Snails with shells coiling to the left survive snake attacks (w/ Video)

physorg ^ | December 10, 2010 | Lin Edwards

[JoeProBono]

Snail shells can spiral to the left (sinistral) or to the right (dextral), as determined by a single gene, and a new study has found the advantage of being in the minority sinistral group: they survive predation by snakes much better than dextral snails. The effect of this advantage is so great they could separate into a distinct species.

Mating between sinistral and dextral snails is almost impossible because their genitals are on opposite sides of their bodies. In the large Satsuma snails, for example, mating takes place face-to-face. All snails have both male and female reproductive organs, and when both snails are dextral or both are sinistral, everything lines up nicely. When one is dextral and the other is sinistral the genitals line up male-male and female-female.

[JoeProBono]

Right-handed" foraging behavior of a snail-eating snake (Pareas iwasakii) which successfully preys on a dextral snail

[BenLurkin]

“All have both male and female reproductive organs, and when both snails are dextral or both are sinistral, everything lines up nicely. When one is dextral and the other is sinistral the genitals line up male-male and female-female.”

Typical democrats.

[martin_fierro]

[Admin Moderator]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2598736/posts?page=5#5.

[JoeProBono]

[SunkenCiv]

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[JoeProBono]

You know what, I don’t even recall an AP photo.

But then again, it’s raining hard on my tin roof.

[SunkenCiv]

Time to put on “Search for the Lost Chord”. Or maybe “Love Shack”.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Does it work the other way south of the Equator?

[RightFighter]

This calls for Marcel the Shell

[JoeProBono]