Snails of the world:Fiji,New Caledonia and surroundings

In this region the snails of the Placostylinae subfamily(family Bulimulidae)are well represented.In New Caledonia there are about fifty species of Placotylus and Apastus.Also members of the Rhytidae can be found here,for example:Diplomphalus,Ouagapia and Macrocycloides.A number of species of the Charopidae family live here,they are quite small being 4-12 mm in size. On Fiji some very beautiful Placostyla snails can be found,unfortunatly they are threatened by the presence of pigs, the Indian Mongose(another manmade introduction gone wrong) and the cane toad. Placostylus gracilis Placostylus malleatus Placostylus kantavuensis

On Lord Howe Island(of the Southeast coast of Australia)a protection program has been started to save Placostylus bivaricosus.Once a common snail it's existence is now threatened by rats(arrived on the island in 1918 as shipwreck survivors),Blackbirds and Songthrushes as well as habitat destruction. They are being kept in a safe area away from their predators in the hope their numbers will rise enough again to sustain a healthy population. Home