Land Snails Are Just Unexpected
The land snail, Cornu aspersum, has a small appendage close to the eyestalk. This female received this structure thanks to her mate. It’s there to deliver an envelope full of sperm. Both are capable of fertilizing the other one. They do this by using “love darts” that stab their partner. They do this after circling and touching one another. Some snails will use a single dart that repeatedly jabs their mate for up to an hour. They never said love comes easy, and in the world of snail courtship rituals, love hurts. The darts are made of calcium, and they use their dart to fertilize as many snails as possible. Eventually, the females develop an anti-dart layer on their skin, which prevents unwanted sperm from entering them (National Geographic).