Scientific researchers in Indonesia have honored Greta Thunberg by naming a newly discovered species of snail after the Swedish teen climate activist.
Meet Craspedotropis gretathunbergae, a spiral-shelled species of land snail native to Ulu Temburong National Park in Brunei. “The newly described snail belongs to the so-called caenogastropods, a group of land snails known to be sensitive to drought, temperature extremes and forest degradation,” stated Dr. Menno Schilthuizen, co-founder of Taxon Expeditions, in a recently-published study from the Biodiversity Data Journal.
Several of the small and unobtrusive molluscs were found at the foot of a slope situated next to a river bank near the Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre. The snails appear to be both nocturnal and herbivorous, as they were spied foraging on the leaves of understorey plants after sunset.
Having a new species named after one's self is a rare honor, though for Thunberg (above) this is the second time such homage has been paid. In September of 2019, London's Natural History Museum dubbed a minute species of beetle “Nelloptodes gretae”.
“Naming this snail after Greta Thunberg is our way of acknowledging that her generation will be responsible for fixing problems that they did not create," stated citizen scientist J.P. Lim, responsible for finding the first specimen of Craspedotropis gretathunbergae, “and it's a promise that people from all generations will join her to help.” As for Thunberg, the normally shy and soft-spoken Swede stated she was “delighted” this new and ecologically-sensitive species was named after her. (via PhysOrg)
