As per a recent report, it has been found that a graduate student named Nathan Whelan from the University of Alabama has shed light over the existence of a snail species that had been declared as extinct some 12 years ago.

The details regarding the Oblong Rocksnail, scientifically called Leptoxis compacta, are to be published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE on August 8. The report says that the snail had been discovered by him in the Cahaba River on May 22, 2011. The river flows from the lines of the Bibb and Shelby counties.

The rocksnail that is somewhat near the size of a nickel had not been seen or found for over 75 years before 2000. And thus, it was announced that the species had become extinct in Alabama’s Cahaba River Basin. The species was seen to have a banded shell with a yellow-coloured body.

However, the boy’s findings have astonished one and all. Reserachers are now excited to know what caused this species only to face a high loss when other species were still living at other sites. "To be able to find a species that was thought to be extinct is always encouraging, especially considering biodiversity and conservation stories are not typically positive these days", said the student.