He's tiny, hairy and “German” – and may be hiding under a snag next to you. Citizen scientists and conchological experts are teaming up to carry out London's first search for one of Britain's most endangered shellfish.
The German hairy snail is the size of a fingernail.Pseudotrichia rustiginosa) occurs in fragmented habitat patches, mainly along the tidal Thames.
It was not recorded in Britain until 1982, but fossilized remains indicate it has been here since at least Neolithic times and possibly since the last Ice Age, when the Thames was still connected to the Rhine, Germany's longest river.
Now more than 100 volunteers have joined a coordinated search for the snail, led by Citizen Zoo And Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
The snail can usually be found clinging to debris along the high tide line of the Thames, its islands and tributaries, including the Lea. Fine hairs running along its thin, round shell are thought to allow the mollusk to lose moisture, ensuring its mucus is sticky enough to stick to the plants it feeds on and slippery coastal objects.
“I was over the moon when I found my first one, I never thought I would be so excited,” said Elliot Newton, director return to the wild at the Civic Zoo. “They're beautiful creatures if you really pay attention to them, and very curious, covered in these little straight hairs.”
Joe Pecorelli, freshwater conservation program manager at ZSL, said: “This adorable little snail has called our riverbanks and wetlands home for thousands of years, but unfortunately it is now very rare in the UK and potentially limited to just a few sites along the Thames.
“This research will help us understand how the snail is doing and how we can protect it – not only ensuring their future for years to come, but also helping to preserve green spaces across London for people and wildlife for future generations.”
The research team, supported by partners including the London Wildlife Trust, Conchological Society of Great Britain and the Port of London Authority discovered the snail near Kew, in Richmond upon Thames, Isleworth Aith and east to Cody Doc on Lower Lee.
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The research will help determine how habitat restoration, pollution control and potential movement of the snails between sites could support the development of the species, which is a priority in the London Biodiversity Action Plan and is considered critically endangered in other European countries such as Germany.
Newton said: “The German hairy snail is a species that helps spark imaginations and open people's minds to the curious and diverse wildlife that can thrive in Greater London. It reminds us of the wonderful natural world that exists right on our doorstep.”
