It is through an opening in the neck that the New Zealand snail, whose Latin name is Powelliphanta augusta, lays eggs.
The snail is endangered and has been protected in a conservatory adapted to resemble the alpine climate in which it naturally lives.
"It is remarkable that after all the time we have taken care of the snails, it is only now that we see one laying an egg", says Lisa Flanagan at the responsible New Zealand authority in a statement.
In the early 2000s, the snail received great attention when its natural habitat was threatened by a new coal mine. 4,000 specimens were moved to another area and 2,000 to the conservatory. However, around 800 snails died when they were stored in a refrigerator with the wrong temperature.
The species is now recovering slowly and currently there are approximately 1,900 snails and 2,200 eggs in captivity.
Like many other snails, the species can fertilize itself, but it is only at the age of eight that it becomes sexually mature. After that, it can take more than a year for an egg to hatch.
