Located about 2300 miles (3680 km) from the nearest continental shore, the Hawaiian Islands are the most isolated group of islands on the planet. The plant and animal life of the Hawaiian archipelago is the result of early, very infrequent colonizations of arriving species and the slow evolution of those species—in isolation from the rest of the world's flora and fauna—over a period of at least 5 million years. As a consequence, Hawai'i is home to a large number of endemic species. The radiation of species described by Charles Darwin in the Galapagos Islands which was critical to the formulation of his theory of evolution is far exceeded in the more isolated Hawaiian Islands.
Achatinella is a tropical genus of colorful land snails in the monotypic Achatinellidae subfamily Achatinellinae. Species are arboreal pulmonate gastropod mollusks with some species called Oʻahu tree snails or kāhuli in the Hawaiian language.
Tornatellinops is a genus of minute air-breathing land snails, terrestrial gastropod mollusk, or micromollusks in the family Achatinellidae.
Achatinella pulcherrima is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Achatinellidae. This species is endemic to the island of Oahu in Hawaii.
Amastra is a genus of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Amastridae.
Carelia turricula are an extinct species of small, air-breathing, land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Amastridae and superfamily Cochlicopoidea.
Newcombia canaliculata is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Achatinellidae. This species is endemic to Hawaii.
Newcombia cumingi, common name Newcomb's Tree snail, is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Achatinellidae. This species is endemic to Hawaii, the United States.
Newcombia lirata is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Achatinellidae. This species is endemic to Hawaii.
Newcombia perkinsi is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropodmollusk in the family Achatinellidae. This species is endemic to Hawaii, the United States.
Newcombia pfeifferi is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Achatinellidae. This species is endemic to Hawaii.
Newcombia philippiana was a species of land snail, a gastropod in the family Achatinellidae. It was described by Pfeiffer in 1850 and was endemic to Hawaii.
Achatinellidae is a family of tropical air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Pupilloidea.
Amastridae is a taxonomic family of small, air-breathing, land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Pupilloidea.
Euglandina is a genus of predatory medium- to large-sized, air-breathing, land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Spiraxidae.
Charles Montague Cooke Jr. was an American malacologist who published under the name of C. Montague Cooke or C.M. Cooke.
David Dwight Baldwin was a businessman, educator, and biologist on Maui in the Hawaiian islands. Within biology he is known for his contributions to the study of Hawaiian land snails, part of malacology.
Haplostachys (honohono) is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, first described as a genus in 1888. The entire genus is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, although 4 of the 5 known species that have been placed in the genus are now believed to be extinct, the fifth listed as "Critically Imperiled."
