Painted snails

 

Painted snails

Cuban painted snail (Polymita picta)  

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Eastern Cuba is the only place in the world where the oriente tree snails or Cuban painted snails (Polymita picta) can be found. The large, colourful land snails are often referred to as ‘living jewels’ but they are critically endangered because their vibrantly coloured and patterned shells are attractive to shell collectors and traders. In addition, their habitat is under threat. Frequently the shells are used to make bright necklaces or unique decorative objects, appealing in the tourist trade.

The snails are protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Capturing and selling them is illegal but poaching can be a profitable business. Legitimate sales require permits and proper documentation and there are bona fide sellers. One UK collection of seven shells was advertised at £160.  

Though not proven, one theory for the variation in colour and pattern is that the snails adapt their colouration to avoid predation. Colour can also be affected by diet – they eat a variety of materials, including lichen, moss, and fungi. They also feed on growths on tree bark, which helps to preserve the health of the trees.

In a bid to understand the genetics of these extraordinary molluscs, and to save the six known subspecies, research is being conducted in Cuba, at the Universidad de Oriente, and at Nottingham University.

In Cuba, Professor Reyes-Tur is attempting to breed the snails in his own home. They are flourishing but have not yet bred.

It is a strange contrast to the lives of most poor Cubans, where 89% of the population lives in extreme poverty in a country judged in 2023 as the poorest in Latin America.

That is no reason, however, to put aside the needs of one species. Research often reveals unexpected benefits.