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Bad Apple Snail
14 August 2014

Bad Apple Snail

What do cats, starlings and cane toads have in common? ... They’re all on the list of the 100 worst invasive species due to their ability to devastate native ecologies. But as well as environmental destruction, invasive species also represent a health risk, carrying diseases beyond their traditional ranges. The apple snail is one such culprit, implicated in the spread of rat lungworm, which causes a kind of meningitis in humans. Most predators avoid the molluscs' eggs which are protected by a chemical that attacks the digestive system. Pictured is the inside surface of the small intestine of a rat that’s eaten this chemical – it’s become covered in mucus and unable to properly absorb nutrients. Without animals to feed on the eggs, the snail population is exploding. Until predators evolve to neutralise the eggs’ defence, apple snails are likely to enjoy their notoriety for a long time to come.

Written by Jan Piotrowski

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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