Scientists are not completely sure why painted snails have such vivid colours. One idea is that the bright colours warn birds and other predators that the snail tastes unpleasant. Another idea is that different colour patterns help snails of the same species recognise each other. Whatever the reason, it makes them the most eye-catching snails on the planet.
Painted snails spend most of their time climbing the branches and leaves of shrubs and small trees in eastern Cuba. They eat algae, lichens and fungi that grow on the surface of leaves and bark - essentially cleaning the plants as they go. In this way they are helpful to the forest, behaving like tiny slow-moving cleaners.
Sadly, painted snails are endangered. People collect them because their shells are so beautiful, and the forests where they live are shrinking. Conservation groups in Cuba and around the world are working to protect them. You can help by never buying or keeping wild-collected shells, because the best place for a painted snail's shell is on the snail itself.