snail attack
June 26, 2011 2:34 PM Subscribe
Snail attack | The Savage Colors of Naked, Toxic Sea Snails . Bonus link: giant slug eats flower.
Cone snails are carnivorous, and predatory | Carnivorous cone snails | more on the dangerous cone snail and their anatomy | Cone snails eating fish | Kauri snails suck up worms like spaghetti | Kauri snail facts
disease bearing African snails | Giant African snails invade Kochi
fake snail attack | giant Chupacabra snail
Ryan's escargot recipe | Eating Giant Snail in Phuket, Thailand
A Flicker of Inspiration: Nudibranchs
Previously
Cone snails are carnivorous, and predatory | Carnivorous cone snails | more on the dangerous cone snail and their anatomy | Cone snails eating fish | Kauri snails suck up worms like spaghetti | Kauri snail facts
disease bearing African snails | Giant African snails invade Kochi
fake snail attack | giant Chupacabra snail
Ryan's escargot recipe | Eating Giant Snail in Phuket, Thailand
A Flicker of Inspiration: Nudibranchs
Previously
The 3,000-plus known nudibranch species, it turns out, are well equipped to defend themselves. Not only can they be toughskinned, bumpy, and abrasive, but they've also traded the family shell for less burdensome weaponry: toxic secretions and stinging cells. A few make their own poisons, but most pilfer from the foods they eat. Species that dine on toxic sponges, for example, alter and store the irritating compounds in their bodies and secrete them from skin cells or glands when disturbed. Other nudibranchs hoard capsules of tightly coiled stingers, called nematocysts, ingested from fire corals, anemones, and hydroids. Immune to the sting, the slugs deploy the stolen artillery along their own extremities.
Isn't it funny how people who are so gorgeous can be so poisonous and dangerous? Did I say people? I meant sea slugs.
Sea slugs, not ex-relationship human types. No, not at all.
You bastards. Um... slugs. Hey, that works. Poisonous slugs. Yeah.
posted by Splunge at 3:09 PM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Isn't it funny how people who are so gorgeous can be so poisonous and dangerous? Did I say people? I meant sea slugs.
Sea slugs, not ex-relationship human types. No, not at all.
You bastards. Um... slugs. Hey, that works. Poisonous slugs. Yeah.
posted by Splunge at 3:09 PM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
This sort of thing always makes me thing of Jim Woodring.
posted by bonobothegreat at 3:12 PM on June 26, 2011
posted by bonobothegreat at 3:12 PM on June 26, 2011
Thanks, gonna go read "The Quest for Blank Claveringi" again...
posted by hermitosis at 3:16 PM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by hermitosis at 3:16 PM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
I petition that the plural be nudibranches. The -chs ending is just uncomfortable.
posted by Lou Stuells at 3:31 PM on June 26, 2011
posted by Lou Stuells at 3:31 PM on June 26, 2011
Lou Stuells: I'm sure you're kidding, but the "branch" is pronounced with a [k]. It's the same Greek root you find in "bronchitis."
posted by Nomyte at 3:39 PM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Nomyte at 3:39 PM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
You're really not doing much to dissuade me from my firmly held-belief that everything in the ocean hates me and wants me to die.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 3:39 PM on June 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 3:39 PM on June 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
I petition that the plural be nudibranches. The -chs ending is just uncomfortable.
Ah, but the critter's name is pronounced nudibrank with a hard ch, not the end sound of branch. On preview, what Nomyte said.
posted by nickyskye at 3:40 PM on June 26, 2011
Ah, but the critter's name is pronounced nudibrank with a hard ch, not the end sound of branch. On preview, what Nomyte said.
posted by nickyskye at 3:40 PM on June 26, 2011
*firmly-held Really, I know how to use hyphens.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 3:40 PM on June 26, 2011
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 3:40 PM on June 26, 2011
Beautiful. Some of those sea slugs remind me of a child's toy. You can squeeze it way more than you think you can and it just balloons up.
Video of a sea slug (that kinda resembles a cat) expelling its guts.
posted by Solomon at 3:47 PM on June 26, 2011
Video of a sea slug (that kinda resembles a cat) expelling its guts.
posted by Solomon at 3:47 PM on June 26, 2011
That's a holothurian of some sort, not a nudibranch. Sorry! Still striking, though.
posted by Nomyte at 3:52 PM on June 26, 2011
posted by Nomyte at 3:52 PM on June 26, 2011
But wasn't that snail attack awesomely surprising? I was shocked by it and had no idea snails could act - BAM!- like that. I thought all snails were ploddingly vulnerable.
posted by nickyskye at 4:05 PM on June 26, 2011
posted by nickyskye at 4:05 PM on June 26, 2011
The slug eating the flower was interesting. I was expecting more alien mouth. He was just munchin'.
posted by Trochanter at 5:41 PM on June 26, 2011
posted by Trochanter at 5:41 PM on June 26, 2011
But wasn't that snail attack awesomely surprising? I was shocked by it and had no idea snails could act - BAM!- like that. I thought all snails were ploddingly vulnerable.
OMG nickyskye, even after reading your description I shrieked and jumped when the snail attacked. It just happened so fast! Poor earthworm.
I had to lower my heartrate by watching the "slug eating flower" video. It was downright adorable in comparison.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:39 PM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
OMG nickyskye, even after reading your description I shrieked and jumped when the snail attacked. It just happened so fast! Poor earthworm.
I had to lower my heartrate by watching the "slug eating flower" video. It was downright adorable in comparison.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:39 PM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
A turtle shows up in the hospital looking seriously worked over - a black eye, scratches, kind of disoriented. "Oh my goodness! What happened to you?" the doctor exclaims. "I think I was attacked by snails," the turtle says, "but I'm not sure - it all happened so fast!"
posted by ChuraChura at 7:30 PM on June 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 7:30 PM on June 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
yes I know that MOST nudibranchs are not humble AT ALL.
Thanks, phunniemee, for showcasing my gaudy relatives. I've often speculated that nudibranchs would make exquisite floats for parades.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:40 PM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Thanks, phunniemee, for showcasing my gaudy relatives. I've often speculated that nudibranchs would make exquisite floats for parades.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:40 PM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
whoops, the thankee goes to nickyskye. Pimpslug IS cute tho.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:43 PM on June 26, 2011
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:43 PM on June 26, 2011
You're really not doing much to dissuade me from my firmly held-belief that everything in the ocean hates me and wants me to die.
Mr. Bad Example, not only is your belief fairly well-founded, but it suggests a naivete about land-based wildlife...
posted by IAmBroom at 6:33 AM on June 27, 2011
Mr. Bad Example, not only is your belief fairly well-founded, but it suggests a naivete about land-based wildlife...
posted by IAmBroom at 6:33 AM on June 27, 2011
I have survived for 37 years without ever having heard the word nudibranch spoken aloud by others and, fortunately, myself.
I'm not even going to mention 'orinthology.'
posted by Lou Stuells at 9:03 AM on June 27, 2011
I'm not even going to mention 'orinthology.'
posted by Lou Stuells at 9:03 AM on June 27, 2011
"fortunately"?!!! I'd say unfortunately. They are amazing creatures... Have had the pleasure of seeing a few in the ocean off Baja and Kauai. The fried egg one I got to see on my first ever dive...cool cool stuff!
posted by Capricorn13 at 3:14 PM on June 27, 2011
posted by Capricorn13 at 3:14 PM on June 27, 2011
Fortunately only in the sense that I never got caught out mispronouncing it! They are striking creatures, definitely pushing the boundaries of the imagination regarding the incredible diversity of animals. If this is what we've got on earth, how can we begin to imagine lifeforms on other planets.
Much less pronounce their names properly.
posted by Lou Stuells at 3:38 PM on June 27, 2011
Much less pronounce their names properly.
posted by Lou Stuells at 3:38 PM on June 27, 2011
Ahh OK..I misunderstood you. And I whole heartedly agree. I had the fortune to see an octopus in the wild too. The way it changed colors AND texture was so amazing and alien, it made me realize just how mind blowing it would be to see an alien. There's a lot of beauty out there, I just hope we don't kill it all off!!!
posted by Capricorn13 at 3:49 PM on June 27, 2011
posted by Capricorn13 at 3:49 PM on June 27, 2011
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posted by phunniemee at 2:42 PM on June 26, 2011 [2 favorites]