Snail Tree

Description

Common Names

Classification

Ecology

Rarity

Distribution

Life Cycle

Uses

Cultivation

Culinary

Medicinal

Other

See Also

For lack of a better name "snail trees"; a multi-species symbiotic grouping of a gastropod, carpet beetles and a flat canopied tree. The wide spread branches of the tree are covered in venomous snails with extremely long tethered retractible dart-like projectiles. These snail migrate out to the overhanging branches and slowly descend using their tethers like a rappelling line. Should an animal make contact with these descending snails they are quickly stung with mild paralytic venom. Multiple strikes may be required to induce total paralysis, depending on the mass and metabolism of the target. The snails then migrate back up the tree trunk and out onto the branches to repeat the dangling behaviour. The paralyzed prey then gets swarmed by the carpet beetles dwelling in the detritus and tuff at the tree's base. The beetle swarm quickly devours the still live prey, picking the bones clean and fertilizing the soil for the host tree. More prey is drawn to the smell of carrion, and a potential meal. The trees reproduce via wind borne seeds which the snails lay eggs on, to start anew. The carpet beetles drawn to the carrion such a tree produces, aerate and fertilize the soil helping the tree grow in otherwise poor conditions. Clever assassins in Waejir will place small clay pots under descending snails to capture them. These pots are then closed with a lid, and delivered to a target as a gift. When the small present is opened, the snails dart will fire out, paralyzing the victim. Attempts to extract the paralytic toxin have failed, as it quickly degrades into uselessness when removed from the snail.