SPECIES: Pseudocharopa whiteleggei — Whitelegge's Land Snail
CLASSIFICATION: Critically endangered
Let's put this into persective: there's now so few Whitelegge's Land Snails left, they are now found on a single mountain on one small island. The mountain is Mt Gower and the island is Lord Howe Island, off the coast of NSW. They are a snail that is relatively flat with a loosely coiled shell and thought to live for 20 years or more., under or inside logs and even in moss.
Being such a severely restricted species, protecting the few that remain is of utmost importance. They've become highly vulnerable to extinction from threats or catastrophic events. Degradation of their habitat and predation from invasive species, feral animals and native species are all contributors of their decline.
Photo: Jack Shick