39

Leucochloridium paradoxum - Parasitic worm that infects snails, manipulating their eye stalks to resemble caterpillars which attracts birds to eat them(en.wikipedia.org)

posted
by
Avatar
decadentrebel@lemmy.worldM
in
Avatar
creepywikipedia@lemmy.world
6 comments
hidereport
Sort:
HotTopControversialNewOld
Avatar
null@slrpnk.net
19 points

permalink
report
reply
Avatar
pastermil@sh.itjust.works
7 points

After the bird eat them, they live in the bird’s ass, propagating by laying eggs in the bird’s poop, and the cycle begin anew.

This is probably the most sophisticated parasite I’ve ever known.

permalink
report
reply
Avatar
frankenswine@lemmy.world
2 points

so you never heard of toxoplasma?

permalink
report
parent
reply
Avatar
decadentrebel@lemmy.worldOPM
3 points

I think you’re just focusing on the pooping cycle. The part where the parasite possesses the snail and creates this elaborate display with the eyes to draw its real intended host/target is what’s fascinating.

permalink
report
parent
reply
Avatar
frankenswine@lemmy.world
1 point

i don’t think so (: toxoplasma IIRC alters a host’s behavior in favor of cats, so that it can infect those - since cats are the only ones it can reproduce in. not as colorful and funky as the exapmle here, but similarly clever/complex

permalink
report
parent
reply
Avatar
frankenswine@lemmy.world
2 points

creepy? inspiring!

permalink
report
reply

Creepy Wikipedia

!creepywikipedia@lemmy.world

Create post

A fediverse community for curating Wikipedia articles that are oddly fascinating, eerily unsettling, or make you shiver with fear and disgust

Guidelines:

  1. Follow the Code of Conduct

  2. Do NOT report posts YOU don’t consider creepy

  3. Strictly Wikipedia submissions only

  4. Please follow the post naming convention: Wikipedia Article Title - Short Synopsis

  5. Tick the NSFW box for submissions with inappropriate thumbnails.

  6. Please refrain from any offensive language/profanities in the posts titles, unless necessary (e.g. it’s in the original article’s title).

Mandatory:

If you didn’t find an article “creepy,” you must announce it in the thread so everyone will know that you didn’t find it creepy

Community stats

  • 798

    Monthly active users

  • 591

    Posts

  • 2.3K

    Comments

Community moderators