My favourite snail species
My current favourite snail, Euglandina rosea:Euglandina rosea, common names the "rosy wolfsnail" or the "cannibal snail", is a species of medium-sized to large predatory air-breathing land snail, a carnivorous terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Oleacinidae.
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This species is native to tropical North America. It has become an invasive species in many other places, including Hawaii.
These predatory snails were originally introduced to Hawaii in an attempt to eliminate another invasive species, the giant African land snail. However, they introduced species also vigorously attacked the indigenous O`ahu tree snails. As a result many tree snail species were hunted to extinction within the first year. These predatory snails continue to represent a threat to the local snail fauna.
And it is not just in Hawaii, where the story of the African land snail, the rosy wolfy and local species getting buggered has happened. Take the case of the genus of snails, Partula, from society islands:The partulids in Tahiti have earned a notorious reputation as a "poster child" of the effect of biological control gone awry when, after an infestation of giant African land snails (Achatina spp.), the carnivorous Florida rosy wolfsnail (Euglandina rosea) was introduced to combat the African species.
The wolfsnail chose instead the nearly 76 species of Partula endemic to Tahiti, devouring all but about 5 species in a decade. Several scientists recognized what was going on and saved several species prior to their becoming extinct.
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This species is native to tropical North America. It has become an invasive species in many other places, including Hawaii.
These predatory snails were originally introduced to Hawaii in an attempt to eliminate another invasive species, the giant African land snail. However, they introduced species also vigorously attacked the indigenous O`ahu tree snails. As a result many tree snail species were hunted to extinction within the first year. These predatory snails continue to represent a threat to the local snail fauna.
And it is not just in Hawaii, where the story of the African land snail, the rosy wolfy and local species getting buggered has happened. Take the case of the genus of snails, Partula, from society islands:The partulids in Tahiti have earned a notorious reputation as a "poster child" of the effect of biological control gone awry when, after an infestation of giant African land snails (Achatina spp.), the carnivorous Florida rosy wolfsnail (Euglandina rosea) was introduced to combat the African species.
The wolfsnail chose instead the nearly 76 species of Partula endemic to Tahiti, devouring all but about 5 species in a decade. Several scientists recognized what was going on and saved several species prior to their becoming extinct.