Snail Day, part 3
Okay, one last time: I’m calling March 13th of this year Snail Day at McKinney Falls State Park because I found plenty of snails there that had left the ground and climbed onto various plants. This inch-long snail was clinging to a slender, dry, broken-off stalk. Such a close view provides the best look of the three in this miniseries at the kind of spiral that characterizes these shells. The red patches in the background are from the fruits of a tasajillo cactus.
© 2013 Steven Schwartzman
these were marvelous shots.
TexWisGirl
March 31, 2013 at 1:26 PM
I’m pleased to hear that you’ve enjoyed the series.
Steve Schwartzman
March 31, 2013 at 2:48 PM
This is a gorgeous image, Steve. It is astonishing. I love everything about it….
arianavincent
March 31, 2013 at 1:27 PM
Thanks for letting me know, Ariana.
Steve Schwartzman
March 31, 2013 at 2:50 PM
Such a dichotomy, the gorgeous shell and the not-so-gorgeous creature who inhabits it! Beautiful shot.
Tina Schell
March 31, 2013 at 1:33 PM
You’ve made me wonder, Tina, if there are people (or beings elsewhere in the universe) who might find the occupant more appealing than the shell.
Steve Schwartzman
March 31, 2013 at 3:00 PM
Other snails no doubt!
Tina Schell
March 31, 2013 at 10:21 PM
Snail Day! I like that! i don’t see these little guys till much later in the year.
oneowner
March 31, 2013 at 1:37 PM
Last year I declared Engelmann Daisy Day, so why not Snail Day this year? Let’s hope you get a good crop of these critters in the months to come.
Steve Schwartzman
March 31, 2013 at 7:04 PM
This is my favorite. It reminded me of the snail shell you posted last year, and my comment that it reminded me of the sundial shell and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
This is rather more like a moon shell, but when I looked again at the sundials, I had a sudden thought. Perhaps their name doesn’t come from the spiral pattern on top, but from the markings along the edge on the bottom of the shell. Those do look like something you might find on a true sundial – marks to indicate the movement of the shadow.
shoreacres
March 31, 2013 at 8:36 PM
I remember your comment and link from last year. This time you raise a good question, and you could well be right about the name relating to the shell’s bottom rather than to its spiral. Although I searched for a while, I couldn’t find any article that explains the name. There must be marine biologists who know, but none turned up in my search.
Steve Schwartzman
March 31, 2013 at 9:27 PM