One of these, the Cuban land snail - the Painted Snail (Polymita picta), boasts of its beautiful shell colors. They come in a wide range of colors and look like they came out of a painter's brush. For years they have been sought after by collectors from all over the world, and local traders capture the snails from their natural habitat to sell their shells. They are purchased not only by tourists visiting Cuba, but also shipped in packages to the United States and Europe. It has been illegal to harvest Polymita snails for more than a decade. Painted snails are critically endangered not only due to shell traders but also by losing their habitat to coffee plantations and climate change.
