Assassin snails are known for preying on invasive snail species that affect the environment negatively. If your tank is infested with hitchhiking snails that are now multiplying unwarrantedly, you can throw in a couple of assassin snails to do the messy job of bringing your tank to order. Along the line, you’ll discover how unique and mysterious your assassin snails are, especially in the way they take down their prey. Most slow aquatic animals use toxins as defense mechanisms to survive, so it’s no surprise that you’re wondering whether assassin snails do, too.
Assassin snails are not poisonous snails. For a snail to be poisonous, it means that it carries a toxin that is dangerous to ingest or interact with by another animal. So, if you were to eat an assassin snail, you wouldn’t be consuming any poison. However, they may carry harmful parasites if eaten raw, especially if you were to eat wild-caught snails.
Are Assassin Snails Venomous? The Truth About Assassin Snail Neurotoxin
Assassin snails are rumored to have a toxin they inject into their prey for immobilization. This in turn allows the assassin to eat its prey easily. In theory, it makes sense for the killer snail to use toxins when hunting down prey, but there simply isn’t enough scientific proof to back up this claim. Due to the lack of experiments, assassin snails are not confirmed to be venomous. However, there have been several claims of prey or feeder snails twitching after being attacked by an assassin which could mean that some sort of venomous activity is at play.
Additionally, there are instances where the prey snails are killed but not eaten as opposed to getting devoured to the shell by the killer snails. It’s possible, in this case, that the assassin snail injected venom into its opponent and crawled away leaving the snail to its sad fate.
Furthermore, assassin snails are related to cone snails which are highly venomous. They have a venom bulb which is a sac that contains a deadly form of peptide that is capable of immobilizing and eventually killing their prey, even humans who dive into too many of the snails. This venom also helps them liquefy their prey to enable easier consumption. In contrast, assassin snails do not have a venom bulb to help them manufacture or store venom for predation. Instead, they appear to kill their prey by sheer violence and skill, sometimes eating them alive.
How Do Assassin Snails Eat Other Snails? The Confirmed Way Assassins Kill Prey
Assassin snails have mechanisms that help them catch and kill their prey. They are calculated and meticulous predators that are famous for controlling pest snail populations by hunting and eating them. Here’s how they do it:
1. Accurate Sensing Capabilities
Assassin snails have chemoreceptors that allow them to detect chemicals secreted by other snails around them. Since snails naturally leave slime trails, assassins have an edge in tracing the trails to the prey leaving them. They are also highly accurate in differentiating these chemicals allowing them to relentlessly pursue their potential meal.
2. Specialized Slime
Assassin snails have a slightly stickier slime compared to other snails that they use to their advantage. It acts as an adhesive so that when they catch up to their prey, they mount and latch onto the shell of the prey. The stickier slime is due to the presence of higher amounts of glycoproteins found in the slime that enable stickiness, allowing the snails to hold their catch down long enough to kill and eat it.
3. Unique Proboscis
Using their retractable proboscis, the lucky assassin snail begins tearing away at the flesh of their prey. They use jagged radula(mouth) movement to saw at the flesh and suck in pieces until they’re left with the shell. Assassin snails’ uniquely long proboscis allows them to reach into the innermost parts of even the most complicated shell shapes, enabling them to get the most out of every catch they make. This is why they’re so good at invasive snail genocides!
Are Assassin Snails Edible?
Assassin snails can be eaten as a cuisine if prepared properly. After all, they are not poisonous and some cultures eat mollusks incorporated into different dishes. For example, the periwinkle and African Giant snails are cooked and eaten by some cultures across the world. It ultimately depends on how you choose to prepare it. Just ensure that you’re not doing so illegally as some laws regulate breeding or taking snails in certain areas.
In addition, some aquarium animals like crabs and fishes like tetras, bettas, and loaches eat aquatic snails such as assassins without a problem.
Are Assassin Snails Dangerous To Handle?
You may be wondering about the proper way to handle assassin snails to avoid getting harmed or bitten in the process, and these are justifiable concerns. Luckily, assassin snails will not bite or attack you if you handle them. They are generally not aggressive unless they perceive you to be a giant snail capable of secreting detectable slime and are potentially delicious. Until then, you’re safe to handle your assassin snails as you please. I’m pretty sure they don’t care for scented lotions or body hair.
Do Assassin Snails Harbor Parasites?
Most—if not all— snails are capable of carrying parasites that can pass diseases to humans, and assassin snails are not exempted. If you have access to wild assassin snails, that is they were not bred in aquariums by breeders, there’s a chance of the snails carrying parasites such as flukes. These snail-infecting flukes when ingested can cause severe lung and liver diseases in both people and pets. If your dog or cat ate a wild assassin snail, I suggest you visit the vet immediately to ensure it is not in danger.
In some cases, these flukes can infect your tank if you introduce an infected wood or rock into the aquarium. The best way to avoid bringing parasites into your tank is by boiling the items before placing them in your snail’s home.
How Do I Know My Assassin Snail Is Infected With Parasites?
It could be tricky to decipher whether your assassin snail is suffering from parasites or not. Most of the time, they may go undetected until you find the parasite itself (fluke) having a spa day on one of your snails. Aside from spotting the parasite, affected snails display the following signs:
- Slower movement
- Lack of coordination/stamina (falling off surfaces and tumbling around)
- Loss of appetite or inability to hunt prey efficiently
- Discoloration of the foot
- Weird bumps or dents around the body of the assassin snail
What Do I Do If My Assassin Snail Is Infected With Parasites?
There’s almost nothing you can do on your own aside from quarantining the infected snail to prevent it from passing the parasite. Most of the time, the parasite uses snails as a temporary host so that when an unfortunate being—either you or other bigger pets—comes in contact with it, it will then transport itself to its final destination. However, it’s unlikely to happen this way unless you actually eat the infected snail, or eat anything else that eats the snail.
To disinfect your tank, you must visit a vet who will prescribe the proper medication based on your specific problem. The vet will also instruct you on how to use the medication so that you don’t harm your snails in the process.
