You can find these dormant (aestivating) land snails (Achatinelloides) sporadically throughout Socotra, but find them covering an entire Socotra cucumber tree is a rare treat. Both species are found nowhere else in the world!
I was amazed by the sheer numbers, but also by the fact that this is the wet season. 22 October 2023 cyclone Tej hit Socotra, followed by weeks of wet weather, and thus the landscape is lush. In addition it is winter and the sun at its lowest and thus coolest time of the year.
The diversity of life on Socotra is incredible and the plant species endemic to the island rivals that of the Galapagos islands. A whopping 37% of Socotra’s around 830 plant species are endemic – they exist nowhere else in the world.
When it comes to land snails it is even more incredible. A staggering 95% of the land snail species on Socotra are found nowhere else!
Elevation: 102 meters.
Last updated on 2 March 2024
