Ecology
Similar to other achatinellid tree snails of Hawaii, the Newcomb’s tree snail feeds on fungi and algae which grow on the leaves and trunks of living native Hawaiian trees. The Newcomb’s tree snail is believed to exhibit the slow growth and low reproductive rate of other Hawaiian tree snails belonging to this family. Newcomb’s tree snail has been reported living on small trees of the native plant Metrosideros polymorpha (ohia lehua). Snails are most common in areas with a high percent cover of both Dicranopteris linearis (uluhe) and ohia lehua and are not present in areas where ohia cover is diminished and uluhe is replaced by grasses.
Adults require several years to reach sexual maturity; reproductive rates are low; the young emerge live from the parent; and dispersal is very limited, with most individuals remaining in the tree or bush on which they were born. All of these traits make these snails very sensitive to any event that could lead to a reduction or loss of reproductive individuals.
Read more about this topic: Newcombia Cumingi
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