Three more species of snails, new to science, have been discovered by a group of researchers from Bhutan and The Netherlands.
With the recent discovery, the total number of snail and slug species found in the country now stands at around 200.
The three new species are named Endothyrella Bhutanensis, Endothyrella Spirostriata and Endothyrella Pemagatshel.
Endothyrella Bhutanensis are small conical shells. The species is yellowish brown in colour with tiny little hairs on them. They were collected from Tsirang, Gelegphu, Zhemgang, Wangdue Phodrang and Trongsa districts.
The Endothyrella Spirostriata was discovered above 2300 meters above sea level in Pema Gatshel. The shell is medium sized and has a dark brownish color with little hairs on them as well.
And Endothyrella Pemagatshel is named after the district where it was discovered from. The shell comes in large size and without any hairs on it. It is yellowish brown with reddish brown stripes on them.
The study of snails and slugs is a collaborative project between the National Biodiversity Centre, Ugyen Wangchuk Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research and the Naturalis, a biodiversity centre based in The Netherlands.
