Tail-wagger snails

[Still Waters]

In the forests of South Africa a group of snails can be found doing something a bit surprising. Tail-wagger snails do what it says on the tin, throwing around small black protrusions like little dogs in a good mood.

Exactly what purpose the tail-wagging serves isn’t known for certain, but it’s been suggested it could be a crucial behavior for when the time comes to mate. According to Dr Werner de Gier, these snails have a reputation for dramatic escape attempts, through a combination of tail-wagging, shell-spinning, and even bungee jumping. This kind of James Bond slime magic has been observed in slugs, too, who will use mucus threads to slide down like a spider.

Filmmaker and conservation warrior Josh Crickmay recently happened upon some tail-wagger snails in one of the more joyful videos IFLScience has seen of late.

https://www.iflscience.com/tail-wagger-snails-look-like-adorable-gooey-dogs-when-theyre-in-the-mood-75462