The Flamingo Tongue Snail

Shell collectors of the world, be warned. Though the saturated snail you see above bears a visually striking “shell”, the vibrant patterns aren’t part of the shell itself but rather the mollusk’s living mantle tissue.

Located in the waters of the Atlantic and Caribbean, the flamingo tongue snail feeds on toxic sea fans and yet, much like Bruce Willis in “Unbreakable”, suffers no harm. In fact, the snail only benefits from doing so. While chewing on sea fans, the cunning snail absorbs their venom and–to the chagrin of its potential predators–becomes toxic itself. While the flamingo tongue snail used to be a relatively common sight, its unique exterior has rendered it a popular underwater “souvenir” for scuba divers, which has contributed even more to its novelty status.