Flax snail  (Placostylus hongii)

Description

Endemic to New Zealand, flax snails (Placostylus spp.) belong to the world’s oldest land snail family, which originated 200 to 300 million years ago (3). The long, coiled brown shell of this large snail species can reach enormous lengths of more than eight centimetres (2) (4). Some populations contain albinos, which are characterised by a white to pale-yellow rather than bright orange or red colour within the shell opening (aperture). The outside of the shell (periostracum) is also paler brown in some albinos, but the shells of the two forms otherwise appear identical (5).

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