A new species of hermaphrodite land snail found in Taiwan has been named in support of marriage equality.

Biologists christened the species Aegista diversifamilia, referring to a diversity of family types, because it “represents the diversity of sex orientation in the animal kingdom”.

The snail is widespread throughout eastern Taiwan, but was previously mistaken for a closely related species.

Its discovery is reported in the journal ZooKeys.

“When we were preparing the manuscript, it was a period when Taiwan and many other countries and states were struggling for the recognition of same-sex marriage rights,” said Dr Yen-Chang Lee, who first suggested the snail might entail its own species.  More\…