Why is Conus magus nickamed “cigarette snail”?
“The “sting” of many of the smaller cone species is no worse than that of a bee or hornet sting, but in the case of a few of the larger tropical species, handling the snail can have tragic consequences. About 30 human deaths have been recorded from cone snail envenomation. One species, the Geography cone, Conus geographus, is also known colloquially as the “cigarette snail,” in the belief that the victim will have only enough time to smoke a cigarette before perishing.
