This Snail Built Its Own Metal Armor (Thanks, Volcanoes)

Send us Fan MailIn this Volcano Minisode, Katy introduces one of the most extreme animals on Earth: the scaly-foot gastropod, a deep-sea snail that literally builds metal armor from volcanic hydrothermal vents. Found over a mile below the ocean’s surface, this snail survives crushing pressure, toxic heat, and total darkness—all thanks to a symbiotic relationship with bacteria and its one-of-a-kind iron shell.🧪 How does a snail use volcanic metals to build armor? 🌋 What makes hydrothermal vents so hostile—and so essential to life? 🧫 And who’s really in charge here… the snail or the bacteria living inside it?This episode is a deep dive into extreme evolution, powered by volcanoes and gut flora. It’s weird, real, and one of the coolest stories in nature.👉 This is episode 4 of 6 in our Volcano Minisodes series—bite-sized, bizarre, and bursting with molten-hot science facts.🎧 Listen now to meet Earth’s most metal mollusk. Support the show🎉 Support us on Patreon to keep the episodes coming! 🪼🦤🧠 For more laughs, catch us on YouTube!Track a real wild animal. Support conservation. Feel slightly cooler than you did five seconds ago. Visit the Fahlo tracking bracelets website to get 20% off tracking bracelets with code WildlyKaty.