From Introduction: One million years ago, this helicidian lizard was greatly feared by primitive man. Each of these creatures invariably carries with it, housed safely inside its shell, a hive of buzzing insects. The hive snail’s reptilian scales are far too thick for the insects to puncture, and so it pays them no heed. But other creatures are not so fortunate. It is fitting, perhaps, that the hive snail is something of a parasite itself. It digs no den for itself, but invades the burrows of other large creatures. It prefers to scavenge on the kills of other carnivores instead of running down prey of its own. If it finds a house, here in the modern era it has been so unceremoniously transported to, it moves in and gorges itself of all supplies, even devouring any household animals, and will not leave until it has ruined everything. And all the while, other creatures flee from the swarm of stinging bugs that follow the hive snail wherever it goes.