Jeremy (snail)
Jeremy was a left-coiled garden snail investigated by biologists. The snail had a rare condition which caused its shell to coil to the left; in most snails the shell coils to the right. At first it was thought to be a rare genetic mutation, although later work revealed that it was likely due to an accident in early development.
Jeremy the left-coiling snail on top of Bree, a right-coiling snail. | |
| Species | Cornu aspersum |
|---|---|
| Breed | Sinistral |
| Sex | Hermaphrodite |
| Hatched | London, UK |
| Died | 11 October 2017 |
| Owner | University of Nottingham |
| Residence | United Kingdom |
| Offspring | 56 |
| Appearance | Left-coiled |
| Named after | Jeremy Corbyn |
Jeremy was named after the left-wing British Labour politician Jeremy Corbyn, on account of it being a "lefty" snail, but also due to Corbyn's reported love of gardening. The snail became famous worldwide after a public appeal to find other left-coiled snails for a mate. Jeremy had 56 offspring and died on 11 October 2017, aged "at least two" years.
Jeremy was studied by researchers from the University of Nottingham. It was hoped that the condition would be due to a mutation, and that genes identified from this snail and its offspring would help scientists unlock genetic markers in humans and other animals.