Conservationists unite to save London’s rare ‘German’ hairy snail

Conservationists and citizen scientists have joined forces in a project to save the “lovely little” hairy snail from Ice Age London.

Called the German hairy snail because of the tiny hairs that cover its shell and because it is thought to have originally come from the continent, this rare species is one of the most endangered mollusks in the UK.

The fingernail-sized animal (Pseudotrichia rubiginosa) can only be found in small, fragmented patches of its historic wet habitat along the River Thames.

The team, led by Citizen Zoo and Zoological Society of London (ZSL), has launched a series of studies to better understand the species’ distribution in the capital and inform conservation action.

Over the past few months the team has been searching and identifying species at both known and potential river sites in districts such as Newham, Richmond upon Thames and Barnet.

The team hopes to then build a more robust picture of the snail’s current distribution in the UK and identify how habitat restoration, pollution management and careful movement of snails between sites can help recover their numbers.

Joe Pecorelli, freshwater conservation program director at ZSL, said: “This charming little snail has called our riverbanks and wetlands home for thousands of years, however, it is sadly now very rare in the UK, potentially restricted to a few sites along the Thames.”

Although first recorded in the UK in 1982, fossilized remains indicate that the German hairy snail has called the UK home since at least the Stone Age, and potentially even since the last Ice Age, when Britain was still attached to continental Europe.

At that time, the Thames was still connected to the Rhine, Germany’s longest river, which today flows into the North Sea.

Pecorelli said: “These studies will help us understand how the snail is faring and how we can protect it, not only securing its future for years to come, but also helping to safeguard green spaces across London for people and wildlife for future generations.”

The team hopes to then build a more robust picture of the snail’s current distribution in the UK and identify how habitat restoration, pollution management and careful movement of snails between sites can help recover their numbers.

The fine hairs running along the thin, round shell are thought to allow the snail to sweat away moisture, helping to make its slime sticky enough to stick to slippery riverbank debris and the plants it feeds on.

Elliot Newton, director of rewilding at Citizen Zoo, said: “The German hairy snail is a species that helps spark the imagination and open people’s minds to the curious and diverse wildlife that can thrive across Greater London.

“It reminds us of the extraordinary natural world that exists right on our doorstep.

“The surveys show how, by working together across the capital with many partners and empowering local communities, we can gain a deeper understanding of London’s most hidden biodiversity and take action to protect it.”

The project is run in partnership with the London Wildlife Trust, the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Greenspace Information for Greater London CIC and the Port of London Authority, and with financial support from Thames21 and the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.