Rare Snail Caught on Camera Laying Egg From Its Neck, Slurping Earthworms Whole
The unusual breeding behaviors of a predatory New Zealand snail were previously enveloped in secrecy.
For the first time, video capturing a snail laying an egg from its neck has been recorded, according to the nation's conservation agency on Wednesday.
A small oval shape resembling a hen’s egg is observed coming out from an opening located beneath the head of the Powelliphanta augusta. snail , a species native to New Zealand that is under threat.
The footage was captured at a site located on the southwestern part of the South Island, where conservation officers striving to prevent the extinction of this species have maintained a group of these snails within refrigerated units for almost twenty years.
The conditions within the containers replicate the alpine climate of their previous home—a distant mountain range after which they were christened, located on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, now submerged beneath water. mining .
Studying the snail’s habits
Lisa Flanagan from the Department of Conservation, having spent 12 years working with these animals, noted that the species continues to amaze her with new discoveries.
"It's noteworthy that after all the time we've dedicated to looking after the snails, this is the first occasion we've witnessed one laying an egg," she stated in a release.
Similar to other snail species, Powelliphanta augusta are hermaphrodites, allowing these creatures to reproduce even when enclosed within their tough shells.
The invertebrate uses a genital pore on the right side of its body, just below the head, to simultaneously exchange sperm With another snail, which is kept until both produce eggs.
A lengthy yet sluggish reproductive cycle
Every snail requires eight years to attain reproductive maturity, at which point it produces roughly five eggs annually. The incubation period for these eggs often exceeds one year before hatching occurs.
Some of our captured snails have lived for 25 to 30 years," stated Flanagan. "These creatures are completely different from the problematic garden snail we brought into New Zealand, which multiplies rapidly—producing thousands of young annually—and has a brief lifespan.
The numerous species and subspecies of Powelliphanta snails are endemic to New Zealand , primarily in harsh forest and grassland environments where their habitats are endangered due to destruction.
These creatures are meat-eaters that suck down earthworms as if they were noodles, making them among the biggest snails globally, featuring large, distinct shells in various deep earthen hues and intricate swirl designs.
The snails' environment was endangered due to coal mining activities.
In the early 2000s, The Powelliphanta augusta became the focal point of both public outrage and legal battles when an energy firm proposed mine for coal threatened to destroy the snails’ habitat.
Approximately 4,000 individuals were taken off the site and resettled, whereas an additional 2,000 were kept in refrigerated storage in the West Coast town of Hokitika to maintain the species' viability. This step was necessary because the species breeds slowly and struggles with adapting to unfamiliar environments.
In 2011, approximately 800 of the snails died accidentally in a Department of Conservation fridge due to malfunctioning temperature settings.
However, the species' gradual recovery persists: The conservation authority reported that as of March this year, there were approximately 1,900 snails and close to 2,200 eggs in captivity.
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