Partula (genus)

''Partula'' is a genus of air-breathing tropical land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Partulidae.Myers, P.; Espinosa, R.; Parr, C. S.; Jones, T.; Hammond, G. S. & Dewey, T. A. (2006). The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at http://animaldiversity.org.ITIS Standard Report Page: Partulidae
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Many species of ''Partula'' are known under the general common names " Polynesian tree snail" and " Moorean viviparous tree snail". Partulids are distributed across of Pacific Ocean islands, from the Society Islands to New Guinea.

Once used as decorative items in Polynesian ceremonial wear and jewelry, these small snails (averaging about one-half to three-quarters of an inch in length) gained the attention of science when Dr. Henry Crampton (along with Yoshio Kondo) spent 50 years studying and cataloging partulids, detailing their remarkable array of morphological elements, ecological niches, and behavioral aspects that illustrate adaptive radiation.Gerlach, J. (2016) Icons of Evolution - Pacific island tree snails, family Partulidae. Phelsuma Press, Cambridge
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Decline

The partulids of the island of Tahiti act as an example of the possible deleterious effects of attempted biological control. After an infestation of the introduced giant African land snails (''Achatina'' spp.), the carnivorous Florida rosy wolfsnail (''Euglandina rosea'') was introduced into Tahiti in an attempt to combat the African species.

The wolfsnail chose instead to hunt and eat members of the nearly 76 species of ''Partula'' that were endemic to Tahiti and the nearby islands, devouring all but 12 species in a decade. Several scientists recognized what was going on, and were able to save 12 species prior to their becoming extinct.

Today, the Zoological Society of London runs the Partula Programme Consortium which maintains a captive-breeding programme in the United Kingdom, France, and the United States.

The 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species contains 15 critically endangered, 11 extinct in the wild, and 48 extinct ''Partula'' species.IUCN (2008). ''2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species''. . Downloaded on 23 December 2008. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species version 2009.2 contains 13 critically endangered, 11 extinct in the wild and 51 extinct ''Partula'' species.IUCN (2009). ''IUCN Red List of Threatened Species''. Version 2009.2. . Downloaded on 14 November 2009. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species version 2015-4 contains 83 ''Partula'' species.

Species

Species within the genus ''Partula'' include:

* '' Partula affinis'' Pease, 1868
* '' Partula arguta''† (Pease, 1866)
* ''Partula assimilis'' Pease, 1868
* ''Partula atilis''† Crampton, 1956
* ''Partula auraniana'' Hartman, 1888
* ''Partula aurantia''† Crampton, 1932
* ''Partula auriculata''† Broderip, 1832
* ''Partula bilineata''† Pease, 1866
* '' Partula clara'' Pease, 1866
* ''Partula clarkei''† Gerlach, 2016
* ''Partula compressa'' Reeve, 1850
* ''Partula cootei''† Gerlach, 2016
* '' Partula cramptoni'' Clench, 1941
* ''Partula crassilabris''† Pease, 1866
* ''Partula cuneata'' † Crampton, 1956
* ''Partula cytherea''† C. M. Cooke & Crampton, 1930
* ''Partula dentifera''† L. Pfeiffer, 1853
* ''Partula desolata''† Bauman & Kerr, 2013
* ''Partula diminuta'' C. B. Adams, 1851
* ''Partula dolichostoma''† Crampton, 1956
* ''Partula dolorosa''† Crampton, 1956
* '' Partula emersoni'' Pilsbry, 1913
* ''Partula eremita''† Crampton & C. M. Cooke, 1953
* '' Partula faba''† (Gmelin, 1791)
* ''Partula filosa''† L. Pfeiffer, 1853 synonym of ''Partula diminuta'' C. B. Adams, 1851)
* ''Partula flexuosa'' Hartman, 1885
* ''Partula formosa''† Garrett, 1884: synonym of ''Partula dentifera'' L. Pfeiffer, 1853
* ''Partula garretti''† Pease, 1865

* '' Partula gibba'' Férussac, 1821
* ''Partula grisea'' Lesson, 1831
* ''Partula guamensis''† (L. Pfeiffer, 1846)
* ''Partula hebe'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1846)
* ''Partula hyalina'' Broderip, 1832
* ''Partula incrassa'' Crampton, 1916
* ''Partula jackieburchi''† (Y. Kondo, 1981)
* ''Partula labrusca''† Crampton & C. M. Cooke, 1953
* ''Partula laevigata'' L. Pfeiffer, 1857
* ''Partula lanceolata'' C. M. Cooke & Crampton, 1930
* '' Partula langfordi'' Y. Kondo, 1970
* ''Partula leefei'' E. A. Smith, 1897
* ''Partula leptochila''† Crampton, 1956
* ''Partula levistriata''† Crampton, 1956
* '' Partula lugubris'' Pease, 1865
* ''Partula lutaensis'' Sischo & Hadfield, 2021
* '' Partula lutea''† Lesson, 1831
* ''Partula magistri''† Gerlach, 2016
* ''Partula makatea''† Gerlach, 2016
* ''Partula martensiana'' Pilsbry, 1909: synonym of ''Partula rufa'' Lesson, 1831
* ''Partula meyeri'' J. B. Burch, 2007
* ''Partula micans'' L. Pfeiffer, 1853
* ''Partula mirabilis'' Crampton, 1924
* ''Partula mooreana'' Hartman, 1880
* ''Partula navigatoria'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1849)
* ''Partula nodosa'' L. Pfeiffer, 1853
* ''Partula obesa'' Pease, 1868
* ''Partula otaheitana'' (Bruguière, 1792)
* ''Partula pacifica'' L. Pfeiffer, 1855
* ''Partula pearcekellyi'' Gerlach, 2016

* ''Partula planilabrum''† Pease, 1864
* ''Partula producta''† Pease, 1864
* ''Partula protracta''† Crampton, 1956
* ''Partula pyramis'' Hartman, 1886
* '' Partula radiolata'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1846)
* ''Partula radiosa'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1854)
* ''Partula recluziana'' Petit de la Saussaye, 1850
* ''Partula remota''† Crampton, 1956
* ''Partula rosea'' Broderip, 1832
* ''Partula rustica''† Pease, 1866: synonym of ''Partula garrettii'' Pease, 1865
* ''Partula sagitta''† Crampton & C. M. Cooke, 1953
* ''Partula salifana''† Crampton, 1925
* '' Partula similaris'' Hartman, 1886
* ''Partula suturalis'' L. Pfeiffer, 1855
* ''Partula taeniata'' (Mörch, 1850)
* ''Partula thalia''† Garrett, 1884: synonym of ''Partula garrettii'' Pease, 1865
* ''Partula tohiveana'' Crampton, 1924
* ''Partula tristis'' Crampton & C. M. Cooke, 1953
* '' Partula turgida''† (Pease, 1865)
* ''Partula umbilicata''† Pease, 1866
* ''Partula vanikorensis'' (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832)
* ''Partula varia'' Broderip, 1832

Cladogram

A cladogram showing the phylogenic relationships of the genus ''Partula'':

Ecology

''Partula'' species on Tahiti were usually found on the undersides of the leaves of ''Caladium'' and plantain, although in some valleys, they were frequently found on '' Dracaena'' and turmeric.

References

This article incorporates public domain text from the reference. Mayer A. G. (January 1902). "Some species of ''Partula'' from Tahiti. A study in variation". ''Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy'
XXVI(2)
Cambridge, U.S.A.

Further reading

* Crampton H. E. (1916). ''Studies on the variation, distribution and evolution of the genus Partula. The species inhabiting Tahiti.'' Carnegie Institution of Washington, 228: 1-311.
* Crampton H. E. (1925)
''Studies on the variation, distribution and evolution of the genus Partula. The species of the Mariana Islands, Guam and Saipan.''
Carnegie Institution of Washington, 228a: 1-116.
* Crampton H. E. (1932)
''Studies on the variation, distribution and evolution of the genus Partula. The species inhabiting Moorea.''
Carnegie Institution of Washington, 410: 1-335.
*

External links

* Partula evolution, diversity and conservatio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Partula

Gastropod genera
Molluscs of Oceania
Molluscs of the Pacific Ocean