#Achatinella apexfulva

[alexanderpearce]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_(snail)

[carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory]

Snail Extinction – Bad Situation Getting Worse

Move aside Rosy Wolf Snail, the New Guinea Flatworm Wreaks Greater Devastation

by Timothy Pearce

Another species of land snail went extinct on January 1, 2019. George, the last member of his species, Achatinella apexfulva, died in a captive breeding facility at the University of Hawaii. The loss of this snail, and this species, is sad from many perspectives, I’ll mention two: first, George’s species is the first land snail ever described from Hawaii; second, this loss contributes to the largely overlooked extinction crisis of land snails around the world.

Achatinella apexfulva from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History collection.

George was named after Lonesome George, the last Galapagos tortoise of the subspecies Geochelone nigra abingdoni, who died in 2012. Like most land snails, George the snail was hermaphroditic (having both male and female parts), so either male, female, or androgynous names would have been appropriate.

News outlets including New York Times, National Geographic, and National Public Radio, as well as various blogs (e.g., https://www.shellmuseum.org/curators-corner) have well-covered the story of George’s passing, so look there for more details that I won’t repeat. Those outlets mentioned threats leading to the demise of tree snails, including the introduced rosy wolf snail, a snail-eating snail credited with causing snail extinctions on some Pacific Islands. However, none of those news outlets mentioned the New Guinea flatworm, which is already showing itself to be a much greater threat to snail-kind than the rosy wolf snail.

The New Guinea flatworm (Platydemus manokwari) eats land snails so efficiently that it is causing snail extinctions. Photo from Wikimedia Commons. 

The New Guinea flatworm (Platydemus manokwari), which eats mostly snails, has been categorized as one of the 100 worst invasive species. Originally found in New Guinea, human activity has introduced it to many tropical and temperate regions of the world where it has had significant negative impacts on the rare endemic land snail fauna of some Pacific islands. Evidence indicates that predation by the New Guinea flatworm is the greatest cause of the extinction or drastically reduced numbers of several native snails. Up to 65 mm (2.5 inches) long, it can follow snail mucus trails to catch prey, sometimes even into trees, so its presence in Hawaii seriously threatens the remaining Hawaiian tree snails.

In 2015, the New Guinea flatworm was found in Florida, from which it poses a threat to land snails on the mainland of the USA. A colleague told me that in some of the Everglade hammocks where the flatworm has reached, all you can find now are dead, empty shells of the colorful tree snails that were gobbled by the flatworm. The flatworm does not survive in colder climates, so for the time being, the northern United States might be spared from this scourge. The flatworm survives best at 18 to 28 C (64-82F) and nearly 1/4 of them survived in an experiment down to 10°C (50F) for 2 weeks.

Timothy A. Pearce is Curator of Collections, Section of Mollusks at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

[dendroica]

Hawaii’s Snail Extinction Crisis: ‘We’re Just Trying to Stop the Bleeding’ • The Revelator

George, the last individual of a Hawaiian tree snail species known only as Achatinella apexfulva, died New Year’s Day in a laboratory on Oahu, where he had been a bit of a local celebrity. “He was featured in many newspaper, magazine and online articles, and hundreds of school children and visitors to the lab eagerly viewed him, the last of his kind,” the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources wrote in announcing his passing.

Once widespread and admired for their beauty, Achatinella apexfulva (a hermaphroditic species, despite the masculine name and pronouns) was nearly wiped out decades ago by an overzealous industry that collected and strung together their shells into traditional leis.

“The species was actually thought to be extinct quite some time ago,” explains David Sischo, a biologist who coordinates Hawaii’s Snail Extinction Prevention Program. “Then, in 1997, a small population was rediscovered in a couple of trees along a hiking path on Oahu.” The last 10 snails were brought to a captive-breeding facility, where they reproduced, giving birth to George and a few other baby snails.

The success didn’t last long. “Unfortunately there was a pathogen or something — we’re not sure what — and all of the population died except for this one,” Sischo says.

Now — after 14 years living in captivity — George, too, has died. No other members of the species have been found in the wild in the years since, so the species is almost certainly extinct.

George may have been alone for most of his life, but his situation wasn’t unique. Dozens, if not hundreds, of other unique Hawaiian snail species could soon follow in his slimy trail.

[deepinkletterpress]

Benefit letterpress print of extinct snail to help raise money for endangered snails.

[that-crazy-scorpio-man]

This breaks my heart.

George, the last of his species of Hawaiian land snail, died on New Year’s Day. He was approximately 14 years old.

His death was confirmed by Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources.

George was born as part of a last-ditch effort to save his species. Back in 1997, the last 10 known Achatinella apexfulva were brought into a University of Hawaii lab to try to increase their numbers. Some offspring resulted, but all of them died – except for George.

As the last remaining A. apexfulva, George lived out his days alone in a cage at DLNR’s snail lab in Kailua, Oahu, alongside 30 other species close to extinction.

Those who knew George say he kept to himself.

“For a snail he was a little bit of a hermit,” David Sischo, a wildlife biologist with the Hawaii Invertebrate Program, tells NPR. “I very rarely saw him outside of his shell.”

Sischo said George likely died of old age, as 14 is “up there in snail years.”

George, Reclusive Hawaiian Snail And Last Of His Kind, Dies At 14

Photo: David Sischo/Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

[moszeuchreets]

Okay, I know recent extinctions can be very depressing, considering that they happened recently, but this one takes the biscuit. The Hawaiian Land Snail (Achatinella apexfulva), as the name suggests, was a species of land snail native to Hawaii. This animal was listed as endangered since 1981 and went extinct in the wild last year, in 2019. A major cause of this was the Rosey Wolf Snail, which was introduced to Hawaii from Central America in the 1950s, causing 8 other snail extinctions in Hawaii due it its carnivorous nature. The last Hawaiian Land Snail, named George, (named after the last Pinta Island Tortoise, Lonesome George), died in captivity in January 2019, being alone since 2011. He died at the age of 14.

Image source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/08/george-the-snail-tree-snail-hawaiian-islands-biodiversity

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from The Revelator:

We lost a lot of species in 2019.

The year started with the extinction of a tiny Hawaiian snail and ended with the loss of one of the world’s largest freshwater fishes.

Along the way we also said goodbye to three bird species, a shark, two frogs, several plants, and a whole lot more.

About two dozen species were declared extinct (or nearly so) in 2019, although the total number of species lost this year probably numbers in the thousands. Scientists typically wait years or even decades before declaring a species well and truly extinct, and even then only after conducting extensive searches.

Images of some of the now extinct species. The article lists more species, some with photos, that are extinct, effectively extinct, extinct in the wild, and so on. When will a photo of the two-legged human species wearing a gas mask be added to some list in the future?

Achatinella apexfulva — The last individual of this Hawaiian tree snail, known as “Lonesome George,” died in captivity on New Year’s Day. Disease and invasive predators drove it to extinction.

Alagoas foliage-gleaner (Philydor novaesi) — Known from just two sites in Brazil, this bird was last seen in 2011 and was declared extinct in 2019 following the destruction of its habitats by logging, charcoal production and conversion to agriculture.

Boulenger’s speckled skink (Oligosoma infrapunctatum) — A “complete enigma,” unseen for more than 130 years. Scientists hope the announcement of its possible extinction will jumpstart efforts to relocate it and conserve its endangered relatives.

Bramble Cay melomys (Melomys rubicola) — Last seen in 2009 when rising oceans lapped at its tiny islet habitat, the melomys was officially declared extinct in 2019, making it the first mammal extinction caused by climate change and sea-level rise.

Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) — One of the world’s largest freshwater fish, native to the Yangtze River, the paddlefish probably died out between 2005 and 2010 due to overfishing and habitat fragmentation. The IUCN still lists it as “critically endangered,” but a paper published Dec. 23, 2019, declared it extinct after several surveys failed to locate the species.

Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) — The last known female of this species died in China in April during an artificial insemination procedure, making the species effectively extinct.

[havensoscom]

These animals are extinct in 2019

News has been published on http://havensos.com/news/these-animals-are-extinct-in-2019-2019

These animals are extinct in 2019

Biological extinction or likely to become extinct in 2019 as follows: 1. Hawaiian snail Achatinella apexfulva: The last known member of its species,”George”died in tank …

[jkottke]

Endlings and the Death of Species

An endling is the last known member of a species and once it dies, the species becomes extinct. George was a tree snail that died in early 2019, the last member of the now-extinct Achatinella apexfulva species. He was 14.

Few people would mourn a snail, but Sischo and his team had spent years caring for George. He was a daily constant, a familiar friend. He was also the last known snail of his kind, the final Achatinella apexfulva. It is said that everyone dies alone, but that was doubly true for George-alone at the end both in his cage and in the world.

When the last of a species disappears, it usually does so unnoticed, somewhere in the wild. Only later, when repeated searches come up empty, will researchers reluctantly acknowledge that the species must be extinct. But in rare cases like George's, when people are caring for an animal's last known representative, extinction-an often abstract concept-becomes painfully concrete. It happens on their watch, in real time. It leaves behind a body. When Sischo rang in the new year, Achatinella apexfulva existed. A day later, it did not. "It is happening right in front of our eyes," he said.

There's a part early on in the video where Sischo is showing the snails in his team's care and he casually points to a small chamber and says "here is the entire world's population of this snail species" -- I found that incredibly sad and had to stop the video for awhile to regroup. (Oh and the cardboard boxes labeled "snail morgue".)

George was unique and we're trying to avoid another George. But we have 100 species that will be gone within the next 5 to 10 years without intervention.

[coldbrain]

“When the last of a species disappears, it usually does so unnoticed, somewhere in the wild. Only later, when repeated searches come up empty, will researchers reluctantly acknowledge that the species must be extinct. But in rare cases like George’s, when people are caring for an animal’s last known representative, extinction—an often abstract concept—becomes painfully concrete. It happens on their watch, in real time. It leaves behind a body. When Sischo rang in the new year, Achatinella apexfulva existed. A day later, it did not. “It is happening right in front of our eyes,” he said.”

[cbcbiology]

[Image: David Sischo/Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources] On the first day of the year, the last Achatinella apexfulva snail died in a lab at the Hawaii Department of Natural Resources. His name was George. Hawaii's native snails are in crisis (like many of its other native species).

*moment of silence*

See also this video from Honolulu magazine.

[academyoftheheartandmind]

"The Last Bee Ends humanity’s Reign"

“The Last Bee Ends humanity’s Reign”

By Jake Cosmos Aller

  The Humboldt Glacier, located high in the Andes mountain range in Venezuela, is the country’s last glacier. Glaciers are disappearing around the world due to climate change, which has also been a factor in declines and extinctions of animal species elsewhere. This month saw the death of George, the last snail of the Hawaiian species Achatinella apexfulva, named after…

[yahootravelhk]

又有動物絕種 最後一隻夏威夷蝸牛老死

人類係全球動物嘅天敵，無容置疑，近日又因為人為嘅「錯誤」，導致一個物種絕種。日前全世界最後一隻夏威夷樹蝸牛「金頂蝸牛」（Achatinella Apexfulva）正式離世，終年14歲，正式宣告該物種正式絕種！點解一開始話人類嘅「錯誤」呢？原來夏威夷蝸牛遠在幾十年前一直健康生存，及至1955年時當地人發現有人帶咗非洲蝸牛過去並且開始於當地繁殖，於是有人引入咗北美嘅玫瑰蝸牛，呢種係會捕食其他蝸牛嘅物種，希望可以將非洲蝸牛全部趕盡殺絕；但估唔到玫瑰蝸牛去到該地後，竟然鍾意捕食原生嘅夏威夷蝸牛。夏威夷蝸牛因此大量消失，至到1997年時，當局派人將僅餘嘅十數隻金頂蝸牛帶入實驗室全力養殖，希望可以繁殖到下一代。可惜多年嚟一直未能成功，近十年嚟，只有呢隻被稱為「Lonely George」嘅倖存。縱使蝸牛係䧳雄同體，但始終都需要多一隻同類先可以繁殖，只能眼白白睇住Lonely George離世。科學家已經將佢啲DNA冷藏，希望有朝一日可以復製出Lonely George。

夏威夷金頂樹蝸牛，正式消失於世上。

Lonely George自1997年開始由實驗室養殖。

夏威夷原生嘅蝸牛已經愈嚟愈少。

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[ankidel]

Posted @withrepost • @cnn A 14-year-old Hawaii tree snail named Lonely George has died, and with him, an entire species. Known as Achatinella apexfulva, Lonely George’s breed joins hundreds of snail species that have vanished from the Hawaiian islands over the last several decades. Snails, which were once numerous in Hawaii, have been decimated by invasive species, including rats, as well as habitat destruction. (📸: Hawaii Dept. of Land & Natural Resources) https://www.instagram.com/p/BskY3SAHwsG/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=14ey17isu8hao

[indigo-a-creeping]

News of Hawaii’s snails, for @ladyswillmart:

“Officials with the Department of Land and Natural Resources transferred about 2,000 rare Hawaiian snails from a mountain marsh to offices in downtown Honolulu. A staffer will spend the night and place ice around their cages in case the air conditioning goes out.

“Some of the snails are the last of their kind, including one named George that’s the sole remaining Achatinella apexfulva in captivity. Staff members are trying to keep him safe in case he’s able to reproduce.“

-The Washington Post

[rjzimmerman]

George the snail has died, and so this species of snail has become extinct. “Just” a snail, but think about it.......gone forever.

George, the last Achatinella apexfulva. Photo: David Sischo/Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Excerpt from this Revelator story:

The first extinction of 2019 was a snail named George.

George, the last individual of a Hawaiian tree snail species known only as Achatinella apexfulva, died New Year’s Day in a laboratory on Oahu, where he had been a bit of a local celebrity. “He was featured in many newspaper, magazine and online articles, and hundreds of school children and visitors to the lab eagerly viewed him, the last of his kind,” the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources wrote in announcing his passing.

Once widespread and admired for their beauty, Achatinella apexfulva (a hermaphroditic species, despite the masculine name and pronouns) was nearly wiped out decades ago by an overzealous industry that collected and strung together their shells into traditional leis.“

The species was actually thought to be extinct quite some time ago,” explains David Sischo, a biologist who coordinates Hawaii’s Snail Extinction Prevention Program. “Then, in 1997, a small population was rediscovered in a couple of trees along a hiking path on Oahu.” The last 10 snails were brought to a captive-breeding facility, where they reproduced, giving birth to George and a few other baby snails.

The success didn’t last long. “Unfortunately there was a pathogen or something — we’re not sure what — and all of the population died except for this one,” Sischo says.

Now — after 14 years living in captivity — George, too, has died. No other members of the species have been found in the wild in the years since, so the species is almost certainly extinct.

George may have been alone for most of his life, but his situation wasn’t unique. Dozens, if not hundreds, of other unique Hawaiian snail species could soon follow in his slimy trail.