read moreIt’s just a few millimeters long, but this snail is a big deal
to zoologists. The microjewel snails, as they have been informally
dubbed, have only recently been discovered living on limestone hills in
Malaysia, Sumatra, and Thailand. Usually, discovering a new species
would be cause for celebration, but in this case it’s a bit of a
bummer. These unique little critters are on the verge of extinction, and
there’s probably very little that can be done about it.The 31 species of snail in the newly-described genus Plectostoma were previously thought to be a members of a different subgenus. Researchers from Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, the Netherlands found otherwise after carefully examining morphological and environmental features.
These creatures have very unusual millimeter-scale shells that sport a series of semi-reflective irregular curves. This is what gives them the jewel like appearance. Not only does it look cool, scientists can’t figure out how these gastropods are growing them — no other snails have shells like them.
There’s not much time to unravel this tiny mystery, though. The microjewel snails aren’t just fond of limestone hills in southeast Asia, it’s their only habitat. Some of the new species can only be found in a single location– just one limestone hill in all the world. Unfortunately for the snails, limestone is an ingredient in cement, and these hills are fast
being dug up. Ten of the 31 Plectostoma species described in the paper are already threatened, and at least one has already gone extinct.Researchers are unsure why these snails refuse to set up someplace else, but maybe they’ll be able to figure it out in time to do something about it. Is it possible to feel sorry for a snail? Maybe just this once.
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