(Planorbella magnifica)
A federally endangered aquatic snail endemic to North Carolina
Once extirpated from the wild
This species was only known from four locations in the lower Cape Fear River Basin, but until recently, it could no longer be found in the wild.
Saving a species from extinction
Andy Wood of the Coastal Plain Conservation Group was the first to bring some of this species into captivity to save them from an impending hurricane. He alone kept the species alive in a sanctuary at his home until NC State University and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission began holding other captive populations in 2012.
Captive propagation
Egg laying
Egg development
We are monitoring egg development at a variety of temperatures to understand how egg masses might over-winter and whether they can be held for extended periods in a refrigerator before hatching.
Back in the wild
In October 2023, approximately 2000 individuals propagated and reared at the Marion Conservation Aquaculture Center were released back into the wild. Years of work to establish an aquatic plant community and good water quality in a pond on state-owned game lands in Brunswick County, NC had finally paid off.
Yates Mill Aquatic Conservation Center at NC State University 