Kāhuli | Kane Tee - dark mustard - *ASF*

Kāhuli - Laminella sanguinea
The singing of the pūpū kani oe in the late night and the
clear, distinct voice of the kāhuli leo leʻa welcoming the new
day were special parts of our ancestral soundscape. With over
750 species in habitats from uka to kai, it’s no wonder their
sounds are highlighted in hundreds of mele composed in the
1800s. Kāhuli were also the jewels of our forests, strung into
lei and worn proudly by our kūpuna. Today we have lost
roughly half our kāhuli species and at least another 100 are
critically endangered and could disappear in the next decade.
That is why we’ve chosen to partner with the Snail Extinction
Prevention Program (SEPP), the team who currently mālama
40 species of kāhuli (both tree and ground snails) including
the one honored here, Laminella sanguinea. This charismatic
Oʻahu endemic has black lightning patterns over an ombre
sunset that surely inspired some of the earliest kapa designs.
However, this snail covers up those markings by coating its
shell in its own poop to blend into its surroundings. It’s semi
arboreal, so it spends time both on trees and on the ground.
There are two wild populations in the Waiʻanae range that are
protected by a predator-proof fence and are monitored
regularly. Counting lab and field populations, SEPP estimates
there are less than 500 of this kāhuli remaining. Snails not
only have huge cultural value, they play critical roles in native
ecosystems where they clean plants and cycle nutrients. We
only have a decade to make sure kāhuli stay around for the
coming generations.
To learn more visit: dlnr.hawaii.gov/snails