Tree Snail (Partula)

Tree Snails are air-breathing arboreal mollusks. Once threatened by a biological control mishap, these snails narrowly escaped total extinction. The target was the invasive Giant African Land Dnail, but unfortunately, the introduced predator, the Florida Rosy Wolfsnail, preyed on the native Tree Snails instead.

Nearly 64 species of Tree Snails from Tahiti and its islands fell prey to this predator within ten years. Only a dozen species survived. These survivors were protected by quick-reacting scientists before they met a similar fate.

Today, programs work tirelessly to rescue these snails from the edge of extinction. For instance, the Zoological Society of London runs a successful captive-breeding initiative across the UK, France, and the US. Since 2014, they have reintroduced healthy, bred individuals back to Tahiti.

Sadly, the IUCN Red List notes numerous Tree Snail species as critically endangered. As of writing, there are 13 critically endangered, 13 extinct in the wild, and 32 extinct Partula species.