• Question: do snails have gender

    Asked by xxbluewafflexx to Anouk, Chris, Judith on 21 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Chris Kettle

      Chris Kettle answered on 21 Jun 2012:

      Snails and slugs are classed as hermaphrodites so they have both male and female bits. To ensure they increase the variation in the population they mate with other snails/slugs ( snails dont mate with slugs).

      I saw a programme about slugs mating once ang they form this amazing sight – they dangle from a thread and coil around each other and then they sexual apendages come out and some glow!!!

      Here’s a picture :

      Nature is amazing

    • Photo: Judith Sleeman

      Judith Sleeman answered on 21 Jun 2012:

      They are hermaphrodites, so each snail can make both eggs and sperm. When they mate, the smaller snail usually acts as the sperm donor (male) and the larger snail as the egg-donor (female).

      Cool picture, Chris! I love it!

    • Photo: Anouk Gouvras

      Anouk Gouvras answered on 22 Jun 2012:

      As Chris and Judith have already said, most snails are hermaphrodites (both make and female reproductive systems) but there are some that still dioecious (have separate genders), such as Apple snails and periwinkles
      http://www.applesnail.net/

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