BANGKOK , July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chulalongkorn University researchers have discovered Thailand's first glowing land snail and the first one in the world in the last 80 years. Preparations are underway to decode its genetics paving the way to expand medical research and scientific knowledge. The world's first glowing land snail ( Quantula striata ) was found in 1942 in Singapore by Dr.
Yata Haneda , a Japanese researcher, and it was then the only glowing snail species in the world . Almost 80 years later, a glowing land snail was discovered once again in Thailand by a team of researchers led by Dr. Arthit Pholyotha, Department of Biology , Faculty of Science , Chulalongkorn University who discovered Phuphania glowing land snail living in limestone areas, Kaeng Khoi District, Saraburi Province.
The research team submitted the information concerning this discovery to the "International Mollusc of the Year 2024" competition and were voted first place in the competition that attracted scientists from around the world. The top three shellfish and squid voted on the https://mo ty2024.senckenberg.
science/en/ website are: Thailand's glowing land snails (first place), Wavy Sea Butterfly (second place ), and Coosa Fiveridge -- the oldest living mollusc at 79 years (third place). What is special about the Thai glowing land snail? The Quantula land snail discovered by Japanese researchers cannot emit green light continuously but it emits green light as a small spot under the mouth .