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\n\tA joint research team led by Assistant Professor Shun It\u014d of Shizuoka University’s Faculty of Science and Chairman Ichir\u014d Yoshida of the Itoigawa UNESCO Global Geopark Natural Resource Conservation Committee has analyzed DNA found in the feces of the endangered “Murayama-Maimai Snail” (Euhadra murayamai<\/em>), a species found exclusively on Mt. My\u014dj\u014d in Itoigawa City, shedding light on key aspects of its diet.<\/p>\n These research findings were published on September 16, 2026, in the international academic journal Molluscan Research<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJoint Press Release with Shizuoka University (Japanese)\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t \u25a0 Who?<\/strong><\/p>\n Shun It\u014d<\/strong><\/p>\n Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka University<\/p>\n Ichir\u014d Yoshida<\/strong><\/p>\n Chair, Itoigawa Geopark Natural Resource Conservation Committee<\/p>\n \u25a0 What?<\/strong><\/p>\n Identified the plant species ingested\/foraged by the rare species “Murayama-Maimai” through DNA extracted from its feces.<\/p>\n\u25a0 Where?<\/strong> \u25a0 How?<\/strong><\/p>\n To avoid harming this endangered snail, a non-invasive technique called “metabarcoding analysis” was used, detecting 11 native plant species across 11 genera, 11 families, and 8 orders (including Japanese pampas grass, boxwood, and Crimson glory vine) from genetic material in its feces.<\/p>\n The Murayama-Maimai is a land snail species whose unique, flat, and beautiful shell shape led to severe overcollecting in the past, causing a dramatic population collapse that leaves it critically endangered today.<\/p>\n While designated and strictly protected under national law as a “National Rare Species of Wild Fauna and Flora” and locally as a “Specially Designated Rare Species of Wild Fauna and Flora” by Itoigawa City, basic ecological details-such as specifically what plants it feeds on in the wild-have long remained unknown.<\/p>\n This discovery is crucial because it allows us to establish evidence-based, efficient conservation strategies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n For example:<\/p>\n Scientific evidence now demonstrates the necessity of protecting the broader surrounding vegetation as a whole-spanning 8 to 11 plant families including boxwood and pampas grass-rather than focusing on single isolated plant species.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Utilizing data on the detected plant species is expected to contribute to more effective captive breeding and propagation, which has previously proven difficult.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n Found nowhere else on Earth except Mt. My\u014dj\u014d in Itoigawa City, the Murayama-Maimai is a truly unique local treasure exclusive to Itoigawa<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Having survived in the extreme environment of Mt. My\u014dj\u014d’s steep limestone cliffs, this snail serves as a powerful symbol of Itoigawa’s rich natural heritage and biodiversity.<\/p>\n Conservation efforts have long been a trial-and-error process of “protecting the species without knowing how to increase its numbers.” This research represents a massive leap forward toward preventing its extinction and eventually delisting it from rare species status.<\/p>\nResearch Overview<\/h3>\n
\nMt. My\u014dj\u014d in the Kotaki District of Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture\nWhy is this discovery so important?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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The Murayama-Maimai: Pride of Itoigawa<\/h4>\n