Search is on for the German hairy snail in London | Wildlife

He’s small, furry and “German” – and he might be hiding under a piece of driftwood near your house. Citizen scientists and expert conchologists are teaming up to carry out the first London-wide research into one of Britain’s most endangered molluscs.

The fingernail-sized German hairy snail (Pseudotrichia rubiginosa) is found in fragmented habitat patches, mainly along the tidal River Thames.

It was only recorded in Britain in 1982, but fossilized remains indicate it has existed here since at least the Neolithic and possibly since the last ice age, when the Thames was still connected to the Rhine, Germany’s longest river.

Today, more than 100 volunteers have joined a coordinated search for the snail, led by Citizen Zoo and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

The snail is commonly found clinging to debris along the high tide line of the River Thames, its islands and its tributaries, including the Lee. The fine hairs that run along its thin, round shell are thought to allow the mollusk to wick away moisture, ensuring that its slime is sticky enough to cling to the plants it feeds on and slippery riverside objects.

“I was over the moon when I found my first one, I never thought I would be so excited,” said Elliot Newton, director of rewilding at Citizen Zoo. “They are beautiful creatures if you really pay attention and they look very curious, covered in these little wiry hairs.”

Joe Pecorelli, Freshwater Conservation Program Manager at ZSL, said: “This charming little snail has made our riverbanks and wetlands their home for thousands of years – but is sadly now very rare in the UK, potentially restricted to a few sites along the River Thames.

“These surveys will help us understand how the snail is faring and how we can protect it – not only securing its future for years to come, but also helping to safeguard London’s green spaces for people and wildlife for future generations.”

The survey team, supported by partners including the London Wildlife Trust, the Conchological Society of Great Britain and the Port of London Authority, found the snail near Kew, Richmond upon Thames, Isleworth Ait and east of Cody Dock on the Lower Lee.

The surveys will identify how habitat restoration, pollution management and the potential transfer of snails between sites can help boost a species, which is a priority in the London Biodiversity Action Plan and considered endangered in other European countries such as Germany.

Newton said: “The German hairy snail is a species that helps spark the imagination and open people’s minds to the curious and diverse wildlife that can thrive in Greater London. It reminds us of the remarkable natural world that exists right on our doorstep.”