Partula taeniata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Partula taeniata |
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The Partula taeniata is a special type of snail often called the Moorean tree snail. It's a land snail, meaning it lives on land, not in water. This snail is a gastropod, which is a group of animals that includes snails and slugs. It belongs to the Partulidae family.
A unique thing about this snail is that it's viviparous. This means it gives birth to live young, instead of laying eggs like many other snails. The Partula taeniata is only found in one place: French Polynesia, a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. When an animal or plant is found only in one specific place, it's called endemic.
For a while, people thought this snail had completely disappeared from the wild. But recently, scientists searched very carefully and found some groups of these snails still living in their natural homes!
Why is the Moorean Snail Endangered?
The Partula taeniata snail is in big trouble. It's currently listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This means it's at a very high risk of disappearing forever from our planet. This listing was made in 2013.
There was some confusion about its status before. In 2007, it was mistakenly listed as completely extinct. Then, in 2009, it was listed as Extinct in the wild. However, some of its different types, called subspecies, were still alive. Two subspecies were living in zoos, and one was even found in the wild. This mix-up happened partly because scientists sometimes change how they classify animals, which is called taxonomy.
How Scientists are Helping
Scientists are working hard to save these snails. For example, in 2010, a special type of Partula taeniata called simulans was moved to the Edinburgh Zoo. This single snail helped start a new group. Now, there are hundreds of these snails living safely in captivity at the zoo. This helps protect them from dangers in the wild.
Different Types of Moorean Snails
Just like there are different breeds of dogs, there are different types of Partula taeniata snails. These are called subspecies. Here are some of the subspecies, though this list might not be the most recent:
- Partula taeniata taeniata Mörch, 1850: This type is sadly extinct.
- Partula taeniata elongata Pease, 1866: This type was thought to be extinct in the wild, but it was rediscovered in 2003!
- Partula taeniata nucleola “Pease” Schmeltz, 1874: This type is extinct in the wild.
- Partula taeniata simulans Pease, 1866: This type is also extinct in the wild, but as mentioned, some are being cared for in zoos.
