The extinction of the Partula tree snails of French Polynesia was one of the most rapid and extensive extinctions recorded, with 75% of the species extirpated within a decade, due exclusively to the introduction of the predatory rosy wolf snail Euglandina spp. The pattern of extinction varied geographically and some Partula species persisted for 1–2 years post-Euglandina introduction. Partulids were able to withstand anthropogenic mortality: historically adult snails were exploited for cultural use and probably suffered population fluctuations following habitat disruption. The introduction of Euglandina represented a different scale of mortality, affecting all age classes. Since 1995, relict populations of some Partula species have been discovered; these have relatively high reproductive rates, live in areas with low predation pressures or are very dispersed. Most populations are unstable, with frequent disappearances and reappearances. One population showed evidence of full recovery, with a high density and high proportion of adults, before dispersing. A metapopulation structure is inferred, which would facilitate Partula survival despite the ongoing presence of Euglandina and a second predator, the New Guinea flatworm Platydemus manokwari. Predation pressures are substantially reduced and now seem to be too low to eliminate relict populations. This offers hope for the re-establishment of Extinct in the Wild species.

Following the well documented extinctions of many species of endemic tree snail (family Partulidae) throughout French Polynesia, field surveys were undertaken on four islands in the Society archipelago to provide up to date information for the international conservation programme for this group of invertebrates. These surveys have confirmed the loss of all species of Partula in the wild on the Society Islands other than Tahiti. Thirty-three species have been lost from Raiatea, thereby eliminating one of the most outstanding examples of island evolutionary radiation. On Huahine the disappearance of P. varia and P. rosea, used for making lei (shell jewellery), had an economic and social effect on the local community: many of the women of the villages lost their livelihoods, and the artisan's association folded. The seven species of Partula on Moorea were extinct in the wild by the mid 1980s, terminating almost 100 years of biological research. It now seems that the remnant populations of Samoana attenuata discovered only 5 years ago are the only species of partulid still surviving beyond Tahiti on the Society Island group. The mixed species populations in the Te Pari area of Tahiti-Iti are still extant, but the predatory snail Euglandina rosea has now spread to the last valley on the Peninsula that did not have previous evidence of predator activity. On Tahiti-Nui populations of partulid, without the predator, were found near the crest of Mount Tahiti above Orofero Valley. Partulidae are clearly a highly threatened family of invertebrates, and in need of the most intense conservation focus.

The current distribution of endemic partulid snails on Tahiti in French Polynesia reflects the danger of ignoring expert advice and introducing an alien species into a fragile island ecosystem. The endemic tree-snail fauna of the island now faces extinction. Although the extinction of the native species of Partula (Partulidae; Polynesian tree snails) on Moorea in French Polynesia is well known in the world of conservation biology, losses on other Pacific islands are less well described. This paper presents an update on the status of partulid snail populations on Tahiti in the light of fieldwork undertaken between 1995 and 1997. Native snails still exist in good numbers in two areas, at opposite ends of the island. In other areas, sightings of single or a few individuals indicate remnant populations now on the edge of extinction. Efforts to protect these populations and others in French Polynesia are being planned in collaboration with local government authorities.