Mon May 12 10:35:55 UTC 2025: ## Rare New Zealand Snail Caught on Camera Laying Egg Through Neck
**Hokitika, New Zealand –** For the first time, conservationists have captured footage of a Powelliphanta augusta snail, a large carnivorous species endemic to New Zealand, laying an egg through an opening below its head. The remarkable video, taken at a Department of Conservation facility, shows the egg emerging from a genital pore on the snail’s neck.
The Powelliphanta augusta, threatened by habitat loss from mining, has been bred in captivity for nearly two decades to prevent extinction. Lisa Flanagan, who has worked with the snails for 12 years, described the event as surprising, given the extensive time spent caring for the species.
These hermaphroditic snails, known for their slow reproductive rate (reaching sexual maturity at eight years old and laying only about five eggs annually), are some of the largest in the world. The egg’s hatching can take over a year. The species faced near-catastrophe in 2011 when a refrigerator malfunction killed 800 snails. Despite this setback, conservation efforts have seen the population grow to nearly 1,900 snails and 2,200 eggs in captivity as of March 2025. The ongoing conservation work highlights the importance of protecting this unique New Zealand snail.
First Piper 