Mating Ned Devine? The New Zealand snail turned global celebrity

"Most snail shells spiral clockwise, but Ned’s curves the other way — an unusual genetic quirk found in roughly one in around 40,000 snails."

Ned, at rear, the 1-in-40,000 left-whorling snail, checks out a garden-variety right-whorler. Picture: Giselle Clarkson

In a quiet garden in Wairarapa, New Zealand, a love story is unfolding. Well, it’s more of a very slow-burn romance, and the protagonist is Ned, a snail with a twist. Literally.

Ned isn’t just any garden snail (he's Cornu aspersum, for the Latin enthusiasts among us). He’s a lefty in a world of right-handers.