Greenpoint Snail (Trachycystis rariplicata)

The Greenpoint Snail, described in 1849, is known exclusively from Green Point, today a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa.

This species is now extinct, and its extinction is sometimes attributed to the introduction of an invasive Mediterranean snail species, the Mediterranean Coastal Snail (Theba pisana (Müller)), which is now very abundant in that region. However, the true reasons for its disappearance are rather found in the massive habitat destruction by swamp drainage, building of sports fields, houses and other extensive transformations.

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syn. Helix rariplicata Pfeiffer, Pella rariplicata (Pfeiffer)


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edited: 22.08.2022