A rivalry between Bindi and Robert Irwin has been reported after a recent snail species was named after one of the siblings.
Scientist Dr Lorelle Stanisic, who discovered the new native snail species, spoke out about the competition between the close siblings.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Robert Irwin announces a new species of snail named in his honour.
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Stanisic named the discovery “Robert Irwin’s Banded Snail” — or “Figuladra robertirwini L. Stanisic,” making Robert the third member of his family to have a species of snail named in their honour.
Bindi has a charopid land snail named after her while their late father Steve Irwin also has a a rare tree snail, Crikey steveirwin, named in his honour.
According to a press release from Australia Zoo, the species was named after Robert because of his “love for wildlife and the natural world”.
However Stanisic made a recent TV appearance, sharing that she named the snail after the youngest Irwin because she previously noticed his brotherly jealous five years prior when Bindi received the honour.
“My husband John was telling Terri (Irwin) all about how he was in the middle of naming this cute little snail after Bindi,’ Stanisic told ABC
“I took one look at Robert’s face, Robert didn’t say a word, you could tell like all brothers he was thinking, ‘Oh gosh she’s getting a snail’.
“I said, ‘It’s all right, Robert, I’ll name something after you’.”
“‘I had to decide which one I was going to name for Robert…”
Stanisic stayed true to her word and has since found the perfect snail to name after Irwin.
“I knew of his love of photography, so in the hope that he might go and actually photograph some of the beautiful areas of the Eurimbula National Park and Rodds Peninsula and around 1770,” she said of the areas where the snails can be found.
Figuladra robertirwini can be found in dry forests and vine thickets.
An excited Irwin shared the news on social media, calling it a “huge honour”.
“This is particularly meaningful for me because so much of my environmental work is based around habitat preservation,” he said in his Instagram video on April 23.
“Even though this is a new species, we already know habitat destruction is one of the biggest leading threats to this species.
“So it’s very important to get the word out there… and they’re definitely in need of our protection.”
His mother Terri Irwin responded: “Tremendous honour! What a special little creature!”
Meanwhile, the official Australia Zoo Instagram page said, “Congratulations Robert, this is so exciting!”
“This is brilliant. Congratulations Robert!” Wildlife Warriors Worldwide said.
The post was liked by both Bindi and her husband Chandler Powell.
