There is a remarkable snail with breathtakingly beautiful shells that can only be found in Cuba. It is not native to any other Caribbean island. Sadly, their beautiful shells make the snail highly sought after by collectors and jewelers, putting this one-of-a-kind creature in danger of extinction. A YouTube video from Animal Wonders at @FariaAntillon explains how each of these amazing snails has a unique shell pattern and coloring. Let’s take a look at how and why their shells are so colorful, and also how conservationists are working to save the Polymita picta (also known as the Cuban painted snail) from extinction.
What Are Cuban Painted Snails?
There are six species of Cuban-painted snails in the genus Polymita. All six species are considered threatened in Cuba, with several classified as endangered or critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List. The video from Animal Wonders highlights the Polymita picta, a large species of air-breathing land snails. This spectacular snail is Cuba’s national snail. They can only be found in eastern Cuba, where they live in subtropical forests and coastal habitats. Polymita picta are hermaphrodites, but can’t fertilize themselves. They breed during the wet seasons in the fall, in September and October. They have a lifespan of about 15 months.
Polymita Picta’s Polymorphic Shells
Cuban-painted snails come in a variety of beautifully colored shells.
©Mark Brandon/Shutterstock.com
The snail’s shell diameter averages about 22 to 30 millimeters (.87 to 1.18 inches). Each snail’s shell has a unique combination of stripes and colors, so no two are exactly alike. These snails eat moss, lichen, and fungus from the trees and leaves they climb on. The variation in shell color and pattern is known as polymorphism and is primarily determined by genetics.
The shells themselves look as though they were painted with intense color combinations. Most Cuban-painted shells are bright yellow with white stripes. However, they also come in pink, orange, white, gray, green, and more. By eating mosses and lichens that grow on trees, the snails help maintain the health of their environment. They protect the trees they inhabit and also benefit the agricultural industry, such as coffee plantations.
Why Would Polymita Picta’s Shell Colors Differ?
Scientists aren’t sure exactly why the Cuban-painted snail has such differently colored shells. The narrator in the video explains that one theory is that the variation of colors and stripes is thought to confuse predators. When a predator scans the area for prey, it looks for familiar patterns. The Polymita picta’s unique shells may confuse predators, giving the snail enough time to escape.
Recent research may have found a second possibility. Scientists suggest that the different colors help with thermoregulation. A recently published paper studying thermoresistance in land snails with shell color polymorphism found that Polymita picta shells with yellowish colors were more resistant to climate change than other colors.
Mollusk of the Year Goes to the Polymita Picta
In 2022, the Polymita picta won an international competition to be named Mollusk of the Year. This achievement came after the species was the runner-up the previous year. The competition is a public vote. It is run by the Senckenberg Nature Research Society, the LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, and the Worldwide Society for Mollusc Research. Polymita picta towered over the competition, which included a sea butterfly, a naval shipworm, a barge-foot, and a sediment snail.
This award is more than just a fancy title. By winning, the Polymita picta was able to have its genome sequenced at the LOEWE Centre. The University of Nottingham’s Professor Angus Davison said in a statement, “The prize [an assembled whole genome sequence] will enable us to begin research on understanding the snail’s biology. Unfortunately, Cuban-painted snails are at risk because of habitat loss and illegal trade to shell collectors and tourists. The prestige of the win will draw attention and give further impetus to conservation efforts.”
Dr. Carola Greve, a researcher at the LOEWE Centre, added that sequencing the snail’s genome will “provide us with important information about the genetic basis of the color variations of its shell.”
Shell Collectors Put the Cuban Painted Snail in Danger
In addition to habitat loss, the snails face another danger. The shells, with their vibrant colors and whimsical designs, look like something an artist has created. Indeed, their beautiful shells are in high demand from collectors as trinkets and jewelry. Although it is illegal to poach the painted snails, they are still sold to tourists or shipped to the United States and Europe.
Painted snails are collected for their beautiful shells, but this is putting the snails in danger of extinction.
© rappman, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons – Original / License
According to National Geographic, the Cuban government seized over 23,000 Cuban-painted snail shells of the genus Polymita that were headed for the U.S. Despite these efforts, there is a sizeable black market demand for Polymita shells. Conservationists are working to educate the public about the beauty and uniqueness of these creatures, encouraging people to see them as living beings rather than mere trinkets for collections.
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