Emerald green snail
| Emerald green snail | |
|---|---|
| |
| Apertural view of a shell of Papustyla pulcherrima | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Camaenidae |
| Genus: | Papustyla |
| Species: | P. pulcherrima
|
| Binomial name | |
| Papustyla pulcherrima Rensch, 1931
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Papuina pulcherrima | |
The emerald green snail, green tree snail, or Manus green tree snail, scientific name Papustyla pulcherrima, sometimes listed as Papuina pulcherrima, is a species of large, air-breathing tree snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Camaenidae. [3]
The shells of this species were in demand for making jewelry, and were popular with shell collectors and, partly as a result of this, the species is now near being threatened.
Distribution and habitat
[edit]P. pulcherrima is endemic to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. This snail lives in trees, and inhabits rain forest areas up to 112 m (367 ft) above sea level.
Description
[edit]The shell of this species is a vivid green color, which is unusual in snails. The green color is however not within the solid, calcium carbonate part of the shell but instead it is a very thin protein layer known as the periostracum. Under the periostracum the shell is yellow.
Endangered
[edit]Overharvesting of the species for commercial purposes led to a decline in the population of this snail. Logging of the rain forest where this species lives is also a serious threat to its survival.[1]
The snail and its shell are protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)[4] and the species is listed in the IUCN Red List as near threatened as of 2015.[1]
Papustyla pulcherrima is the only foreign gastropod species that is listed as Federally Endangered in the United States since 2 June 1970.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Whitmore, N.; Arihafa, A.; Takendu, W.; Lamaris, J. (2020). "Papustyla pulcherrima". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T16033A176841328. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T16033A176841328.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Papustyla pulcherrima (I. Rensch, 1931). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1301562 on 2021-06-08
- ^ CITES species database Archived 2013-07-20 at archive.today. Accessed 20 July 2013
- ^ U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Last updated 5 January 2010). Species Profile for Manus Island Tree snail (Papustyla pulcherrima)." U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website. Accessed 6 January 2010.
- Rensch, I. (1931). Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Schneckenfauna der Admiralitätsinseln. Zoologischer Anzeiger. 95(5): 186-194.
External links
[edit]- Clench, W. J.; Turner, R. D. (1963 ["1962"). Monographs of the Genera Papustyla, Forcartia and Meliobba (Papuininae: Camaenidae). Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia. 1(6): 3-33]
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