Scientific name: Carelia turricula
Conservation status: Extinct
Carelia turricula belongs to the Amastridae family, the only extant endemic family left in Hawaii, and is the largest native land snail found here. There were once 21 Carelia species, found only on Kauai or Niihau, and all are now considered extinct.
A portion of proceeds supports Bishop Museum’s Hawaiian Land Snail Program to enhance biodiversity monitoring, conservation assessments, habitat and diet research, genetic diversity research, conservation education, and more.
Pacific island land snails have suffered more extinctions than any other group of animals in the world. Hawaiʻi once harbored more than 750 land snail species, but more than half have disappeared due to habitat loss and predation by invasive species. Land snails are vital parts of native ecosystems, as they play a crucial role as decomposers and fungivores. Conservationists are working diligently preserve the immense diversity of Hawaiian land snails.
1.35" enamel pin, gold metal, epoxy coating