CUBAN TRANSITIONS

Cuba: THE PARADISE OF SNAILS!

Not a title often associated with the colonial island – unless you’re a biologist or conservationist – Cuba is home to some of the most beautiful and biologically diverse species of snails in the world. A teeming bevvy of these tiny, slow moving creatures populates the island and they leave their own mark in more ways than one. As we saw in our video “Cuba: The Accidental Eden”, these small gastropods are found all over Cuba. Especially varied in the Viñales Valley, mojotes show some of the most intricate and isolated ecosystems that snails reproduce, grow and thrive in. But, before we get to those species endemic to Cuba, let’s talk about some basic caracol (Spanish for snail) facts.

Snails and slugs all fall into the animal kingdom. As invertebrates, they are specified to be under the phylum Mollusca – amazingly, they are also the most populous species in this phylum with over 80% of that phylum being gastropods. Taking it a step further, gastropods consist of land snails, fresh water snails, sea snails and slugs (of all varieties) – its no wonder these little guys rule their phylum. One of the reasons for the multitude of different species of snail is their hardiness and ability to adapt to even the most strenuous situations. Gastropods can be found any place from woodlands to hydrothermal vents in the ocean.

For the purposes of this blog post, I’ll be talking about land snails and slugs. These little guys look for sustenance in lichens and under fern leaves while also attaining their water source from the plants and trees they roam freely over. Land snails can also ingest fruit, decaying animals and bark. They inch along on a part of their anatomy called a ‘foot’, which is nothing more than a muscle. They have eyestalks, which are less important because gastropods are usually nocturnal creatures and olfactory senses that are their most important sensory organ. Land snails and slugs also have a central and peripheral nervous system but they don’t have a ‘brain’ in the conventional way that we think about it. Instead, they have a series of paired ganglia membranes that are primitive in form and control all their basic functions.

One of the most interesting characteristics of land snails, though, is their sexual reproduction. Land snails, like most species of gastropods, are hermaphrodites. They can fertilize themselves and require no mate to reproduce – BUT snails are just like most other creatures and do enjoy coitus with mates every so often (who doesn’t?). The Cuban painted snail (Polymita picta) has an elaborate – if slow – dance where they circle one another before they come together to mate. The real kicker is that, once comfortable, they shoot a “love dart” into one another. Meaning, they pierce each other’s sensitive zone (ouch) and exchange sperm to fertilize their mates.

The Cuban painted snail – also known as the Cuban land snail – may be a little kinky but that doesn’t mean they aren’t beautiful (you’ve heard that saying, right? – the prettiest gastropods do the ugliest things!).  Shown below, the Cuban painted snail is prized for it’s beautiful artisan shell and varying body color. Because of this, these little guys are being poached at a rapid rate to be sold for tourism purposes – so much so, in fact, that they’ve become endangered. It doesn’t help that this type of snail is endemic to Cuba and found nowhere else in the world. As mentioned in the “Accidental Eden” video, if Cuba opens its doors to American tourism, it could signal the end for the Cuban painted snail.

Do not fear, though! There are people in Cuba (okay one person) who has dedicated her life to the conservation and study of gastropods in Cuba. Emma Palacios Lemagne is the leading gastropoda biologist and conservationist in Cuba. She has been studying different species of snail and slugs for years and most of her work is carried out in the Viñales Valley – more specifically the mojotes in that valley. Mojotes are limestone carsts that have been worn away by hundreds of years of erosion and have been little islands of ecosystems upon themselves. As Emma says, “Each slope on these mojotes has its own species and different variations of snails which all belong to the same species. The conditions and the habitat – like humidity, feeding conditions or wind resistance show the diversity of forms in such a small area.” She goes on to talk about how these mojotes provide the perfect laboratory for her studies. Each limestone hill has its own cousin species to the Cuban painted snail and because no snail or slug travels more than 60 feet from their home, they are able to grow in extreme isolation and peace. Take for instance the pancake slug – he has adapted in isolation so that he is perfectly camouflaged among the grey limestone of the mojotes.

But all isn’t what it seems in the valley of the snails; “Accidental Eden” points out that the environment for these snails is becoming endangered due to growing tobacco plantations in the Viñales Valley. Snails are also being poached more and more as a source of needed protein for poor Cubans and a source of income as their shells are being sold as tourist gifts. But Emma is working hard to keep the snail population healthy. She has her own conservatory for the tiny creatures but because she gets paid such a small amount, she can only do so much for her Mollusca friends. As she says, though, “I like them because of their lifestyle – so free, so relaxed, so interesting!” I couldn’t agree more, Emma. They are kind, they are smart, and they are important creatures to the diverse ecological community of Cuba! Long live the paradise.