Chemicals Provoke Penises To Be Grown On Female Sea Snails’ Foreheads [Science]

Good news for homosexual male snails living off the coast of Western Australia , as the female sex of the Thais Orbita species have all grown rather large ” members” on their heads. Sadly, the top-peni have formed by means of chemical reactions.

While you’re right in remembering from sordid science classes that snails are typically hermaphrodites, this particular species of snail actually does have male and female sexes, very like the human race. Unlike you and I, however, we don’t have penises on our foreheads (well, most of us anyway-I will’t speak for these people ), whereas the male gender of the Thais Orbita does.

Due to contact with the chemical Tribytyltin, last used in 1991 in boat-paint, the female snails’ hormones were all messed up, and as a result of the they’ve grown penises on their heads.

Please, no laughter-spare a thought for a way difficult their social lives needs to be now. [ The Australian via Wired ]

Image Credit: AnnieGreenSprings

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This post is tagged: chemical reactions, female sex, female sexes, image credit, male gender, science classes, western australia