This family of snails occurs widely in the Pacific islands. They are at their most diverse in the Hawaiian group. Hawaiian tree snails, genus Achatinella, are a large genus of colorful, tropical, tree-living, air-breathing, land snails, arboreal pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Achatinellidae.

This genus of tree snails live in Hawaii, and all are endangered species. They were once abundant. They were mentioned in Hawaiian folklore and songs, and their shells were used in lei and other ornaments.

Many of these arboreal snails are sinistral or left-handed in their spiral shell coiling, whereas most gastropod shells are dextral. There are 41 species of hawaiian tree snail endemic to Hawaiian island of O`ahu. All are endangered, there being only about hundred individuals of each species left.

Because growth rate and fertility are very low, these snails are especially vulnerable to loss of individuals through human collection, through predation, or because of other disturbances. The most serious threats to the survival of Oʻahu tree snails are predation by the introduced carnivorous snail Euglandina rosea, predation by rats and loss of habitat due to the spread of non-native vegetation into higher elevation forests.

Jackson’s chameleon Trioceros jacksonii, that was introduced to Hawaii in early 1970s, is a serious threat to Achatinella, because it directly prey on them and on other snails too. Other predators of Achatinella include Platydemus manokwari. All are protected and are for illustration and information only. Not to be traded.