Palaina patula
CR

Palaina patula

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) — Species of gastropod

Overview

Palaina patula is a species of small land snail with an operculum, a terrestrial gastropod mollusk or micromollusks in the family Diplommatinidae. This species is endemic to Palau.

Palaina patula faces severe threats from habitat destruction and fragmentation of its native forest ecosystems in the Pacific islands. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes, with introduced species and human development activities posing additional pressures on remaining populations. Climate change effects, including altered precipitation patterns and rising temperatures, further threaten the specialized microhabitats this endemic snail requires for survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

Palaina patula inhabits moist tropical forests and woodland areas, typically found in leaf litter and among vegetation in humid microenvironments. The species requires specific moisture and temperature conditions found in undisturbed forest ecosystems of its native Pacific island range.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist lowland· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recovery

Other threatened species in DIPLOMMATINIDAE

EN

Diplommatina pyramis

Unknown
CR

Opisthostoma perspectivum

Declining
VU

Opisthostoma bihamulatum

Stable
CR

Opisthostoma fraternum

Declining

Threatened in Palau

Humped BladderwortCR

Humped Bladderwort

Utricularia gibba

Unknown
VU

Seventy Islands-Gecko

Lepidodactylus paurolepis

Unknown
VU

Palau Rock Snail

Sphendone insolita

Unknown
VU

Manilkara udoido

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Palaina patula classified as Critically Endangered?
Palaina patula is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Palaina patula faces severe threats from habitat destruction and fragmentation of its native forest ecosystems in the Pacific islands. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes, with introduced species and human development activities posing additional pressures on remaining populations. Climate change effects, including altered precipitation patterns and rising temperatures, further threaten the specialized microhabitats this endemic snail requires for survival.
Where does Palaina patula live?
Palaina patula occurs in Palau. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Palaina patula?
The main threats to Palaina patula are 6.2, ai-1, ai-2, and ai-3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.