Killer Snail

  Photo by Richard Ling

What looks like a beautiful and innocent snail is actually a deadly textile snail from Australia.  To sense food, cone shells filter water through a tubelike organ called a siphon, awaiting a whiff of the telltale chemicals emitted by their prey.

To sense food, cone shells filter water through a tubelike organ called a siphon.

When its victim comes near, the cone shell extends a proboscis armed with a harpoonlike tip that injects venom filled with special chemicals called “conotoxins.” These toxins stop nerve cells from communicating with each other, causing paralysis within seconds and, eventually, death. Cone shells have even killed people who pick them up, unaware of the danger. 

To see an amazing video of this guy in action go to this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcBmMPJrrKk&feature=colike