families.”
The public can help by never releasing unwanted pets into the wild — it’s illegal — and by knocking apple snail egg masses (which resemble pink bubble gum) into the water when spotted. It’s a simple action that helps stop the next generation of these invaders from taking over Arizona’s waters.
Watch this short video with AZGFD biologist Jeff Sorensen to learn more about the apple snail invasion.