When most people think about saving endangered species, they imagine lions, tigers, elephants, and other large creatures. However, according to the BBC, one of conservation's latest successes is much smaller.
It's snails.
Two species of Desertas Island land snails were thought to have gone extinct. The small islands they called home had been overrun by invasive species — such as rats, goats, and mice — that humans brought with them.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, one of the big dangers of invasive species is that they will prey on native species and consume them to extinction. That's what scientists had assumed happened with the snails.
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However, conservation expeditions between 2012 and 2017 found that tiny colonies of these snails remained. So few were left that the researchers captured them and took them to Chester Zoo for care.
With some TLC, the snail populations grew. Over 1,300 individual snails were recently set free on the island their ancestors called home. They are all marked so researchers can continue to track them.
The researchers have high hopes for the snails' future. "If it goes as well as we hope, more snails will follow them next spring. It's a huge team effort which shows that it is possible to turn things around for highly threatened species," said Gerardo Garcia from the Chester Zoo.
Lest you think that investing so much in snails is a waste of resources, the University of Montana explains that they help transform soil and keep it healthy. Garcia agrees. "They help plants grow. All of that is dependent on the little guys - the insects and the snails that so often get overlooked," he said.
Improving soil improves plant life, which can affect erosion, agriculture, and more. These tiny snails have the potential to improve life on their island, and saving snails around the world could benefit everyone.
If you want to invest in saving snails and other wild creatures whose species have been endangered by humans, vote for pro-climate politicians who will, in turn, vote for plans and policies that support wildlife.
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