Source: Greenpeace
The World’s Deadliest Animals: Cone Snail
Upon glancing at a cone snail, one might only notice the intricate, henna-esque designs covering its shell. Pick one up, however, and that person could be in for a nasty surprise.
The cone snail, scientific name conus geographus, grows to approximately 4-6 inches, and is indigenous to the Indo-Pacific reefs.
Source: Wikipedia
Though they appear to be little more than an ordinary snail, the cone snail has the most poisonous venom of more than 500 cone species. The snail injects venom into its victim through a harpoon-like tooth, paralyzing its prey. Rather serpentinely, the cone snail then swallows its victim whole, regurgitating any leftover bits after digestion.
The cone snail’s venom is one of the most potent neurotoxins in existence, and can prove fatal to humans. Luckily, few deaths are reported each year, as the more deadly cone snails often live on the ocean floor away from humans. The snail isn’t all bad, though; these days, researchers are using cone snail venom and its components to create painkillers and other pharmaceutical drugs.
Source: University of Melbourne
