View allAll Photos Tagged snailshell
Left specimen shows the foot visible, photographed in situ in Armenoi, Crete. The rest were collected dead taken.
• Λιανοσαλίγκαρος, Λιανοκοχλιός
• Chocolate-band snail, Vermiculate snail
• Caracol de Los Fideos, caracol de bandas de chocolate
Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Helicidae
Genus: Eobania
Species: E. vermiculata
Eobania vermiculata is a medium-sized land snail native to the Mediterranean basin, common throughout Greece, including Crete, where it is often found on stone walls, vegetation, and in gardens and olive groves. It is easily recognized by its globular, glossy shell, typically cream to light brown with a distinctive dark chocolate-brown band running around the whorl near the suture — giving it both its scientific name, "vermiculata" (worm-marked), and its common name, "chocolate-band snail."
The species has spread beyond its native range through the horticultural and agricultural trade, with established populations in parts of the United States, Australia, and elsewhere, where it is sometimes regarded as a minor agricultural pest.
Adults typically reach 20–30 mm in shell diameter. Like many Mediterranean helicids, it aestivates during hot, dry periods, sealing its shell aperture with a calcareous epiphragm, often in groups, until conditions improve.
This snail is also collected and consumed as food throughout much of its range, including in Greece and Crete, where it is commonly sold alive at local markets and prepared in traditional dishes.
Armenoi, Crete, Greece
#Mittwochsmakro
#WednesdayMacro
As promised, here's my Macro Mondays "Shell" outtake. It's the same snail shell as in my official photo for the theme, but this time, it's a small detail of the shell's underside. While taking the MM photos, I noticed that this particular shell has a tiny extra hole next to the actual hole/opening. It took me a while to find info on that particular part of the shell, and what we are looking at apparently is its umbilicus. The search also helped me to identify the snail species this shell once belonged to: Neverita josephinia, a member of the moon snail family, and a predatory sea snail native to the Mediterranian region, so it's most likely that this shell is a souvenir from a holiday at Italy's Adriatic Sea when I was six, but Croatia is also a possibility.
When I looked through the viewfinder, the Laowa set to 2x magnification, this part of the shell reminded me of the unique and very special stone formations of Antelope Canyon. Well, looking at the image today, I should admit that it also reminds me of a tongue of sorts, so maybe the snail that once occupied this shell was a Rolling Stones fan ;)
Enjoy the rest of the week, dear Flickr friends!!
Albinaria is a genus of small land snails belonging to the door snail family (Clausiliidae), renowned for its elongated, ribbed shells and its remarkable diversity across the eastern Mediterranean. Crete alone hosts dozens of endemic species and subspecies, many restricted to a single gorge, hillside, or rocky outcrop, making the genus a textbook example of island speciation.
These snails favor rocky, calcareous habitats, often found clinging to limestone boulders, stone walls, and tree trunks in dry, rocky terrain such as that around Armenoi, Rethymno. Their tightly coiled, spindle-shaped shells feature fine axial ribbing and a distinctive door-like clausilium that seals the aperture, protecting the snail from predators and desiccation during the harsh Cretan summer.
Albinaria taxonomy remains notoriously difficult, with species distinguished by subtle shell sculpture and genital anatomy. Among the pale, white-shelled species recorded on Crete via iNaturalist, some of the most frequently observed include Albinaria eburnea, Albinaria corrugata, Albinaria sphakiota, and Albinaria troglodytes.
Given the extreme local endemism and morphological overlap within the genus, the exact species identity of this individual remains undetermined and awaits confirmation from the iNaturalist community.
• Door snail, white door snail
Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Clausiliidae
Genus: Albinaria
Armenoi, Rethymno, Crete, Greece
We have snails in the garden, and we have birds in the garden too. So finding empty shells is an almost daily occurrence! Mostly I ignore them, but there is a box of ones that look photogenic 😊
Here nestling in a small scallop shell
For Looking close on Friday group - "Seashells and/or Snail Shells"
Macro-Looking Close: Here
From the garden Here
Still Life Compositions: Here
Specimens photographed in situ in Armenoi, Crete. All individuals were alive; the upper-center specimen shows the foot visible, while the rest were deeply retracted. All were left in place after photography.
• Θήβα η πισανή
• White garden snail, Mediterranean white snail
• Caracol blanco mediterráneo, Caracol blanco de jardín
Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Helicidae
Genus: Theba
Species: T. pisana
Theba pisana is a small land snail native to the Mediterranean region. It is especially common in southern Europe, North Africa, and coastal areas with warm and dry climates. The species is abundant in Greece, including Crete, where it can often be found resting on grasses, shrubs, fences, and rocks during hot weather.
This snail is highly adaptable and has spread to many other parts of the world through accidental introduction via plant trade and agricultural materials. Established populations exist in countries such as Australia, the United States, South Africa, and parts of South America. In some regions it is considered an invasive agricultural pest because large populations can damage crops and vegetation.
The shell of Theba pisana is usually white or cream-colored with variable brown, tan, or yellow spiral bands. Some individuals have thin delicate lines, while others display darker and more contrasting patterns. The pale coloration helps reflect sunlight and reduces heat absorption in hot Mediterranean environments.
Adults are generally small, with shells reaching approximately 12–15 mm in diameter. During dry summer periods, these snails often climb vegetation and remain inactive in large groups to avoid overheating and dehydration.
Armenoi, Crete, Greece.
I really struggle finding subjects for macro photography and I'm not sure if this genre of photography something I truly enjoy or not but it does get me to think different sometimes. It's challenging because we don't see things this close normally so you have to think outside the box.
Macro Monday - Natural shells
I dusted some empty snail shells with fine gold powder then placed them in an oyster shell. HMM
Another impression of the secluded cove in South Devon we had for ourselves last Saturday. The rugged and rocky shoreline was really fascinating and we spend a lot of time simply scrambling around exploring the cove with its many caves and rock formations. Nice things we found: lots of nice seashells and snailshells, an incredible amount of colourful beachglass (green as well as blue and yellow glass), some large crabs and many caves entering the cliff face.
I placed our eldest next to one of the standing rocks for a sense of scale.
The darker reagions on the rock tell you where the water level would be at high tide.
For the Macro Monday challenge "Zed" (May 10th 2021)
The challenge is that the word you choose must include the letter Z.
Given the long freezing winter we have endured, it was maybe not surprising that I chose "froZen" and looked out the ice-cube tray!
This is a snail shell frozen in tonic water, which I hoped would give me lots of bubbles. It was a bit disappointing, as it was cloudy when frozen - but some of the cubes came out with 'holes' that looked like ice caverns. It was a fun way to spend a morning, chasing the shots before the ice cubes melted!
The ice cubes are about 4cmx3cm.
HMM!! and stay safe and well this week!
My 2021 MM set starts: Here
and previous years of the Macro Mondays challenge:
My 2020 set: Here
My 2019 set: Here
My 2018 set: Here
My 2017 set: Here
My 2016 set: Here
My 2015 set: Here
My 2014 set: Here
My 2013 set: Here
Auswahlfoto
Für "Smile on Saturday"
Thema "Teeny-Tiny" am 04.06.2022.
A "Happy Smile on Saturday" 😊
and a good weekend.
Stay safe / Bleibt gesund.
Thank you for all your views, faves and comments.
A tiny snail shell on a patch of moss. The shell is about 13mm across. HMM and thank you to anyone that stops here to view, fave and write a comment.
There are not that many colors in the "2 Colorful" snail shell for the colorful SNAILICIOUS dish "2 Colorful"
:)
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Не са чак толкова много цветовете в охлювната черупка "Много цветен" за цветното SNAILICIOUS ястие "Много цветен"
:)
Evolving shapes and forms of the SNAILICIOUS-themed dishes. From easy-to-cook snails -> into SNAILICIOUS snail units
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Трансформиращи се форми на тематичните SNAILICIOUS ястия. От лесни за готвене охлюви -> в SNAILICIOUS охлювни единици