The smallest land snail in the world was recently discovered in the Guangxi Province of China by scientists taking soil samples in the area. The “microsnail,” which could easily be mistaken for a tiny pebble, measures a mere .03 inches and is small enough in size that 10 of them can fit in the eye of a needle.
Barna Páll-Gergely, a scientist from Shinshu University in Japan and the co-author of a study that sheds light on the snail, specializes in the research about microgastropods (snails less than .2 inches (5mm) in size). He notes that this is an extremely large and diverse group, and there are still more species left to be identify. In this instance alone, scientists not only discovered the smallest land snail, but also six other different species of microgastropods in the Guangxi Province.
Microsnail discoveries
The smallest microsnail, Angustopila dominikae, is named after the wife of Pall-Gergely. It is gray in color, has a swirling shell structure and can be found clinging onto cliffs of limestone. Researchers believe it is not possible for snails to be much smaller in size, otherwise the organism would not be able to hold its internal organs. Furthermore, a minimum number of cells is needed to survive.
The six other species of snail that were discovered include Angustopila fabella, which measures between .03 and .04 inches. This snail receives the name fabella (latin for bean) because of its bean-like opening. Angustopila subelevata, the next largest in size, measures about .036 inches and is followed by Angustopila szekeresi, which comes in at .04 inches. Hypselostoma lacrima and Hypselostoma socialis are both .05 inches and Krobylos sinensis is around .09 to 0.1 inches.
Are they found anywhere else in the world?
Researchers believe this species of snail, as well as the others, is endemic to the region. This means they can probably be found only in this particular area. It’s not clear why the snails did not evolve to become bigger in size, as this is normally beneficial to the species. Researchers still have a lot to study and learn about microsnails, particularly with a focus on the biodiversity seen in this province of China.
