Glow in the dark snails could save our dogs from lungworms

glow in dark snails

Anything that glows in the dark is automatically the most interesting thing in the world, seriously, we’re not joking about this. Do you find snails interesting? No, you don’t, but when they glow in the dark, that’s when you begin to claim snails as the coolest little critters in the world.

OK, so, where are we going with this glow in the dark snail thing? Well, you see, University of Exeter in the U.K. is doing a study on how snails transmit a parasite called lungworm to man’s best friend, dogs. It is certain that dogs catch lungworm from snails; however, it is not clear how, which is the main reason behind this study.

To help figure what goes on, researchers have attached LED lights and UV paints to several snails to make it easier to track their movements during the nighttime. It makes for a very interesting and beautiful experiment that could potentially save our best friends from this lungworm problem. Note, lungworms are dangerous to dogs; many have died from this parasite, so this research is pretty important.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xexQbiNoKxg[/embed[

Researchers hope to learn as much as they can, which could help protect dogs from contracting lungworms. It is likely dog owners might have to do more to get rid of snails from within their gardens or within their homes for the safety of their best friend

[via YouTube]

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