Beautiful and Deadly - Cone Snail

I recently learned about the Cone Snail while watching a program on National Geographic. It caught my attention because it was about dangerous creatures in Brazil. My husband is a native of Brazil, I have visited and gone to the beach there. I realized how easily I could have been killed had I encountered one of these creatures. I was instantly horrified - I could have fallen prey to this little horror of a creature, housed in such a beautiful package.

Worse yet, my kids would defiantly have picked one up. The venom of the cone snail is so toxic to humans it can kill up to twenty people at one time. My God and (gasp) there is no anti-venom. You either die, or you survive. The venom can kill in as little as five minutes and causes symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, weakness, pain, swelling, impaired vision and speech and widespread paralysis - including major organs; most commonly respiratory system failure and heart failure. The only treatment is life support and life sustaining measures until the toxin has worn off.

The venom is actually a cocktail of multiple toxins called conotoxins. It's easy to see why the venom can kill so quickly, with the power to paralyze the body's main functions. Learning about this creature gave me such a scare I felt compelled to warn folks, particularly with summer approaching and people planning their vacations. Word to the wise here - you should probably do some research while planning your vacation. Don't spoil a lovely trip by coming back dead!

Cone snails don't only live in Brazil. They are in many tropical climates, including the cost of Florida, California and Hawaii.