Snail Sex Tape

Radiolab

WNYC Studios

Natural Sciences, History, Documentary, Science, Society & Culture

4.6 • 44.5K Ratings

🗓️ 6 March 2026

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, we consider a creature we often don’t think much about—the snail. And not just snails, but their sex lives. Which, as it turns out, is epic. There is persuasion and subterfuge, spaghetti penises and co-copulation. And this very surprising habit—erm kink—of making tiny arrows (actually!) and stabbing each other with them. Known as a “love dart,” these limestone daggers aren’t just a strange trick of nature—they have a deep evolutionary purpose. Special thanks to Menno Schilthuizen and Aaron Chase.EPISODE CREDITS: Hosted by - Molly WebsterReported by - Molly WebsterProduced by - Mona Madgavkar, Annie McEwen, Molly WebsterSound design contributed by - Mona Madgavkar, Annie McEwenFact-checking by - Diane A. Kellyand Edited by - Alex Neason EPISODE CITATIONS:Videos - A love dart being DARTED! (https://zpr.io/rYhLwXhaxQQP) – Molly has watched this video so many timesArticles - Changes in the reproductive system of the snail Helix aspersa caused by mucus from the love dart. (https://zpr.io/xxjuCcTyiVJV) by Koene JM, Chase R. J Exp Biol. The snail's love-dart delivers mucus to increase paternity. By Chase R, Blanchard KC. Proc Biol Sci. A love-dart at the heart of sexual conflict in snails (https://zpr.io/X2ANHPaEg5sr) by Foote C ** This article has an image of eight different love darts, and it’s what Molly shows to Soren in the episode (this image is one of her favorite research finds!) Books - “Nature’s Nether Regions: What the Sex Lives of Bugs, Birds, and Beasts Tell Us About Evolution, Biodiversity, and Ourselves” (https://zpr.io/ktMvJbZciCdD) by evolutionary biologist Menno Schilthuizen. Signup for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)! Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today. Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org. Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Wait, you're listening.
0:03.1	Okay.
0:04.4	All right.
0:05.6	Okay.
0:07.0	All right.
0:08.5	You're listening to Radio Lab.
0:11.4	Radio Lab.
0:11.9	From W. N. Y.
0:13.9	C.
0:14.8	See?
0:15.1	Yeah.
0:19.2	Am I recording? I'm recording. Does your mic have fancy green lights on it? Does yours not? No. It tells me how loud it is. And I can also mute it. Can you hear me? You can't hear me anymore? No, I can still. Oh, you can't? Yeah. Wait, what does that button mean then? Button, button. I'm Molly Webster. This is Radio Lab. Button, button. Wait, what does that button mean then? Button. Button.
0:38.2	I'm Molly Webster. This is Radio Lab. Button. Okay. And today I am joined by our executive editor. Cotton. Soren Wheeler. What are we doing? Why are you here? Well, you're here because I'm going to take you on a walk. Oh, you're going to take me on a walk? Where? In a lowland area along the Kinabatangan River.
0:56.5	We're going to follow the sky, Menno.
0:57.9	Menos G. Oh, you're going to take me on a walk? Where? In a lowland area along the Kinabatang River.
0:56.5	We're going to follow this guy, Meno Schildhausen. He's an evolutionary biologist.
1:00.7	It seems like a nice guy to go on a walk with. Meno is going to take us deep into Borneo.
1:05.1	It's tropical humid limestone forest, so it's really wet. There's lichens, there's ferns.
1:12.2	Orchids and vines and climbers.
1:14.8	And he is looking for something.
1:17.8	Okay.
1:18.3	And actually, I also went on a walk to look for the something.
	...

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