Plicopurpura pansa

The dye from this snail is used to colour traditional clothing that will not fade or bleach. The strong garlic odour given off by clothes dyed this way is considered proof of authenticity.

To obtain the Tyrian purple dye, the snail is collected at low tide and poked with a pin or other implement until it releases drops of thick liquid.

After the snails are ‘milked’, they are released back into the wild, relatively unharmed. This practice has been sustainable for hundreds of years because populations were milked in strict rotation, with no populations subjected to intensive handling.

However, in the 1980s, a small dye industry was developed in western Mexico, and populations of P. pansa in the area were impacted immediately.

Today, scientists at the University of Guadalajara are studying P. pansa populations intensively to develop strategies for sustainable dye production and population management.

Species detail

Taxonomy

Like its close relative Plicopurpura columellaris, P. pansa has a grey knobbly shell. So how can you tell them apart?
Distribution

You might find this snail on a rocky shore in Central or South America.
Biology

The average lifespan of the P. pansa snail is 11 years. Find out more about its lifecycle and how it has got smaller in recent years.
Conservation

These snails are under threat as they are increasingly exploited for their dye. Find out what’s being done to protect them.
References

Get reference information on Plicopurpura pansa.