British Scientists Join Global Effort To Save 'World's Most Beautiful Snails' From Extinction

British Scientists Join Global Effort To Save 'World's Most Beautiful Snails' From Extinction

British Scientists Join Global Effort To Save 'World's Most Beautiful Snails' From Extinction The most striking, colorful snails in the world are in danger — precisely because of their beauty.  Polymita tree snails (also known as Cuban painted snails) are highly prized in eastern Cuba. Beloved for their patterned hues and swirls, the six species of snails have become increasingly rare to find.  Their decline is due in part to deforestation and climate change, but it’s largely driven by humans. More and more, the snails are snatched from their native subtropical forests and harvested for jewelry and trinkets.  “One of the reasons I'm interested in these snails is because they're so beautiful,” Angus Davison, a professor and mollusk expert from the University of Nottingham, said in a press release.  “Their beauty attracts people who collect and trade shells. So the very thing that makes them different and interesting to me as a scientist is, unfortunately, what's enda…