The scaly-foot snail is the only animal in the world known to incorporate iron into its exoskeleton. It builds its shell out of the stuff, and even its soft, fleshy foot is covered in thick iron plates like a medieval knight.
The scaly-foot snail (Chrysomallon squamiferum) is found in the Indian Ocean in hydrothermal vents – fissures in the seafloor, often found near volcanically active places, that eject warm water that’s been heated by molten rock deep below the ocean crust. It lives between depths of 2,400 to 2,900 metres and can withstand temperatures of up to 400 degrees Celsius.
00:00 Introduction
00:25 Scientific Name and Classification
01:26 Evolution and History
02:40 Appearance
03:06 Their Shell
03:56 Their Foot
04:33 Their Internal Organs
05:17 Behavior
06:06 Diet
06:51 Habitat and Population
07:43 Reproduction and Lifespan
08:48 Predators and Threats
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