Mind-Controlled Snails- They're REAL?!

if you're a fan of the cartoon network series 'Adventure Time,' you might remember a scene in season two's finale in which the main antagonist, The Lich, possesses the snail that can be seen in every episode of the series. what you might not know is that this is something that can happen to snails in real life! ...to a certain degree, of course. obviously, snails cannot undergo the process of demonic possession- rather, they become infected with a parasite known as the green-banded broodsac- which is an interesting coincidence, considering The Lich is heavily associated with the color. 

the green-banded broodsac is a parasitic flatworm that infects snails- though that much was already obvious- and more importantly spends its adult life in the cloaca of a bird. it lays its eggs in the bird's feces, and eventually a snail will accidentally eat them. the eggs hatch in the snail's stomach, and gradually make their way to the snail's tentacles- the little antenna-looking things at the top of their slimy bodies. from there, they change the appearance of the snail's tentacles from thin and long-looking, to short, fatter, and more importantly- somewhat like a caterpillar. this is because the green-banded broodsac also has the ability of mimicry- it looks similar to a caterpillar to trick birds into eating it. 

so where does the possession bit come in? well, in order for the broodsac to get eaten, the snail has to be somewhere where birds can see it, and snails tend to stick closer to the ground- the leaves of various plants tend to protect it from a bird's line of sight. so, the broodsac manipulates the snails behaviors into being less aware and scared of birds- making them go up in higher, brighter-lit areas, which makes them more visible to birds. the birds see a 'caterpillar,' swoop down, and eat at the tentacles, and the parasite gets digested and lays its eggs in the bird's cloaca, thus completing the green-banded broodsac's life cycle. 

so, technically, snails can be "possessed," although i wouldnt be too worried about one freeing a being that strives for the extinction of all life in the world. and a bonus fun fact: this is referenced in the opening for Chainsaw Man's anime [timestamp]!!

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