God Ordains and Guides – When Snails Become Keen to Attract Birds

Leucochloridium paradoxum is a parasitic worm of various birds, which uses snails as an intermediate host in Europe and North America. If the snails get infected by the parasite after feeding on faeces of infected birds, the following happens:

1- The tentacles of their eyes take the appearance of colourful, pulsating caterpillars that various birds prey on.

2- Instead of seeking dark areas to avoid predators, infected snails prefer to expose themselves to predators in open areas where they could be eaten.

Is it the cleverness of the parasite that makes it change the appearance of the eye stalk of the snail to look like an attractive caterpillar, and to change the behaviour of the snail to be keen to be exposed to birds, all in order to complete its life cycle? Or is it God who ordains and guides?

A land snail infected with the parasite in one (first picture) and both eye stalks (second picture). The infected eye stalks appear like caterpillars to attract a bird predator to eat the snail and complete the life cycle of the parasite.