• Education
    • Higher Education
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • Online Learning
    • School Reforms
    • Research & Innovation
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Home & Living
    • Relationships & Family
  • Technology & Startups
    • Software & Apps
    • Startup Success Stories
    • Startups & Innovations
    • Tech Regulations
    • Venture Capital
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Gadgets & Devices
    • Industry Analysis
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
Today Headline
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
Home Science & Environment Wildlife & Conservation

1,329 Rare Snails Once Believed Extinct Reintroduced to Island off Morocco

January 10, 2025
in Wildlife & Conservation
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
0
8
SHARES
18
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


More than 1,300 critically endangered land snails have been released in the Ilhas Desertas (Desert Islands) archipelago off the Moroccan coast.

The reintroduction of the tiny molluscs to their native habitat followed the rescue of two obscure species of the snail from the edge of extinction, reported The Guardian. The snails hadn’t been recorded for over a century and were thought to have disappeared.

“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, curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates at Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom, as the BBC reported.

The pea-sized molluscs are native to mountainous Deserta Grande island, southeast of Madeira. Their habitat was destroyed by invasive mice, rats and goats that had been brought there by humans.

A wild refuge for the snails was restored on neighboring Bugio Island, where the invasive species were eradicated.

The reintroduction plan was coordinated by biologist Dinarte Teixeira with the Instituto das Florestas e Conservação da Natureza (IFCN) as part of the conservation program Help Desertas Snails, reported Madeira News. Participants in the effort included the Chester and Bristol Zoos and Mossy Earth in the UK, France’s ZooParc de Beauval and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Atlantic Islands Invertebrate Specialist Group.

Four additional preliminary reintroduction projects are planned for 2025 and 2026. An ongoing monitoring program will analyze the reintroduced snails’ survival rate, as well as their potential impact on the island’s other mollusc communities. The data will be used to measure the conservation program’s success.

IFCN experts rediscovered populations of less than 200 individuals each of two subspecies of the tiny snail during conservation expeditions from 2012 to 2017, The Guardian reported. It had been feared that invasive predators had possibly decimated the species.

The snails were relocated to the zoos in France and the UK. The conservation science team, along with Madeira experts, constructed mini habitats for 60 of the snails at Chester Zoo as part of the breeding program.

“It was a huge responsibility to begin caring for them,” said Dr. Gerardo Garcia, head of ectotherms at Chester Zoo, as reported by The Guardian. “As a zoo conservation community, we knew nothing about them. They’d never been in human care before and we had to start from a blank piece of paper and try to figure out what makes them tick.”

In order to protect Bugio Island’s fragile ecosystem, humans have not been allowed on the island since 1990.

“Within a few months we were able to crack the breeding of the Desertas land snails. Crucially, we were then successful in breeding multiple generations. This was key, because it meant we could then bring in the support of other zoos and establish a network, breeding them in the substantial numbers needed to have a chance of saving the species,” said Heather Prince, Chester Zoo invertebrate specialist, as The Guardian reported.

Each snail that has been reintroduced has an individual monitoring marker. If the effort is successful, many more of the endangered snails will be released.

“These snails are incredibly precious. The Desertas Islands are the only place in the world where they can be found and so we’re striving to do everything we can to give them the best possible chance for the future. For 100 years we thought they’d gone for ever, but now there’s new hope,” Teixeira added.

This article by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes was first published by EcoWatch on 30 December 2024. Lead Image: A Desertas Island snail at Chester Zoo in Upton-by-Chester, Cheshire, England in 2021. Chester Zoo / Facebook.

What you can do

Wildlife continues to face threats from overexploitation in the form of poaching and illegal trade in animal products, as well as a rapidly changing climate.

Due to existing conditions, 70% of all animal and plant species are at risk of extinction by 2050.

Help to save wildlife by donating as little as $1 – It only takes a minute.



Tags: believedExtinctislandMoroccoRareReintroducedSnails
Previous Post

Cement factory takes hard look at drainage system to protect environment

Next Post

Physicists discover the secret to perfect cacio e pepe pasta todayheadline

Related Posts

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Petition: Demand Education for Man Who Poisoned and Shot Dolphins – Protect Marine Life Now

June 25, 2025
14
ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Petition: Protect Sharks from Extinction—Expand Marine Sanctuaries Now

June 23, 2025
3
Next Post
Physicists discover the secret to perfect cacio e pepe pasta

Physicists discover the secret to perfect cacio e pepe pasta todayheadline

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

April 2, 2025
Pioneering 3D printing project shares successes

Product reduces TPH levels to non-hazardous status

November 27, 2024

Police ID man who died after Corso Italia fight

December 23, 2024

Hospital Mergers Fail to Deliver Better Care or Lower Costs, Study Finds todayheadline

December 31, 2024
Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power

Harris tells supporters ‘never give up’ and urges peaceful transfer of power

0
Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend's Mother

Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother

0

Trump ‘looks forward’ to White House meeting with Biden

0
Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

0
Ex-CBSA dog handler who contested maternity leave policy faced 'mobbing' of harassment: report

Ex-CBSA dog handler who contested maternity leave policy faced ‘mobbing’ of harassment: report

June 25, 2025
Palestinians carry aid supplies in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, June 16, 2025; illustrative.

Weaponization of food in Gaza constitutes war crime, UN rights office says

June 25, 2025
A person at a laptop.

3 Things to Know About Claiming Social Security at 65 todayheadline

June 25, 2025
Iran 'much further away' from building nuclear weapon after US strike, Rubio tells Politico

Iran 'much further away' from building nuclear weapon after US strike, Rubio tells Politico todayheadline

June 25, 2025

Recent News

Ex-CBSA dog handler who contested maternity leave policy faced 'mobbing' of harassment: report

Ex-CBSA dog handler who contested maternity leave policy faced ‘mobbing’ of harassment: report

June 25, 2025
0
Palestinians carry aid supplies in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, June 16, 2025; illustrative.

Weaponization of food in Gaza constitutes war crime, UN rights office says

June 25, 2025
3
A person at a laptop.

3 Things to Know About Claiming Social Security at 65 todayheadline

June 25, 2025
4
Iran 'much further away' from building nuclear weapon after US strike, Rubio tells Politico

Iran 'much further away' from building nuclear weapon after US strike, Rubio tells Politico todayheadline

June 25, 2025
4

TodayHeadline is a dynamic news website dedicated to delivering up-to-date and comprehensive news coverage from around the globe.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Basketball
  • Business & Finance
  • Climate Change
  • Crime & Justice
  • Cybersecurity
  • Economic Policies
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Policies
  • Europe
  • Football
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Health
  • Medical Research
  • Mental Health
  • Middle East
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Politics
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Science & Environment
  • Software & Apps
  • Space Exploration
  • Sports
  • Stock Market
  • Technology & Startups
  • Tennis
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Us & Canada
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • World News

Recent News

Ex-CBSA dog handler who contested maternity leave policy faced 'mobbing' of harassment: report

Ex-CBSA dog handler who contested maternity leave policy faced ‘mobbing’ of harassment: report

June 25, 2025
Palestinians carry aid supplies in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, June 16, 2025; illustrative.

Weaponization of food in Gaza constitutes war crime, UN rights office says

June 25, 2025
  • Education
  • Lifestyle
  • Technology & Startups
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 Todayheadline.co

Welcome Back!

OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Business & Finance
  • Corporate News
  • Economic Policies
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Market Trends
  • Crime & Justice
  • Court Cases
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Cybercrime
  • Legal Reforms
  • Policing
  • Education
  • Higher Education
  • Online Learning
  • Entertainment
  • Awards & Festivals
  • Celebrity News
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Health
  • Fitness & Nutrition
  • Medical Breakthroughs
  • Mental Health
  • Pandemic Updates
  • Lifestyle
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Living
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Government Policies
  • International Relations
  • Legislative News
  • Political Parties
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cybersecurity
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Industry Analysis
  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Policies
  • Medical Research
  • Science & Environment
  • Space Exploration
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • Sports
  • Tennis
  • Technology & Startups
  • Software & Apps
  • Startup Success Stories
  • Startups & Innovations
  • Tech Regulations
  • Venture Capital
  • Uncategorized
  • World News
  • Us & Canada
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Travel
  • Research & Innovation
  • Scholarships & Grants
  • School Reforms
  • Stock Market
  • TV & Streaming
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
  • About us
  • Contact

© 2024 Todayheadline.co