Perceptions and awareness of invasive species in the Brazilian Federal District: implications for controlling the giant African snail (Lissachatina fulica)

Pati&#241;o-Montoya, Angie; Marins, Gabriel; Nomiyama, Thiago Silvestre; Tidon, Rosana

doi:10.3897/neobiota.103.156013

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Article: Perceptions and awareness of invasive species in the Brazilian Federal District: implications for controlling the giant African snail (Lissachatina fulica)

Title

Perceptions and awareness of invasive species in the Brazilian Federal District: implications for controlling the giant African snail (Lissachatina fulica)

By

Patiño-Montoya, Angie
Marins, Gabriel
Nomiyama, Thiago Silvestre
Tidon, Rosana

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-11-4

Original Publication

NeoBiota : advancing research on alien species and biological invasions

Volume

103

Pages

325--337

Subjects

Biological invasions , Community Engagement , Environmental education , Exotic species , invasive species management , policy implications , public perception , sociodemographic factors

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sophia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.103.156013

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License Type URL: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/
Rights: https://biodiversitylibrary.org/permissions
Copyright Status: In copyright. Digitized with the permission of the rights holder.
Rights Holder: Copyright held by individual article author(s).

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expand Abstract

The giant African snail ( Lissachatina fulica ) is among the world’s most damaging invasive species, threatening biodiversity, agriculture, and public health. Effective management requires understanding public perceptions, awareness, and engagement, yet sociodemographic drivers of these remain understudied. Here, we evaluate how education, age, and awareness influence attitudes toward L. fulica and its management in the Brazilian Federal District. Using structured questionnaires from 613 respondents, we assessed: (1) sociodemographic correlates of perceived knowledge on invasive species, (2) public perceptions and attitudes of invasive species in general and specifically towards L. fulica , and (3) evaluation of trust in governmental communication and management efforts. Older and more educated individuals exhibited significantly greater awareness of invasive species and L. fulica specifically. However, while higher awareness predicted more negative perceptions of the snail, it did not correlate with proactive control behaviors. Public satisfaction with government management efforts was strongly tied to self-reported knowledge of the snail’s impacts, highlighting a gap between awareness and actionable responses. Our results underscore the need for targeted outreach programs prioritizing younger and less-educated demographics. We propose that generalized education on biological invasions can bolster the success of species-specific campaigns. These insights are critical for designing inclusive policies that enhance community participation in L. fulica management, offering a model for engagement in regions facing similar invasion challenges.