More recent surveys over nearly 20 years have registered a high of 55 pupu kani oe to a low of four in ecosystems in central Lanai.
Snails Used for Lei Could Get Some Help
Lanai tree snails that have dwindled to single-digit numbers by some estimates could be getting some assistance as one of 38 species that are being proposed for the federal endangered species list, the Maui News reports.
Although there are no historical population estimates, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said qualitative accounts of Hawaiian tree snails indicate that they were widespread and abundant and could have numbered in the tens of thousands between the 1800s and early 1900s statewide.
The snails were commonly used in leis.
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