Baby and two-year-old native Hawaiian snails thriving in the Honolulu Zoo’s conservation lab, safely housed until they are ready for release. Breeding Success at the Honolulu Zoo The program began working with just 10 Amastra intermedia. In 2024, the Honolulu Zoo’s program released 137 snails, and this year, they expect to release more than 200. Every two weeks, keepers find between 5 and 9 tiny new hatchlings in the breeding enclosures. The breeding tanks that the snails are kept in are frequently monitored. Unlike many other snail species, Amastra intermedia gives birth to live young rather than eggs, meaning that caretakers need to pay extra close attention to spot the little ones. Once the snails reach about 8 millimeters in size, they are ready to return to the wild. Keeping Snails Safe: Exclosures and Predator Control Releasing the snails is not as simple as setting them free. The zoo partners with the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to place them into snail exclosures — specially built, predator-proof areas in secret mountain locations. Unlike an enclosure meant to keep animals in, these exclosures were built to keep unwanted animals out. These secure sites keep out invasive threats such as the rosy wolfsnail (a carnivorous snail introduced for pest control), rats, and Jackson’s chameleons. The exclosures mimic the snails’ natural habitat, full of native Hawaiian plants. Giving them the best possible chance of survival. ROSY WOLFSNAIL Jack Jeffery Photography September/October 2025 HAWAII PARENT 135
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