January 2 - Leucochloridium paradoxum

Ever feel like you're just not quite in control? Try being a snail infected with Leucochloridium paradoxum Carus 1835 (Platyhelminthes: Strigeidida). These trematode parasites alternate between snails, their intermediate hosts, and birds, the definitive hosts. The parasites invade the tentacles of the snails, causing them to look like caterpillars (see photo, which shows a normal and an invaded tentacle), which makes them attractive to birds.