Partula suturalis

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Partula suturalis

Extinct in the Wild  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Partulidae
Genus: Partula
Species:
P. suturalis
Binomial name
Partula suturalis
Pfeiffer, 1855

Partula suturalis,

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species,[1] but has been moved to extinct in the wild since 2009.[1]
This error was the result of changing taxonomy (the subspecies were previously considered to be separate species).

Subspecies

Extinction in the Wild

Partula suturalis was extirpated due to the introduction of the carnivorous land snail Euglandina rosea (the rosy wolfsnail). In 1977, biologists deliberately released the rosy wolfsnail onto Moorea Island in an effort to control a previously introduced invasive species, the giant African land snail, Lissachatina fulica. This release coincided with additional releases of rosy wolfsnails on Tahiti and other Society Islands in the 1980s and 1990s. The release of rosy wolfsnails on Moorea island resulted in the extirpation of all 9 of the Moorean partula species including Partula suturalis. [3] By 1987, there were no remaining populations of Partula suturalis in the wild. [4]

Interventions before extinction created captive populations of two of the four subspecies in international zoos and universities. The Partulid Global Species Management Programme manages the global captive population.

Reintroduction Efforts

Reintroduction of Moorean partula snails, including Partula suturalis, was attempted in 1994. However, the field reserve created on Moorea island struggled with repeated predator incursions and was shut down in 1998. The experiment was successful in validating that individuals bred in captivity were capable of reproducing in the wild.[5] Continued reintroduction efforts will be challenged by the continued spread of the invasive rosy wolfsnail.

References

External links

moorean-viviparous-tree-snail/partula-suturalis Moorean viviparous tree snail (Partula suturalis) media from ARKive Edit this at Wikidata