SERIES 36 | Episode 28
We meet Bruno and Otto Bell, 21-year-old twin brothers who collect and catalogue Tasmania’s native snails and weevils.
Twin brothers Bruno and Otto Bell have always been fascinated by nature. From a very young age, they were collecting shells and fossils – any natural history specimen they could get their hands on. A high school science project catapulted Bruno into the microscopic world of Tasmania’s native snails. He started talking to invertebrate specialists and going out on field trips to photograph these tiny molluscs. Around the same time, Otto became interested in another native microscopic invertebrate, weevils. Together, they have spent hours searching for and photographing native snails and weevils, including several brand-new species. Their keen interest and eye for detail have taken them around Australia and the world, attending conferences and helping catalogue specimens in museums.
Most of us know weevils as little bugs that infest our dry goods or destroy our garden plants. But all weevils are not evil. Our native weevils play an important role in the ecosystem. Tasmania has around 800 native weevil species. They feed on leaf litter, returning nutrients to the soil. They are also an important food source for other animals.
Snails are another great enemy of gardeners. Their slime trails are created by mucus they use to lubricate their muscles to glide across the forest floor. Slugs are in the same family as snails, but they evolved to live without shells. Like native weevils, native snails help decompose organic material. They also play a key role in the calcium cycle. The take up calcium from plant material, which goes into their shells, and then becomes available to other animals like birds, who need it for their eggshells.
These tiny but important invertebrates are under threat from climate change and land use, which affect their natural environment. Gardeners can help by planting native species to provide food and shelter. If you have exotic, pest garden snails and weevils, avoid broad range pesticides as they can affect the native species.
Bruno and Otto encourage people to take photographs of snails and weevils they come across and upload to iNaturalist, which can help with research. This should only be done without disturbing the natural environment.
Featured Species PIPERS RIVER PINWHEEL SNAILTasmathera limula Bonhamaropa sp. “Bronte”LEGRAND’S PINWHEEL SNAILTasmathera legrandi Charopidae sp. “Apsley”KINGSTON PINWHEEL SNAILDiemenoropa kingstonensis Charopidae sp. “Flinders Island” Poropterus alboscutellaris Pelororhinus angustatus Dyschoenium sp. Mandalotus sterilis Punctidae sp. “Microcrips” Stenacapha sp. Griffithia anomalaUseful Links
iNaturalist
Filmed in Hobart, Tas
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