Tiny Snails with Big Problems

The Partula Snail (partula faba) is a 20mm (0.75in) long,  herbivorous snail endemic to the South Pacific. Known commonly as a type of Polynesian tree snail, they spend most of their lives foraging for  decaying plant matter between the Philippines and Marquesas Islands... or at least they used to. These tiny snails are facing some big problems.

During the in the first half of the 20th century, in an effort to help feel the local populations, African land snails were introduced to the region as an alternative source of food. Nature does not like to stay in locked up and some of these snails escaped and began eating crops. In 1974 predatory snails were released in an effort to control the population of the first problem species anthropologically introduced. While some of their target snails were, in fact controlled, it was the Polynesians Tree snails, such as the Partula, that suffered the greatest losses. Many tree snails are highly engendered and most are now extinct. In fact the only place the Partula species is still alive today is at the Bristol Zoo.

The Bristol Zoo currently houses five species of Polynesian tree snail, four of which are extinct in the wild. Back in April of 2010 staff and scientists in the zoo's Bugworld welcomed a new generation of the Partula Snail, a species only be found at this zoo! Although globally its numbers are under 100, thanks to the efforts of at the Bristol Zoo, the population is making an amazing come back... though at a snails pace.


To see more pictures of the tiny treasures (because small things are generally pretty cute) and read more about the plight of the tree snails visit the website for the Bristol Zoo and Zooborns.com.


Pictures of the Baby Snails!

Link to the Bristol Zoo



Melissa Bruns

Radulove