Tiny Computer on Snail Teaches Scientists About Species Survival

According to The New York Times, a tiny computer was screwed onto the shell of a rosy wolf snail in Tahiti in 2017. The rosy wolf snail is carnivorous and has been at least somewhat involved in the extinction of up to 134 snail species globally. 

The cute but dangerous species was brought to Tahiti decades ago, but against all odds, “the tiny yogurt-colored snail Partula hyalina” has managed to slip through the rosy wolf snail’s slippery fingers. By observing the data collected on predatory snail’s shells in the Partula hyalina’s habitat, scientists have figured out how the surviving snail’s shell is its key to avoid extinction. 

While a 2014 paper by Dr. Cindy Blick and Diarmaid Ó Foighil suggested that the P. hyalina’s large amount of offspring has helped it survive, Dr. Foighil was not fully convinced. “It’s doing more than surviving,” he said.

The thriving snail’s success is in its pale shell. The rosy wolf snail has a dark shell and must spend most of its time in the shade to avoid drying out. However, the P. hylania’s milky shell can reflect light off of it, they can live in more sunny areas and avoid running into their carnivorous counterparts. 

The computers created by David Blaauw’s engineering lab were slightly larger than aphids. After trial and error, Dr. Inee Lee and Dr. Blaaw “figured out how to glue a metal nut to the surface and screw the sensor into the nut”. The sensor would track how much sunlight the rosy wolf snail was receiving, and other sensors were placed around the P. hyalina’s habitat. They were not allowed to put computers directly on any P. hyalina’s because they are considered endangered. 

Data showed that the P. hyalina’s habitat received 10 times as much sun as the rosy wolf snail. It’s an exciting discovery and supports efforts to conserve the pale snail’s sunny refuge.

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