Mystery snails turn up in Flathead Lake

Dumping aquarium pets into local waters can negatively affect the ecosystem — and the consequences don’t always come at a snail’s pace.

Flathead Lake is now home to mystery snails, a common house pet and invasive species, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. It is the first detection in Montana, but they are common in other states, thanks to aquarium dumping.

“Statewide and nationally, this is something we are trying to get the public to realize: It's never OK to dump a pet. In this case, you dumped a species that is not desirable, that we may never get rid of,” said Tom Woolf, aquatic invasive species bureau chief at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.