Another population of giant snails found in National Park

PRELIMINARY surveys by Department of Conservation (DOC) staff confirm a second population of Powelliphanta 'Egmont' land snails are living in the Egmont National Park.
The first recorded sighting of this species was in the 1970s near the northern reaches of the Around the Mountain Track. These giants of the snail world were thought to have been restricted to this area, but sharp-eyed DOC hunter, Nathan Jones, found a snail shell in the Pouakai Ranges in 2006.
"That's over six kilometres away as the tui flies," said biodiversity ranger Jack Mace. "It's a long way for a snail."
Subsequent searching turned up further evidence of another population and a more detailed survey just carried out confirms it.
"We had two aims," said Jack, "To establish the boundaries of the Pouakai population and to collect live tissue samples and empty shells for genetic analysis. This will tell us the degree of relatedness between the Pouakai snails and the ones living on the main cone."
Poor weather shortened the search time, but in less than six hours four live snails and 10 shells were found. Sufficient tissue was sampled and this has been sent for analysis to the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution at Massey University.
Biodiversity ranger, Dean Caskey, believes the population at this second site is of a significantly higher density than at the first site. There's also the possibility of more snails living on the very steep ridges that remain unsearched.
Meanwhile, those snails that provided tissue samples for the good of their species suffered no ill effects. They were released and slid away, slowly, but surely.
Powelliphanta facts
Number of species: At least 21
Sub species? 51
Concern? Most groups are in serious decline. Several have less than 100 individuals.
Size? The largest species grow up to 90mm across, the size of a man's fist. They live in the Kahurangi National Park. The Egmont snails average 50-65mm and the largest on record is 71mm.
Habitat? Most prefer high altitude forests because they can't survive in dry conditions. They live under the leaf litter or logs and come out at night to forage and mate.
Food? These snails are carnivores and they like to eat earthworms. They suck them up like spaghetti.
Eggs? 5 to 10 a year and they're about the size of a small bird's egg, 12-14 mm long.
Lifespan? Up to 20 years - a long time for a snail.
Why so special? After at least 80 million years of evolution on New Zealand's isolated land mass today's snails have developed a set of peculiar characteristics that is totally unique in the world. They're as unique, as the kakapo or kiwi.