Raiatean Ground Partula Snail: Conservation Too Late
Another victim of introduced rosy wolf snails, these small ground-dwelling snails couldn’t escape their predators. They lived only in Raiatea in French Polynesia. Scientists declared them extinct in the wild in the 1990s, with official confirmation in 2022 after extensive surveys. Some individuals survive in captivity as part of conservation breeding programs. Their story highlights the irreversible damage introduced species can cause on islands.