Love is in the air - and maybe a dart too!
IN THE intricate world of animal courtship, some species have unique ways of expressing affection.
Snails, with their slow pace, engage in a peculiar ritual that involves more than just gentle contact.
But is it true that snails show their "love" by stabbing each other?
Verdict:
TRUE
While snails may be among the slowest animals, their courtship is anything but dull.
These gastropods are known for their unique mating ritual, which involves using a "love dart" to express affection.
Most snail species, including freshwater, saltwater, and land snails, are hermaphrodites, possessing both male and female reproductive organs.
This allows them to engage in a lengthy mating process, often lasting between 10 to 15 hours.
In the natural world, fatherhood is relatively straightforward, while motherhood demands more time and energy.
For garden snails, courtship involves a striking method of affection: the love dart.
As snails meet, they engage in tasting and smelling each other with full-body contact, a process that can continue for hours.
Though it begins with gentle interactions, the introduction of the love dart adds a dramatic twist.
Technically called a gypsobelum, the love dart is a small, needle-like spike that remains hidden until about half an hour before copulation.
During the courtship, the sac containing the dart inverts, allowing the snail to stab its partner with the dart.
This act of stabbing influences the recipient's role in the mating process, aligning them more with the female role.
Snails are not the only creatures with such complex courtship rituals; many of their cousins the slugs are also hermaphrodites.
References:
1. https://www.kqed.org/science/1446777/everything-you-never-wanted-to-know-about-snail-sex
2. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/what-do-snails-think-about-when-having-sex
