Mystery solved as huge carnivorous snail filmed laying an egg from its neck

The strange reproductive habits of a large, carnivorous New Zealand snail were shrouded in mystery - until now.

New shocking footage of the snail laying an egg from its neck has been filmed for the first time.

What looks like a tiny hen’s egg is seen emerging from an opening below the head of the Powelliphanta augusta snail. The video was taken at a facility on the South Island’s West Coast.

Powelliphanta augusta are hermaphrodites, which explains how the creatures can reproduce when encased in a hard shell. The invertebrate uses a genital pore on the right side of its body to simultaneously exchange sperm with another snail.

The egg can take more than a year to hatch.