Golden Tree-Snail (Partula aurantia)  

This species was described in 1932.  

The species was endemic to the eastern part of Mo’orea, Society Islands, where it inhabited several valleys, including the Faamaariri valley, the Paraoro valley and the Vaipohe valley.  

The Golden Tree-Snail was an arboreal species and was often found on the leaves of the epiphytic fara pape (Freycinetia demissa Benn.). [1]  

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The species is now extinct, the reasons for its extinction are the same as for the other Polynesian tree-snail species.  

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References:  

[1] Justin Gerlach: Icons of Evolution: Pacific Island Tree-Snails of the Family Partulidae. Phelsuma Press 2016  

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edited: 18.10.2017