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Kauri Snail; One of the world’s few carnivorous snails

New Zealand’s Kauri Snails Mate for 10 Hours or More



‘Shy, Cannibalistic Snail Seeks Mate’ headlined a recent story in The Northern Advocate, going on to explain that carnivorous and cannibalistic Kauri snails are invading Northland – either to find a mate or eat a mate. Given gardeners’ concern over gastropods, how to resist learning more of what would seem to be a potential biocontrol candidate?

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Alas, it will not. The kauri snail was content for thousands of years, noshing down on earthworms along with the occasional insect and other snails, including its own species. They were not even threatened by the arrival of the Maoris, pretty good cannibals in their own right, who distained the 70-millimetre-plus diameter pupurangi. Then European colonists descended down on the land. They brought with them pigs and possums, dogs and rats, spelling calamity for the kauri snail. And if that wasn’t enough, the new arrived settlers logged and farmed the countryside with gusto, destroying much of its habitat. Today, sightings are said to be rare and it is threatened if not outright endangered with extinction. One of the world’s few carnivorous snails as well as one of the largest, surprisingly little is known about Paryphanta busbyi. Its cannibalistic habits probably never did encourage large populations. Neither does the laying of but four to six eggs a year. The hatchlings live for an unknown period in low shrubs and trees up to six metres tall before descending to the ground and spending the rest of their up to 20 year lifespan foraging through leaf litter after dark. There they are said to be ‘highly mobile,’ moving as much as ten metres in two weeks. Mating mood for the kauri snail is triggered by rainfall. Once started, their passion is prolonged for ten hours or more. Formerly widespread through the Northland of New Zealand, today it is limited to parts there and some of the offshore islands. The latter isolated locations perhaps offer it, as with many endemic species to the southern archipelago, the best chance of survival.


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Wes Porter -- Bio and Archives

Wes Porter is a horticultural consultant and writer based in Toronto. Wes has over 40 years of experience in both temperate and tropical horticulture from three continents.


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