Ned (snail)
 Ned (below) next to another snail, with a right-coiled shell | |
| Species | Cornu aspersum |
|---|---|
| Breed | Sinistral |
| Sex | Hermaphrodite |
| Hatched | Wairarapa, New Zealand |
| Died | 15 April 2026 |
| Owner | Giselle Clarkson |
| Residence | Wairarapa, New Zealand |
| Appearance | Left-coiled |
| Named after | Ned Flanders |
Ned (died 15 April 2026) was a garden snail with a left-coiled (sinistral) shell found in New Zealand. Discovered by author and artist Giselle Clarkson in her garden, Ned received international attention due to the rarity of its mutation.
Discovery
[edit]Ned was discovered in the garden of conservation cartoonist Giselle Clarkson in the Wairarapa, New Zealand, in August 2025, while she was weeding.[1] Clarkson had previously written the nature book The Observologist and had been looking for a snail with a left-coiled (sinistral) shell.[2] Most snail shells spiral to the right, but one in 40,000 snails has a shell that spirals to the left. This prevents the snail from reproducing, as the position of the snail's sex organs is reversed relative to other normal snails.[3]
Ned was named after Ned Flanders, a character in The Simpsons who, beginning the episode "When Flanders Failed", owns a store for left-handed people called "The Leftorium".[2]
Breeding and care
[edit]After the discovery, Clarkson placed Ned in a fish bowl with a companion snail and fed it broccoli and silver beet.[4][5] She then contacted the New Zealand Geographic, who began a campaign to find a compatible snail for Ned to mate with.[1][2][4][6] The snail then received international media attention, including from CNN,[4] The Washington Post[7] and BBC News,[3] but it was unlikely that a mate found overseas would have been allowed into New Zealand due to the country's biosecurity restrictions.[2]
Clarkson also fed Ned cucumber, carrot, and French beans. The snail was particularly fond of the beans.[8]
Death
[edit]Ned died on 15 April 2026 inside its pāua-shell sleeping spot.[8]
See also
[edit]- Jeremy (snail), another famous snail with a left-spiralling shell that had a campaign to find a mate
References
[edit]- 1 2 Woulfe, Catherine (21 August 2025), "Let's find a mate for Ned", New Zealand Geographic, archived from the original on 7 September 2025, retrieved 7 September 2025
- 1 2 3 4 Graham-McLay, Charlotte (4 September 2025), "Ned the snail has a quirky shell that's dooming romance", AP News, archived from the original on 7 September 2025, retrieved 7 September 2025
- 1 2 "Rare left-spiralling snail looking for a mate in New Zealand". BBC Newsround. 27 August 2025. Archived from the original on 27 August 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- 1 2 3 Watson, Angus (28 August 2025), "'Observologists' search New Zealand to give rare snail a chance at love", CNN, archived from the original on 4 September 2025, retrieved 7 September 2025
- ↑ Kuta, Sarah. "A Rare, Left-Coiling Snail Needs Help Finding a Mate. New Zealanders Are Looking for Its 1-in-40,000 Match". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 November 2025. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
- ↑ Gallot, Eva (28 August 2025), "Ned the left spiralled snail is on the hunt for true love", Stuff, archived from the original on 4 November 2025, retrieved 7 September 2025
- ↑ "Ned the lefty snail has a 1-in-40,000 shot at a mate. Cue a national search". The Washington Post. 28 August 2025. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 29 August 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- 1 2 "Left-spiralling snail Ned dies before finding a mate". RNZ. 20 April 2026. Archived from the original on 21 April 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
