Partula tohiveana

Tohiea tree snail
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Stylommatophora
Family:	Partulidae
Genus:	Partula
Species:	P. tohiveana
Binomial name
Partula tohiveana Crampton, 1924

Partula tohiveana, the Tohiea tree snail, ^[2] is a partulid endemic to Moorea, and therefore one of several species with the common name Moorean viviparous tree snail. This species is a species of air-breathing tropical land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Partulidae. It is endemic to highlands on Moorea, French Polynesia.

In September 2024, following a reintroduction campaign by Cambridge University and several zoos across the world, "born in the wild" snails have been observed for the first time in 40 years, thus, the species is officially considered re-established. It is now critically endangered, where it had previously been extinct in the wild since the 1980s. ^[3]

Partula tohiveana is the first invertebrate species to successfully be re-established following an Extinct in the Wild IUCN status. ^[3]

References

1. Gerlach, J.; Pearce-Kelly, P. (2025). "Partula tohiveana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2025: e.T16283A268742577. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
2. "EAZA Best Practice Guidelines for Polynesian tree snails (Partula spp)" (PDF). EAZA. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
3. U. of Cambridge (26 September 2024). "'Extinct' snails found breeding in French Polynesia following a successful reintroduction project". Phys.org.