The harsh environment has caused the snail to develop a unique exoskeleton.
Scaly-foot gastropod is the only animal on Earth known to utilize iron in this way.
The entire animal is covered in iron compound, mainly pyrite, also known as Fools gold and greigite.
As greigite is magnetic, the animal actually sticks to magnets.
The outer layer is about 30 m thick, and is made of iron sulphides.
Each layer appear to contribute to the effectiveness of the snail’s defense in different ways.
Photo credit
Scaly-foot gastropod is magnetic and sticks to magnets.Photo credit
Sources:Wikipedia/New Scientist/ESA.org
