One of Europe's most endangered molluscs, found nowhere else in the UK except a single Welsh lake, is being rescued from extinction through an ambitious breeding programme involving multiple zoos and a dedicated conservationist's backyard operation.
The glutinous snail, scientifically named Myxas glutinosa, has become the focus of an intensive conservation effort led by Ian Hughes, who has made protecting the species his life's work. Several British wildlife parks are now establishing populations bred from creatures originally cultivated in homemade tanks at Hughes's home in Ceredigion, as part of a coordinated strategy to prevent the species from disappearing entirely.
Hughes describes himself as "beguiled by their cuteness" and has transformed his mission into what he calls a "life-defining" undertaking. At one point, his garden contained more living specimens than had ever been documented in the wild. The snails, which measure no larger than a fingertip, possess distinctively oversized antennae that Hughes humorously compares to "big floppy ears". Their name derives from the translucent, gooey mantle enveloping their delicate, gold-flecked brown shells.
How did the snail become so rare?
The species was once distributed widely across UK freshwater systems but has been driven to extinction throughout England. Polluted water and habitat destruction are the primary culprits behind their collapse. According to Natural Resources Wales' species review, Myxas glutinosa has been lost from various UK sites over the past century and is now classified as Critically Endangered in Great Britain. In England specifically, the last known population was recorded at Kennington Pit near Oxford until the early 1990s.
The snails serve as indicators of healthy aquatic ecosystems, feeding on algae and playing a role in freshwater food webs. Their loss signals broader environmental degradation. According to the Freshwater Habitats Trust, nutrient enrichment and invasive species now pose current threats alongside the species' extreme restriction to a single location.
Where do the snails survive today?
Their sole remaining refuge in the UK is Llyn Tegid, Wales' largest natural lake, situated within Eryri National Park in Snowdonia. The species was rediscovered there in 1998 after not being recorded at the site since 1952. However, a small population may persist in Irish canals, though its status there remains unclear and it was last reported as declining.
Since 2014, operating under licence from Natural Resources Wales, Hughes has been wading into the lake to collect and study specimens. He has designed and installed small concrete shelters within the water itself to provide habitat, while simultaneously establishing a captive breeding population in a greenhouse at his home in Llanarth.
How did the breeding breakthrough happen?
Initially, Hughes faced profound uncertainty about whether the snails could survive in captivity.
"Will they survive an hour, will they survive a day?"he recalled wondering. After four months of careful husbandry, eggs appeared in the tanks—a moment of extraordinary significance.
"Nobody had knowingly seen their eggs before we made that breakthrough,"Hughes explained.
"You do these things on a wing and a prayer when you're trying to save something that's down to a single site and you're trying to fathom what it needs and how to save it. So when something actually works - it's one of those life-defining moments."
Who else is involved in the rescue effort?
The conservation work has become a family endeavour. Hughes's wife Kerry and their sons Jake, George, and Ben are all actively engaged in the project. Ben, aged 27, explained the motivation behind the demanding work:
"You've got to have a certain mindset to walk out into a freezing cold lake in the middle of January. But knowing that you're helping is more than enough to make it all worth it. Every little thing has its place in the ecosystem and if you take a tiny little cog out of any machine it's going to stop working."
Beyond the Hughes family, the project has expanded to include rearing other critically endangered freshwater invertebrates, including scarlet malachite beetles, ladybird spiders, and tadpole shrimp. The family is also known for their detailed illustrations of the rare species they work to protect.
How are zoos contributing to the rescue?
The Hughes family is collaborating with the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to distribute snails to wildlife parks across England. This represents a crucial step toward eventual reintroduction into suitable wild habitats, forming part of a £60 million UK government-backed scheme to protect endangered species.
Wingham Wildlife Park in Kent received 24 snails, with curator Samantha Eden travelling six hours from her facility to collect them.
"It's such a hugely important conservation project and such a wonderful story,"Eden said.
"We've got a new facility that we've set up for them - three beautiful ponds where we're going to be breeding them, learning about them and understanding a little bit more about their environmental needs."
Askham Bryan Wildlife Park in York, Longleat in Wiltshire, Dudley Zoo, and Chester Zoo are also participating in the initiative. The Freshwater Habitats Trust is conducting research to identify suitable water bodies for eventual release.
Nicky Needham, head of species management and conservation at BIAZA, outlined the scientific approach:
"We're doing a lot of research on the snails' ecology, their husbandry and their genetics. If we can build up a really strong picture then we're in a good position to reintroduce some of them [to the wild]. With fingers and toes crossed I'd like to think that we could achieve that within three years' time."
Simon Jones, assistant warden at Eryri National Park, expressed strong support for the effort.
"I think it's an amazing project and we'll support it as much as we can,"he said, noting that the park was "really proud" to be home to the "unique species". However, he cautioned that climate change poses an "increased threat" to such species, making the zoo-based conservation work increasingly vital.
What happens next for the glutinous snail?
In April 2026, UK conservation funding was announced to include a new project specifically focused on reintroducing the glutinous snail in England, with zoos involved in building recovery populations. By July 2026, Chester Zoo's Recovery Hub was reported to focus on glutinous snails as part of a British and Irish zoo breeding effort. The new England reintroduction programme will proceed under the government-backed species recovery scheme, with zoo-led breeding populations and site identification for future releases forming the foundation of the strategy.
For Hughes, witnessing this expansion of effort represents profound validation.
"Having all your eggs in one basket is always a dangerous move so having more experts looking after it is really the right way to go,"he said.
"For me they're an absolute treasure - like an Egyptian artefact... as valuable as that. Preserving them is a duty to our children and grandchildren."
Key Facts
- Myxas glutinosa is now found only at Llyn Tegid in Wales, after being driven to extinction across England through pollution and habitat loss
- Ian Hughes has bred over 2,000 snails in his garden since 2014, achieving the first documented captive breeding and egg production
- Five major UK zoos—Wingham Wildlife Park, Askham Bryan, Longleat, Dudley, and Chester—are now establishing breeding populations as part of a coordinated reintroduction strategy
- A possible small population may persist in Irish canals, though its current status remains uncertain
- Reintroduction to suitable English water bodies is targeted within three years, supported by £60 million in government funding for rare species protection
