For this species of carnivorous snail, “necking” means more than just making out.
The Powelliphanta augusta snail of New Zealand mates and lays its eggs through its neck. For the first time, that unique way of giving birth has been caught on film.
The video was shared by the New Zealand Department of Conservation, which has been managing a captive population of the snail since 2006.
“It’s remarkable that in all the time we’ve spent caring for the snails, this is the first time we’ve seen one lay an egg,” says DOC Ranger Lisa Flanagan. “We caught the action when we were weighing the snail. We turned it over to be weighed and saw the egg just starting to emerge from the snail.”
The snail previously lived on the ridgeline of New Zealand’s Mount Augustus before their habitat was turned into a mine.