Arrow-head tree snail vs Chiru

Partula sagitta compared with Pantholops hodgsonii

Key Differences

  • Arrow-head tree snail is Extinct while Chiru is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Arrow-head tree snail Chiru
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Mollusca (Mollusks) Chordata (Chordates)
Class Gastropoda (Gastropoda) Mammalia (Mammals)
Order Stylommatophora (Stylommatophora) Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
Family Partulidae Bovidae (Bovids)
Genus Partula Pantholops
Species Partula sagitta Pantholops hodgsonii

Evolutionary Relationship

Arrow-head tree snail and Chiru share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Arrow-head tree snail

EX — Extinct

Chiru

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Arrow-head tree snail Chiru
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arrow-head tree snail

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Chiru

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Arrow-head tree snail

The Arrow-head tree snail, Partula sagitta, is a species. It is currently assessed as extinct on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Chiru

The Chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii), also known as the Tibetan Antelope, is a bovid endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent high-altitude grasslands of China, with small populations in India. Males bear long, slender, nearly vertical horns that can exceed 70 centimetres in length, while females are hornless. The species is highly adapted to life at elevations of 3,700–5,500 metres, possessing a dense, fine underfur known as shahtoosh — one of the finest animal fibres in the world — which provided insulation against extreme cold but also made chiru a prime target for illegal poaching. Massive hunting pressure during the late twentieth century for shahtoosh shawl production devastated populations, which fell to as few as 75,000 individuals. Following intensified conservation efforts, trade bans, and anti-poaching patrols in China, numbers have partially recovered, though the species remains Near Threatened. Chiru are highly migratory; females undertake remarkable annual migrations of up to 300 kilometres to reach calving grounds in the Chang Tang plateau. Males typically remain at lower elevations year-round. They graze on grasses, sedges, and forbs, and face ongoing threats from climate change affecting high-altitude pasture productivity and from infrastructure development fragmenting migration corridors.

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