Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Partula otaheitana (Partula otaheitana), recorded as Endangered
Partula otaheitana (Partula otaheitana). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Partula otaheitana

Partula otaheitana

Partula otaheitana is a tree snail in the family Partulidae (order Stylommatophora), recorded as Endangered.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Partula otaheitana
Taxonomy
Gastropoda · Stylommatophora · Partulidae · Partula

The tree snail

Partula tree snails live on Pacific islands. A live animal is a few centimetres of shell on a leaf; a lost island population is usually gone for good.

Partulid tree snails are Pacific island endemics. Predatory rosy wolfsnails, introduced to control other snails, emptied island after island.

Range and habitat

This species is endemic to the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, where it was formerly widely found in the valleys but is now restricted to the highest altitudes.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Diet

Partula snails graze micro-algae and fungi on leaves at night. They do not recover once a predator snail is established on the island.

Snails move on a single foot and feed with a rasping tongue. Island and spring species rarely recolonise once the site is emptied.

In crisis

The rosy wolfsnail and habitat clearing are the documented wrecking ball for Partula on Pacific islands.

Partula otaheitana is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Partula otaheitana — often a short stub, Wikidata item Q781724. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Partula affinis (Partula affinis), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Partula affinis

Partula affinis
Photograph of Partula arguta (Partula arguta), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Partula arguta

Partula arguta
Photograph of Partula clara (Partula clara), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Partula clara

Partula clara
Photograph of Crampton's Partula Tree Snail (Partula cramptoni), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Crampton's Partula Tree Snail

Partula cramptoni

Quick answers

What is Partula otaheitana?
Partula otaheitana is a tree snail in the family Partulidae (order Stylommatophora).
What is the conservation status of Partula otaheitana?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Partula otaheitana. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Partula otaheitana live?
This species is endemic to the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, where it was formerly widely found in the valleys but is now restricted to the highest altitudes.
Why is Partula otaheitana in crisis?
The rosy wolfsnail and habitat clearing are the documented wrecking ball for Partula on Pacific islands.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Partula otaheitana?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Partula otaheitana a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.