The Cone Snail

Beautifully colored and a real temptation for the traveller to the beach, getting your hands on one of these lovelies can see you dead in less than five minutes.

The happy beachcomber sees the shells lying on the sand and doesn’t it look just the perfect gift to take home? The shells are bright and beautiful, perfect for keepsakes of that trip to the seashore.

The little animal inside however has another idea; suddenly with no warning, no hiss or growl, you feel a single sharp jab and the small barb that lives inside the cone snail injects you with a neurotoxin that has proven to be the most poisonous substance that exists in the world today.

The burning pain spreads slowly as this potent toxin takes over your system. These tiny predators can even shoot their venom though a glove, a wetsuit, or protective coverings you may be wearing.

The venom works quickly, paralyzing you completely. The pain passes, and a blessed numbness enters, as you begin to breath slower and your heart begins to fail, both will cease entirely in a matter of minutes.

There is in fact an antivenin available for the cone snail but death often takes place in under five minutes. Unless you’re carrying that in your jacket pocket or holding it in your hand, chances are excellent that you’re not going to get it in time. These little guys are used to develop weapons by the CIA and not without good reason. It seems a fast and efficient method of eliminating your enemies.

Read more: http://www.itsnature.org/what-on-earth/4-silent-killers-of-the-natural-world