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Hello!

Charlie and Paul,

As Lee Corso would say "Not so fast my friend!"

The way I know the story (Pers. Comment;  R.T. Abbott) the habitat
was being cut down for the commercialization of lumber, the snails happened
to be a by-product (easy access). Since the habitat was (and probably still
is)
being destroyed the snail population was greatly reduced in size. I suppose
placing the snail on endangered status protects the habitat, maybe. I say
maybe
because as the saying goes; "Poderoso Caballero Don Dinero" [Quevedo].

Later,

Emilio Jorge Power