11 Of The Most Bizarre Animal Mating Behaviours In The World

Love Darts

Similar to banana slugs, snails are hermaphrodites. They have holes called genital pores that provide access to both the female and male reproductive organs. Mating begins when two snails approach and stroke each other with their tentacle for hours at a time. Next, they launch pointy calcium structures at one another. These so-called 'love darts' remain attached to the shooter for several minutes so the snails can unite. Researchers claim that snails pierce their partners to improve the chances of fertilizing eggs chemically. If a snail is successful, the mucus that is loaded with chemicals will enter its partner’s bloodstream, creating babies.