This bothered me so much I just wrote a letter to the editor.
It is as follows.
"On your news story, Fist-sized snails invade Terrebonne, 04:21 PM CDT on Wednesday, April 23, 2008, by Nikki Buskey / Houma Courier, I must disagree with the article on several accounts.
As a USDA licensed snail breeder, it should be known that the snail they are talking about is not the most common apple snail in aquarium shops. The most common is Pomacea bridgesii (spike-topped apple snail). This species comes in different colors from brown to albino or yellow and even blue, with or without banding. The body of these snails also shows great variation from black to yellow and gray. Another common apple snail is Pomacea canaliculata, this snail is bigger, rounder and is more likely to eat your plants, which makes it less suitable for most aquariums. These snails also come in different shell and body colors.
Without examination, the snails that are described are more than likely Pomacea canaliculata, which have been banned in most rice growing regions around the country along with other countries.
All I am saying is, there is a difference between the "Apple Snails", some good and some very bad for the ecology which the can not all be clumped into a single category.
More info on these snails can be found on the following link.
http://www.applesnail.net
Sincerely,
Dr. Randall E. Cook, Sr."
Any comments on which I am wrong would be appreciated.