![]() (Specifically, amber snails-like many other mind-controlling parasites, it’s highly species-specific, that is, it’s unable to manipulate the behavior of more than one species.) But while science has known about Leucochloridium for more than a century, it was only in 2013 that biologist Tomasz Wesołowski of Poland’s Wrocław University confirmed the worm is indeed capable of manipulating its snail hosts. It’s an existence that’s as brilliant as it is strange. The worm breeds in the bird’s guts, releasing its eggs in the bird’s feces, which are happily eaten up by another snail to complete the whole bizarre life cycle. The worm then mind-controls its host out into the open for hungry birds to pluck out its eyes. It’s called Leucochloridium, and it’s a parasitic worm that invades a snail's eyestalks, where it pulsates to imitate a caterpillar (in biology circles this is known as aggressive mimicry-an organism pretending to be another to lure prey or get itself eaten). Mother Nature, you see, has cooked up an even more sadistic punishment for the humble snail. Even if you live in Florida, which is overrun with giant foot-long snails that are devouring houses, please do not dispatch them with salt. It’s a horrible death: The salt draws water out of the creature until it perishes from dehydration. One of the crueler tortures to bestow on a snail is the salt shower, as the behaviorally challenged kid who grew up down the street from you could attest. ![]()
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