A SURVIVOR from the Ice Age is still living on the North York Moors.
But there are no mammoths or sabre-toothed tigers roaming around Pickering.
In fact humans might not see these creatures at all - for vertigo geyeri is a tiny snail, which thrived all those thousands of years ago.
Their continued existence near Dalby Forest was only discovered recently, and now the Forestry Commission has expanded the creatures' home turf by felling 1,000 trees.
"It is a remarkable survivor and its presence in Dalby came to light only a few years ago," said Andrew Smith, the Forest District Manager.
"It has been put on a Euro 'hit-list' of endangered species and ranks as very important nationally.
Despite its tiny size, at less than 2mm wide, the snail is perfectly proportioned complete with a shell. In Dalby it lives around the flushes of natural springs in the Sand Dale area, where it feeds on the lush terrain.
Updated: 11:40 Thursday, August 09, 2001
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