A to Z Challenge: G (poisons & stories of their use)

Geography Cone Snail

Cone Snail
From: Wikimedia Commons

Fast facts:
– Latin name is Conus geographus
– One of most venomous creatures on Earth
– It’s venom has analgesic properties
– Toxin causes muscle paralysis, vision impairment and respiratory failure
– Most toxic cone snail with more than 100 toxins
– A few microlitres of toxin enough to kill 10 people
– No anti-venom exists
– 36 deaths attributed to snail

The geography cone snail is a predatory snail typically found in warm tropical seas. While it moves like most snails quite slowly, its attack is very fast. It can pump toxins into the water and also shoot a poisoned tipped, harpoon-like proboscis from its mouth. This proboscis is able to easily penetrate a glove as it has to be able to pierce the tough skin of a fish. The attack is often not felt as it injects an analgesic which prevents the sensation of pain.

While there are about 500 species of poisonous cone snail, only a few have the ability to kill a human – and the geography cone snail is the deadliest. It has over 100 toxins. It takes less than a microlitre of toxin to kill. Due to its paralysing nature, there is little pain, rather a numbness and tingling sensation.

There is no anti-venom for cone snail toxin. The only thing to be done is to try and prevent the toxins from spreading.

Scientists are instigating the potential for cone snail toxins to have painkilling uses in medicine as it’s found to be 10,000 times more potent than morphine without the addictive side-effects.

In the past hundred years there have been 36 recorded deaths from the snail. All were accidental with most picking it up as it has an attractive and collectible shell.

In 2015 a crew member of a tourist boat in the Whitsunday’s, Australia, was walking barefoot in shallow water when he was stung. His respiratory system began shutting down, however emergency medical help was on hand and he eventually recovered.

To date, there have been no homicides relating to the use of cone snail venom.

(While this video is of a striated cone snail, the method is the same for the geography cone snail)

References:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/19/venomous-sea-snail-insulin-prey-conus-geographus
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/g/geography-cone/
https://allthatsinteresting.com/cone-snail

17 comments on “A to Z Challenge: G (poisons & stories of their use)

  1. Oh yes, those cones are very dangerous, I know them! Looks pretty, but don’t touch them!!

    • We have one of the shells. Found it washed up on the beach. Even though I know there is nothing in it, I am still cautious about touching it.

  2. Giggling Fattie

    April 8, 2021 at 9:23 pm

    Well that video is terrifying! LOL #nightmaresfordays

  3. The video says it all. Haven’t heard of this one, Anita. Keep ’em coming!

    • The video makes you glad you aren’t trying to survive life on the reef! I have a few more unusual ones in the mix for you, Jacqui.

  4. Something I didn’t need to know. I already know that Australia wants to kill humans even more than Florida does.

    I have enough problem with terrestrial snails, every year they find a way to get to the orchids in the pool enclosure. I don’t need to know that shark and stingray bites are not the only hazards for plating in my warm Tropical sea.

    • Ah, yes. Us Aussies are a tough breed. We fight to survive every day we live here 😉

      Snails and slugs have formed a coalition aiming to destroy all my plants. If only I drank coffee (’cause coffee granules are a great deterrent).

  5. Wow, that is one dangerous shell to pick up!
    I have never heard of a poisonous snail. Nature can be merciless (video)

    https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-z-2021-all-that-glistens-is-not-gold.html

  6. Whoa, file it under “very pretty and very deadly”
    Also “pretty snails in Australia will kill you too”

    The Multicolored Diary

  7. Pretty shell. Now I must commit that to memory so I know that’s a very dangerous critter.

    • And that’s the problem. They really are pretty. A lot of the deaths associated with them are from tourists picking them up…

  8. Wow, that sure shows that all that glitters is not gold; or something like that (could not think of the perfect saying right now:-))
    Love your theme; something to learn each day about our world..
    21 Great Gifts For the Poetry Lover In Your Life

    • I think that saying is pretty close! Thanks for stopping by (off to visit your post now…)

Comments are closed.