The snail’s shell diameter averages about 22 to 30 millimeters (.87 to 1.18 inches). Each snail’s shell has a unique combination of stripes and colors, so no two are exactly alike. These snails eat ...

Increased trafficking of colorful snail shells is now posing a serious threat to these species. The ‘painted snails’ are native to Cuba and are known to be the world’s most beautiful snails. These ...

Spectacularly colored shells make these critically endangered Cuban snails highly sought after, but some are working to save them. A collection of Cuban painted snails (Polymita picta) adds vibrant ...

Kendall Powell is a freelance writer in Boulder, Colorado. In my laboratory at the University of Oriente, in Santiago de Cuba, we study the six species of Polymita, known as painted snails, which are ...