Bermuda Snail Saved From Extinction After 100K Released

The greater Bermuda snail was hiding in plain sight, clinging to survival in a damp alleyway in Hamilton when scientists discovered it in 2014. Until then, this tiny mollusk was only known from fossils, believed to have vanished from its island home forever.

What happened next became every conservationist's dream come true. Chester Zoo in England partnered with Bermuda's government to launch an ambitious breeding program that would save an entire species from disappearing.

The snails faced serious threats. Global heating and habitat loss had pushed them to the brink, but invasive predators sealed their fate. Wolf snails and carnivorous flatworms, introduced to the islands, hunted down the native species with devastating efficiency.

Zoo keepers adapted their methods and created special pods where the snails could multiply safely. Starting with fewer than 200 snails, they carefully nurtured generation after generation in conditions designed specifically for this species.

Since 2019, waves of captive-bred snails have made the journey home. Conservationists placed them in protected wooded areas with biosecurity measures keeping invasive predators at bay. The strategy worked beyond expectations.

The Ripple Effect

The snails now thrive in six established populations across Bermuda, according to a new study in Oryx, the International Journal of Conservation. But their comeback means more than just saving one species.

These button-sized creatures play an outsized role in their ecosystem. They serve as prey for larger animals while consuming live and decaying vegetation, cycling nutrients back into the soil. Without them, the whole food web suffers.

Dr. Kristiina Ovaska from Biolinx Environmental Research calls the restoration vital for healing degraded ecosystems. Each snail acts as a tiny engine, keeping the natural world running smoothly.

The Chester Zoo team isn't stopping here. They're now working to save a second rare species, the lesser Bermuda land snail, using lessons learned from this success.

Dr. Mark Outerbridge, who led Bermuda's efforts, marvels at the transformation from 200 snails hiding in an alleyway to over 100,000 thriving across protected habitats. Sometimes the smallest victories remind us that no species is too humble to fight for.