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
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
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
Ned died on 15 April 2026 inside its pāua-shell sleeping spot.[8]
See also
- Jeremy (snail), another famous snail with a left-spiralling shell that had a campaign to find a mate
References
- 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.