Kauri snail
Our kauri snail was once found throughout Northland, but it’s had a hard time of late because of loggers, farmers and an onslaught of pests from possums to hedgehogs.
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They have taken away much of their homeland, and stripped their population back to almost nothing!
Like their cousins the powelliphanta snail, the kauri snail is nocturnal, carnivorous and cannibalistic.
Snails aren’t normally meat-eaters – only 10% of the snails in the world are carnivorous.
There are two types of kauri snail in New Zealand.They live throughout Northland and on Hen Island.
To catch their food they envelop their prey in a sticky substance that suffocates their victims. They eat mainly earthworms but they also like munching on insects and even other snails.
Family life
Our kauri snails only mate when the conditions are right – generally this is after a good rainfall.
And like their cousins the powelliphanta snail, they don’t produce many eggs – only around 6 eggs per year!
What's in a name?
The kauri snail has a funny
name because it doesn’t like living anywhere near kauri. The soil around a kauri tree is too dry for kauri snails – they much prefer moist soil.
The parent snails lay their eggs into an area of worm-filled ground. After the eggs hatch the snails will spend the first week or so underground eating any prey that comes their way.
These snails will live to a grand old age – some even live to be 20 years old!
Furry menace
Possums love snacking on kauri snails. Kauri snails live deep within leaf litter though, so it’s only when they cross a road or a path that possums can snaffle them up!
Rats also like munching on them. They can only eat baby kauri snails though because their mouths are too small to gobble up the adult-sized ones.
