An invasive snail spotted six years ago near Shawano has been found in a non-connected stream to the north. The D-N-R said faucet snails were confirmed in Elton Creek in Langlade County, near the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The snails hold parasites that can kill waterfowl like coots and scaup. They do not hurt most other wildlife. An estimated 120-thousand birds have died in the Upper Mississippi River region since 2002. The D-N-R's Bob Wakeman tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that fishing gear or the trout-fishing waders may have caused the snails to appear in Elton Creek. Boats and other waterfowl may have also spread them.
Add new comment