Michael asked : "Does anyone have a list of snails that might
inflict a sting?? "
 
The following Conus are known to be capable of inflicting a sting:
C. aulicus
C. geographus
C. gloriamaris
C. omaria
C. striatus
C. textile
C. tulipa
 
Note that C. textile is a mollusc hunting cone not a fish hunting cone.
There has been controversy in the past as to the identity of C. textile
being responsible for human envenomations. An account of some fatal and
non-fatal human envenomations is given on my Cone Shell and Conotoxins
HomePage. http://grimwade.biochem.unimelb.edu.au/cone/
follow the link to "Cone Shells"  and "Revenge of the Killer Snails" or go
to the direct link at URL
http://grimwade.biochem.unimelb.edu.au/cone/deathby.html
 
It is possible but unlikely that an individual would be "hypersensitive" to
a particular cone shell venom as the active components are small peptide
conotoxins that act by targeting a variety of different ion channels and
close down the nervous system. These conotoxins are not known to be
particularly antigenic.
 
The accounts given in the links above will provide you with a graphical and
historical account of Conus envenomation.
 
Safety Procedures for dealing with envenomation by Conidae are listed at
http://grimwade.biochem.unimelb.edu.au/cone/1st-aid.html
 
Take care out there :)
 
Bruce
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: wizzard <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Saturday, 6 March 1999 12:49
Subject: Re: Conus information
 
 
>Paul Callomon wrote:
>>
>> > P.S. Now, this qeustion is for all on the conch-l. Is Conus tinianus a
>> > dangerous species? It seems to have a wide
>> > aperture to me.
>> Freeze your hand down to the temperature of the surrounding water, coat
it
>> with fish oil, sit the C. tinianus on your palm and wait 20-30 minutes,
>> gently wiggling your pinkie. When the mollusc extends its proboscis,
wiggle
>> a bit faster. With any luck, it will harpoon your finger and you will
find
>> out. This is about as easy as it is to be stung by a Cone.
>
>Unless your'e the kind of collector who occasionally puts shells in a
>pocket. I have heard of folks being stung by cones and some other shells
>with names I don't recall. Does anyone have a list of snails that might
>inflict a sting?? I had heard of some species of snail that had a mild
>sting but caused a pretty good case of novacaine like numbness. What
>about other shelling hazards?  I learned to do the "sand shuffle" after
>stepping on a stingray (some of the worst pain I've ever felt!) in the
>walking through the eel grass at DeSoto Park in the Clearwater/Tampa Bay
>area.  A warning might have helped. That would be an interesting thread,
>let's persue that rather than PC's vs Macs. Michael, Sunrise, FL