Saving a Species That Lives Only in One Cliff on a Deserted Island | EP.2

The search for extinct snails continues in the Desertas Islands... On the second and third day of field work the team had to scale sheer cliffs to try and find enough snails for our breeding programme.
These beautiful species of snail are on the brink and often live only in a tiny patch of fern about 20m2 in size on the side of a sheer cliff on this deserted island. This makes finding and breeding them extremely hard but the team is up to the challenge!
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⏱️TIMESTAMPS⏱️
0:00 Introduction
0:26 Expedition Update
1:18 Day 2 Risco
4:37 Day 3 Planalto Sul

[@bulbasaurousrex6009]

It’s quite sad to see one of those fantastic shells gone for good… maybe those 2 juveniles will breed one day and save the species… although it’s unlikely I hope it will happen! Keep up the great work! You and your team are saving those snails!

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you Adrien! There is the chance that we can find enough on future expeditions as they often dig quite deep and hide in the ground (10cm+) during the dry season and are impossible to find. This expedition had to be postponed a few times due to the pandemic so it happened right at the start of the dry season. Fingers crossed for the next expedition!

[@ruijurassico2028]

@@MossyEarth you can do, I believe, I really wanted to help you on being amember but i dont have conditions to do it, for now, keep the great work!!

[@chris_iapetus]

Now THIS is what I call a fascinating look at the wavefront of knowledge acquisition. People doing positive, altruistic, truly worthwhile things that improve the world. I almost forgot that some people still live this way. I've not yet managed to, but I cherish my dreams.

[@rodrigocarnier8035]

It's astounding how a video about hunting endangered snails feels like a thriller. I was mostly humbled by the fact that an entire species is limited to more or less 20m^2 of area in a sheer cliff. It's the entire universe for a macroscopic species, enclosed in such a minuscule space... The scales of their world and their size are very small but the stakes are huge, in a forgotten place in the middle of the Atlantic. I was also very touched by the sheer happiness of the ranger when he found the second species. I could feel how it was emotional for him, if he had cried I think it would bring me to tears too. Friends, what an amazing channel you all have. So far I had watched only some spare videos in the channel, but now I'm gonna comb your entire tracklist hahaha. You make humanity proud. Cheers!

[@jkr9594]

wow, this channel is criminally underrated.

[@MossyEarth]

Criminally indeed! At least we got picked up by the algorithm now. Glad you enjoy our content! - Cheers, Duarte

[@amandaoosthuizen9065]

The extend that the group goes to find extinct species is heart-warming.

[@nick3xtremegaming212]

6:44 its depressing to know that in that shot we're likely looking at the last individuals of a species and that may be the last time they are seen before extinction.

[@TheTdZt]

Agree it’s a bit tough to see biodiversity loss in such a stark and irreversible form. However we still have hope that there are more individuals and that if we figure out the right conditions and methods of searching we will be able to safeguard this one too! We will keep you updated. Cheers, Tiago

[@nick3xtremegaming212]

@@TheTdZt yeah. hopefully they begin rebuilding the native ecosystem and reintroducing the old plant life of the island like the trees cut down by the would be settlers who first came there.

[@MossyEarth]

That's the long term vision! Cheers, Tiago

[@noodleman4625]

Save the snails 🐌

[@snowwave22]

Hi! I admire the work you are doing! I am curios, is there a plan to eradicate invasive species on the bigger island too?

[@MossyEarth]

Hi Dora, I believe that for now there are no plans yet. It is a big endeavour and will require serious investment. - Cheers, Duarte

[@RCSVirginia]

Dora Luise Eradicating invasive species on islands where they threaten the endemic flora and fauna is definitely something that needs to be done even more around the world.

[@joaquimbarbosa896]

I've been thinking about this, what about introducing those species in other enviroments, as long as they don't destory the equilibrium of said enviroment, it's not gonna be a problem and it will help the species

[@MossyEarth]

Hi Joaquim, the Bugio island just south of Deserta Grande is the ideal candidate in our eyes at the moment. It has these snails in the fossil record and the invasive goats and rats have been eradicated. For now it is about finding enough specimens and getting the breeding program going. Then on to the next step. We will keep you posted :)

[@L.P.1987]

Saving endangered species by converting them in invasive ones? Nice...

[@robertfaucher3750]

@@MossyEarth I was about to ask if the goats or rats are still there.

[@Miamcoline]

So very cool. Thanks for taking us on this adventure! Loved seeing the look on the faces of the local biologists/rangers. Also thank you for being so frank with the explanations. Very cool about the other island's rats and mice.

[@MossyEarth]

Very glad it resonated with you, reading these comments is very motivating! Cheers, Tiago

[@Miamcoline]

@@MossyEarth I'm glad it helps and I'm looking into how to support you guys more very soon. Its just a matter of finding the spare time and thinking about which ways I can do that best. Keep it up!

[@Nitka022]

Uuuuuu...success and disappointments.....every little creature counts so much as we did so much damage all over the globe!! I do hope you find those snails somewhere else to start breeding program. Please, keep us all posted! THIS is THE BEST VIEWING on youtube these days...:-))))

[@MossyEarth]

We have in the meantime done another expedition and all I can say is it had some positive results! Video in a few months ;)

[@hugoantoniocorvalanferrari2006]

where is this magical place

[@MossyEarth]

This magical place is in the middle of the Atlantic and is part of the Madeira Archipelago. - Cheers, Duarte

[@skie6282]

Imagine finding a specias with such low numbers that you know it would be extinct in a month, also likely due to mice...

[@TheTdZt]

It’s impressive how rare and endangered some of these snails are. Actually we don’t have enough information about them to know for sure that they are going extinct but have good reasons to think they are at great risk. I haven’t lost hope for this one yet. We will keep you updated. Thank you for the comment! Tiago

[@RCSVirginia]

If these Atlantica calathoides snails are hermaphroditic and possess the island characteristic of being able to increase successfully from only a few individuals--just look at the Chatham Island Black Robin for which all living robins are descendants from one mated pair--two snails could be enough to breed to recover the population. Furthermore, this video does demonstrate the importance of eliminating invasive predators from island habitats, and foreign rats and mice are at the top of the list of predators that need to exterminated.

[@TheTdZt]

Thanks for the thoughtful comment! Because resources are limited I think it is best in the big picture to focus captive breeding efforts on situations where they are likely to be successful. That’s why these thresholds are important. Also if the population in the wild is still viable those few snails may be better off remaining together. Complex decisions though! Cheers, Tiago

[@tracepayne3125]

Hi, this is so interesting and we have a similar issue you here besides it being a snail or island. I live in AZ and am a student at asu. We have been trying to re populate jaguars and ocelots in southern Arizona by incorporating the many few from Mexico in the genetic fold. This is because the border wall keeps the species from crossing over its native range which may cause certain inbreeding issues. If you guys are interested in coming out here sometime, I feel like jaguars in the U.S. would be a interesting video to make.

[@MossyEarth]

That's really interesting actually. The way that artificial structures affect wild populations, their connectivity and genetic diversity is a very interesting and important topic. Best of luck with your work, sounds exciting! Tiago

[@fod1235]

Great channel keep it up guys

[@MossyEarth]

Thanks, we will!

[@jimallen9442]

I love you guys..

[@tylrwnzl]

Done that with a drone more than once. Hurts way more than you'd expect a little piece of plastic to manage.

[@MossyEarth]

Hurts even more when you know how avoidable it is haha. Now I have a better way of catching and stopping the drone. Always learning. Thanks for the comment! Tiago

[@JanKowalski-un6kf]

Funny how this video has 500 views, and your 3rd video from this have 500k😅

[@MossyEarth]

Hi Jan, yes our channel has recently gotten a lot of exposure thanks to the KZbin algorithm, mainly on two videos. Although this one has a few more views now :) - Cheers, Duarte

[@seabap5673]

What are the species hunting the snails to extinction ?I read a earlier comment where you said the invasive species had been eradicated

[@pboyd4278]

Rats (and they said the rats were probably killing them for moisture rather than food). The other island has had them eradicated.

[@MossyEarth]

Exactly, it is rats which eat them and goats which eat the plants they live on. Both were eradicated from a nearby island which means it might be suitable for a re-introduction.

[@seabap5673]

Thanks for the clarification

[@markkubiak8296]

A great and worthwhile effort! Fascinating.

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you Mark! We really appreciate everyone's support of such an odd project :) - Cheers, Duarte

[@gdbanks]

i know that islands that have invasive mice and rats have had them poisoned off those islands. has that been considered?

[@xicoavila3068]

Continua com o bom trabalho 👍🏻

[@MossyEarth]

Obrigado! Tiago

[@xicoavila3068]

@@MossyEarth Tiago?

[@TheCoffeybeans]

Would it be a good idea to maintain a group of cats on the island? Based out of the building down below the cliffs. To reduce the population of rodents

[@MossyEarth]

Would be tempting but unfortunately cats could bring problems of their own to species such as the endemic lizzards or the birds that use the island as a refuge. Cheers, Tiago

[@dictatorofcanada4238]

Do you guys ever worry about stepping on and accidentally killing species like snails? What precautions do you take?

[@surverohitd]

1.08 of the video, who made the stairs at these islands ...

[@Wassermelonenbaum]

Okay, but how does one end up searching for snails that dig 10cm deep into the ground of a small island in the middle of the atlantic? What led to this research in the first place? Anf what got you involved in it?

[@MossyEarth]

The short version is that we realised that focusing on species that are neglected could be a way for us to have a greater impact on halting biodiversity loss. And then learning that island land snails are among the groups facing the fastest rates of extinction, this seemed like an important priority. That's what led us to connect with Dinarte from ICNF and everything flowed from there! Thanks for the interest, Tiago

[@VikashXman]

This is depressing and astonishing at the same time

[@iuliiavasiuta2740]

❤❤❤

[@RuneChaosMarine]

should one be searching and removing mice and rats? should mossyEarth focus on target invasive life?

[@sailingbrewer]

seems like you might be able to keep the mice population under control by leaving water out with a high level of birth control. The mice will be on birth control and will die out from old age. Judging from your description you wouldn't have to worry about putting a native species on birth control.

[@bilouchazegaming7662]

Why taking 80?!? While you need only 20-30?!

[@panoken2130]

Because 20-30 is the bare minimum for a stable breeding population. If the species is going extinct, it's better to take more if you find them because that means more genetic diversity, and better chances that the species will survive.

[@TheTdZt]

Good question and good answer :) Thank you both for the interest! Tiago

[@prajaktajoshi6280]

👍

[@freshboy3968]

Snails are the most exctinction susceptible species? Wouldn't think the garden pests are part of such a vulnerable family. Guess you learn something new each day.

[@Zomfoo]

Why?

[@thatundeadlegacy2985]

are you ever going to try elimating invasive species?

[@MossyEarth]

This is something the park is working on, at this stage we are just focused on supporting the snail species rescue operation. Cheers, Tiago

[@eggs2627]

How do I get a similar type of job

[@user-tk7yy6jl4p]

A good question.

[@abrahamschaal5875]

why do you need at least 30 snails to breed them? can't you do it with only 5 or so? with 2 being the absolute minimum?

[@jeanduhamel9101]

Genetic diversity, with a lower population you encure risk relates to inbreeding

[@RCSVirginia]

@@jeanduhamel9101 However, many island species have evolved to deal with low-population periods and recover from them. Just look at some of the birds on Mauritius or the Chatham Island Black Robin on the Chatham Islands.

[@RCSVirginia]

Abraham Schaal Yes, I was thinking the exact same thing.

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you! The issue is that Zoos have limited resources and in the big scheme of things it’s important to have a threshold that ensures we don’t waste resources on captive breeding programmes that are unlikely to be successful when we could invest them in other species. This means having sufficient numbers to overcome chance events and enough genetic diversity for long term viability. Hope this makes sense. Cheers, Tiago

[@stevecooper6076]

Imagine a few generations down the road that started from a brother and sister. You need more genetic material to avoid the health issues that would eventually plague the descendants.

[@kaspernielsen9149]

why are native plants and trees not being introduced to restore the eco system?

[@verro9153]

you can think of these islands as oasis's in a vast desert. We like to think of the ocean as teeming with life but as a whole it is relatively empty with only a few hot spot areas where diversity explodes. For islands that haven't been connected in forever, you begin to see diverging lineages. Plus they are pretty barren since they don't retain much water in the ground due to salt water saturating any potential aquafer or porous rock in the ground. So you are going to find relatively hardy species that are slow to grow. taking care of any invasive species is more important.

[@MossyEarth]

Verro described it perfectly 👆 :) - Cheers, Duarte

[@denigster]

watched some of your videos where i always thought maybe i m not educated enough to ask any questions but hunting some snails somewhere in nowwhere feels on many levels wrong for me - at first it stands out that you are the invader and there is so much more which i dont want to discuss - i just want to let you know that for now on i will watch with open eyes or i will not even watch any more

[@gdbanks]

so those islands use to have trees? why not plant a few.

[@icantcook9998]

Why leave the two juveniles for the rats and the mice to eat you should bring them back

[@MegaDeepRoots]

How were the invasive rats eradicated from the boomerang shaped island? Can't the same thing be done to eradicate the rats and mice on the other island? Woo-Hoo! I see the possibility for great success!

[@stevecooper6076]

If you really intended to save the species why wouldn’t you take the available living ones, breed them, then reintroduce them instead of leaving them behind to fend for the species survival on their own? They either die in captive breeding program or nature takes its course in the wild, they’re still extinct. At least in captivity there’s a better chance for the species to continue, and you’ll know you’ve done your very best to help.

[@MossyEarth]

Hi Thank you for the question, it's a very valid one. I am copying my reply from another comment, I hope this makes sense: The issue is that Zoos have limited resources and in the big scheme of things it’s important to have a threshold that ensures we don’t waste resources on captive breeding programmes that are unlikely to be successful when we could invest them in other species. This means having sufficient numbers to overcome chance events and enough genetic diversity for long term viability. Hope this makes sense. Cheers, Tiago

[@maelmichel4175]

Useless. They may have killed those 30 individuals by walking with their big boots. Remove the goats, plant some trees and let these animals in peace.

[@SimchaWaldman]

I wish you guys good luck with your work, but please: as time moves on, try not to play god.

[@TheTdZt]

Thank you! It doesn’t feel like playing god but more like reversing past human damage. We are always interacting with ecosystems, it’s just a matter of making that interaction more positive. Cheers, Tiago

[@cestmoi5702]

Hi guys. Wouldn’t replenishing the snail population increase the rat population because you’re increasing the rat’s source of food thereby bringing you back to square one: the decline and eventual extinction of the snails? More rats eating the snails. Thank you.

[@Justmebeingme37]

Is it really saving? A bit closer to kidnapping. Now you showed where they are so others can take them to. Try leaving things alone instead. That's why they still exist there. Probably walked all over them and ruined other stuff while you were there

[@MossyEarth]

The island is not visited and there are always rangers around. Poaching is not a threat for these snail species. Leaving things alone would mean that human impact that started centuries ago would be left to impact the ecosystem today. And of course we were careful not to damage the ecosystem while we were there. Cheers, Tiago