Not all snails spiral the same way. Most garden snails have shells that curve to the right, but in Wairarapa, New Zealand, illustrator and “observologist” Giselle Clarkson spotted something extraordinary in her garden. She discovered Ned, a snail whose shell coils to the left instead of the right. This trait is so rare it occurs in only about one in 40,000 snails.

This genetic twist, called sinistral spiraling, does more than change the look of the shell. It reverses the snail’s entire anatomy, which means Ned cannot easily mate with right-spiraling snails. That makes his search for a partner nearly impossible.

Now, New Zealand Geographic has launched a nationwide campaign, asking people across the country to check their gardens, parks, and backyards for another left-spiraling snail. The hope is to find Ned a mate, much like the famous British “lefty” snail Jeremy, who eventually found love in 2016.

Ned proves that the rarest finds are often hiding in plain sight.