| Succinea konaensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Succineidae |
| Genus: | Succinea |
| Species: | S. konaensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Succinea konaensis Sykes, 1897 | |
Succinea konaensis is a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Succineidae endemic to Hawaii. [1] The species is one of Hawaii's nine state snails, known in Hawaiian as Hini Hini Kua Mauna. [2]
This species has a brown shell [3] and a typical Succinea [4] morphology. Unlike many other snails, it can not retract into its shell due to the large size of its body compared to the smaller shell. [5] Succinea konaensis is an endemic species to the island of Hawaii. It can be found in Kona, Hilo, Ka'u and on Mauna Kea. [6] It lives mostly on the ground rather than plants. [6]
Hawaii's governor, Josh Green, remarked that land snails are a huge part of music and the arts in Hawaiian culture. In 2024, Succinea konaensis was designated as the official snail of Hawaii Island. [7]
Succinea konaensis can now be found in a much more reduced area than in the past. [8] This species' conservation status is imperiled. [9]
