Rare New Zealand snail caught on camera laying egg from its neck for the first time
The strange reproductive habits of a large, carnivorous New Zealand snail were once shrouded in mystery. Now footage of the snail laying an egg from its neck has been captured for the first time, the country's conservation agency said on Wednesday.
Advertisement
What looks like a tiny hen's egg is seen emerging from an opening below the head of the Powelliphanta augusta snail, a threatened species endemic to New Zealand.
The video was taken at a facility on the South Island's West Coast, where conservation rangers attempting to save the species from extinction have cared for a population of the snails in chilled containers for nearly two decades.
The conditions in the containers mimic the alpine weather in their only former habitat – a remote mountain they were named for, on the West Coast of the South Island, that has been engulfed by mining.
Lisa Flanagan from the Department of Conservation, who has worked with the creatures for 12 years, said the species still holds surprises.
An egg laid by a Mount Augustus snail through its neck in Hokitika, New Zealand. Photo: New Zealand Department of Conservation/AFP
'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,' she said in a statement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Wolves in Japan: could their reintroduction restore nature's balance?
A plan to reintroduce wolves to Japan more than a century after they were hunted to extinction is gaining traction as conservationists warn that the country's rural ecosystems are increasingly out of balance and costly to maintain due to booming wild animal populations. The Japan Wolf Association (JWA), established in 1993, argues that returning wolves to the wild could restore natural order in the countryside and help curb the billions of yen in agricultural damage caused each year by deer, wild boar and monkeys. The group is preparing small-scale reintroduction trials in remote regions and downplaying risks to human communities – but not everyone is convinced it's a wise move, given wolves' fearsome reputation. Kunihiko Otsuki, JWA president and heads of a timber company in central Japan's Nara prefecture, is convinced that reintroducing the apex predator is the right course of action. 'Wolves went extinct in Japan more than 100 years ago but now deer have become a huge problem for farming communities across the country,' he told This Week in Asia. 'They eat crops and the natural vegetation in the mountains, and we believe reintroducing wolves would help bring the natural balance back.' Japanese farmers also have to put up with troops of marauding monkeys that can quickly lay waste to particularly appealing crops, as well as boars that dig up root vegetables.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong display strikes gold at Chelsea Flower Show with rare orchids
The Chelsea Flower Show, held in London every summer for more than a century, is a British institution drawing around 150,000 gardening enthusiasts to enjoy spectacular floral displays. Advertisement This year, there was an exhibit with a difference, featuring rare orchids from Hong Kong and other parts of Asia and the Pacific. The vibrant display, with orchids from Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden in the New Territories, won a coveted gold medal and was visited by Queen Camilla. It also sent a powerful message about the need to protect the ecologically significant but endangered plants. 'We have got 150,000 bees in to look at the orchids,' said John Parke Wright IV, chairman of Orchid Conservation Chelsea, referring to the show's visitors. 'They are being pollinated with ideas about conservation and why it is important.' The Hong Kong section at the Chelsea Flower Show. Photo: Cliff Buddle Wright, who knows China well having worked for Jardine Matheson in the 1970s, was instrumental in forming the orchid group, comprising 25 institutions globally.
South China Morning Post
09-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Rare New Zealand snail caught on camera laying egg from its neck for the first time
The strange reproductive habits of a large, carnivorous New Zealand snail were once shrouded in mystery. Now footage of the snail laying an egg from its neck has been captured for the first time, the country's conservation agency said on Wednesday. Advertisement What looks like a tiny hen's egg is seen emerging from an opening below the head of the Powelliphanta augusta snail, a threatened species endemic to New Zealand. The video was taken at a facility on the South Island's West Coast, where conservation rangers attempting to save the species from extinction have cared for a population of the snails in chilled containers for nearly two decades. The conditions in the containers mimic the alpine weather in their only former habitat – a remote mountain they were named for, on the West Coast of the South Island, that has been engulfed by mining. Lisa Flanagan from the Department of Conservation, who has worked with the creatures for 12 years, said the species still holds surprises. An egg laid by a Mount Augustus snail through its neck in Hokitika, New Zealand. Photo: New Zealand Department of Conservation/AFP '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,' she said in a statement.
