Eenie is a snail with a rainbow or psychedelic sparkly shell that has magic like qualities to shine, sparkle and uplift. While usually snails are not considered to be lovable in fact  snails have become pets in some places. In Cuba, for example,  there are really beautiful colourful snails that look very like Eenie – who is from everywhere! Eenie wants to raise awareness of his Snail cousins, family and friends to protect the wonderful, colourful snails – and snails all over the world on land and at sea.

For the most part, the  coloured snails live in trees and shrubs, eating lichens and mosses, which are the sources of the minerals that give their shells the stunning colours. Whether or not the colouring protects them from humans or predators – or provides some other advantage for the snails – remains unknown.  The snails are ecologically important for us all; by devouring mosses and bark fungi, they also help keep trees healthy, including in coffee plantations.

To protect Cuba’s painted snails from people stealing them, snail experts and colleagues are working to educate Cubans and visitors about the animals’ rarity and vulnerability.

They are studying the snails’ biology, with a view to raising them in captivity and releasing them in the wild. They are also partnering with farmers in eastern Cuba to encourage them to care for the animals on their land.
In the future, It is envisioned that snail-watching tours could be arranged, providing economic incentives for their preservation and conservation.

Let’s joint hands together  to help with this life saving mission and support Eenie’s cousins, family and friends.