Some species of snails are infected with a parasitic flatworm called Leucochloridium paradoxum, which has a life cycle that involves manipulating the snail’s behavior and appearance to increase its own chances of survival. The parasite causes the snail’s eyes to turn into worm-like protrusions, which are actually just the parasite’s own larvae.
To birds, these worm-like eyes look like tasty little morsels, and they’ll often peck at them to eat them. But in doing so, they’re actually ingesting the parasite’s larvae, which then complete their life cycle inside the bird’s digestive system.
The larvae (possibly not quite the right word) eaten by the birds lodge in the intestinal tract near the cloaca. The eggs they produce are passed out, and snails eat the eggs.
~This comment is best read with Hans Zimmer’s “The Circle of Life” playing in the background.~
Some species of snails are infected with a parasitic flatworm called Leucochloridium paradoxum, which has a life cycle that involves manipulating the snail’s behavior and appearance to increase its own chances of survival. The parasite causes the snail’s eyes to turn into worm-like protrusions, which are actually just the parasite’s own larvae.
To birds, these worm-like eyes look like tasty little morsels, and they’ll often peck at them to eat them. But in doing so, they’re actually ingesting the parasite’s larvae, which then complete their life cycle inside the bird’s digestive system.
That’s rough, oof!
they are then pooped out onto other snails? How does this life cycle work
The larvae (possibly not quite the right word) eaten by the birds lodge in the intestinal tract near the cloaca. The eggs they produce are passed out, and snails eat the eggs.
~This comment is best read with Hans Zimmer’s “The Circle of Life” playing in the background.~
Snails eat eggs???
Aww