Why do snails shoot “arrows” at each other? (3 photos)

Snails and slugs have a very original way of courtship. They shoot arrows made of chitin or calcium at each other!





Remember the legends about cupids? So, they exist in reality! True, cupids are not naked baby dolls with wings. But you can find them in literally every garden - the familiar land snails and slugs use love arrows! Are ladies really going to do this?

As is known, only snails and hermaphorodite slugs are shot. And their reason for this is very peculiar. According to some studies, it is much more advantageous for mollusks to be the “father” rather than the “mother” during mating. Because in the future, the mother will have to expend the body’s strength on the formation and laying of eggs.



Therefore, in order to increase their chances of paternity, during mating games, snails try to hit their partner with a special arrow. It contains chemicals that, firstly, can reduce the libido of the affected individual, and secondly, stimulate her female hormones.



If you have never seen a snail egg, let's fill this knowledge gap with a picture.

In the first case, the “shooter” guarantees that the victim will not mate with anyone else, which means that he will become the father of the children. In the second case, again, a well-aimed hit greatly increases the chances that our cupid’s seed will quickly complete its mission. However, both are possible at once - in love, as in war, all means are fair!