When someone mentions the word "zombie," chances are that you're thinking about something out of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video or a character from The Walking Dead.
Our modern concept of zombies derives from voodoo beliefs, though for the most part, the living dead are considered to be entirely fictional. However, you might change your mind once you meet one of nature's actual zombies — zombie snails, that is.
Even if you aren't the type of person who is preparing for the zombie apocalypse, it's good to be aware of these creatures. Plus, it's definitely something fun to talk about this Halloween.
Zombie snails start their life as ordinary mollusks. It isn't until a visit from an unwelcome guest that they "turn."
These snails truly prove that fact can often be stranger than fiction.
[H/T: Wired]
If you've ever seen a snail before, you're probably thinking that this guy looks a little different. That's because he is.
Sadly for this snail, he has been infected by a parasitic worm called leucochloridium paradoxum, or the green-banded broodsac, which takes control over his snail brain and body.
The broodsac is perfectly adapted to take over a snail's body.
It specifically targets the eyestalks, which you'll notice look a little fatter than they would on a normal snail.
These little worms cling to the snail for dear life.
Once they enter the body, they take over the snail's eyestalks and mimic the movements of a caterpillar.
While a normal snail would spend its life trying to avoid predators, a zombie snail can no longer think for himself.
Instead, the parasite makes sure that his behavior is advertising him as a tasty meal.
That being said, the eyestalk takeover is just the beginning of the worm's invasion.
It begins when a snail accidentally ingests the worm egg, which takes root inside the snail's liver and develops into a white tissue.
From here, the worm grows inside the snail and depletes him of his ability to retain nutrients (which the worm absorbs through the skin), as well as any ability to reproduce.
The energy that would have been spent on sperm and egg production is instead enjoyed by the worm, who depends on it to continue its lifecycle.
The worms dance inside the eyes of the zombie snails as if they were caterpillars.
This is all done in hopes of catching the eye of a bird, who will ingest the snail and worm with it.
Why does a worm want to be eaten? Because its reproductive cycle depends on the acid inside the bird's stomach.
In other words, these worms are so specialized that their eggs are released and spread through the bird's feces.
The bird poop is eventually eaten by another snail, who will eat an egg and also succumb to the worm's zombie-inducing powers.
Granted, a zombie snail is a little less scary than a "real" zombie, but it just goes to show how crazy nature can actually be.
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