Tiny Snail, Big Comeback: A Million-Year Survivor Crawls Back
Once written off as extinct, Bermuda’s shy land snail is thriving again thanks to patient zoo science and a lot of lettuce.
A creature no bigger than a coin has pulled off one of conservation’s most unlikely comeback stories.
The greater Bermuda land snail, a species that had quietly slipped out of sight and was widely assumed to be gone forever, has been brought back from the edge of extinction, Chester Zoo announced this weekend.
For years, the snail had not been seen at all — until 2014, when a small group was unexpectedly discovered inching through a back alley in Hamilton, Bermuda’s capital. That chance encounter set off an ambitious rescue mission.
Several of the snails were transported to Chester Zoo in northwest England, where conservationists began the slow, meticulous task of rebuilding the population. Over time, their numbers grew into the tens of thousands. In 2019, thousands were released back into Bermuda, returning the species to its natural home.
Native only to the island, the greater Bermuda land snail is a living fragment of ancient history, with a lineage stretching back more than a million years. Its survival offers a rare win for biodiversity.
Researchers have now confirmed that the reintroduced snails are not just surviving, but settling in. A study published in the journal Oryx found six self-sustaining colonies established across the archipelago.
“This is huge,” said Gerardo Garcia, Chester Zoo’s director of animals and plants. “To see them firmly rooted in multiple locations tells us the species really has stepped back from extinction.”
The breeding programme was no small task. At its peak, the zoo was caring for around 60,000 snails. Keeper Katie Kelton recalled the daily routine involved endless food preparation. “There was a lot of chopping — lettuce, sweet potato, carrot,” she said.
The species had previously been pushed toward collapse by habitat destruction, pesticide use, and invasive predators such as the aggressive wolf snail. Tracking their recovery, Garcia said, felt like running a military operation, with maps, flags, and constant monitoring.
While conservationists stress the snail is not guaranteed safety forever, they now have a proven blueprint for restoring its numbers. Long-term survival, Garcia added, will depend on habitat restoration efforts led by the Bermudian government.
With one victory secured, Chester Zoo is now focusing on a tougher challenge: the lesser Bermuda land snail. Even smaller and harder to breed, it may already have vanished from the wild.
“We’re still learning what makes these snails thrive — everything from seasons to habitat complexity,” said conservationist Iri Gill. “But what we achieved with the greater Bermuda snail gives us real hope.”
Tiny though they are, these snails have delivered a conservation triumph that few experts get to witness in a lifetime.
