Oahu tree snails
There are 41 species of Oahu tree snail, and all are classified by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as being federally endangered. Oahu tree snails— one of 41 species belonging to the Achatinella genus — was once so popular on the eponymous island that they appeared into Hawaiian folklore and songs.
The creatures live in mountainous dry to humid forests and shrublands at altitudes higher than 1,300 feet. The snails— which measure three-quarters of an inch and have different shell patterns, colors, and shapes — graze on the fungus that coats native plant leaves.
In adulthood, they are hermaphroditic and have a long life. Their greatest threat is habitat destruction and predation by rats and carnivorous snail species.
