snail shell
Gastropod's mobile dwelling
A snail shell is the hard, spiraling protective covering that houses a snail's soft body.
The shell grows with the animal, adding whorls as it matures.
Empty snail shells are collected as curiosities or used decoratively.
Figuratively, someone who retreats into their snail shell withdraws into protective isolation.
- spiralCurve winding around center
- golden ratioPhi, roughly 1.618
- spiral staircaseAscending structure winding around pole
- conchSpiral-shelled marine gastropod
- whorlSpiral arrangement of ridges
gastropod · hermit crab · calcium · coiled · iridescent · nautilus · escargot · mollusk · helix · nacre · mother of pearl · ocean · tide pool · garden · slime · slow · slow pace · trail
- shells & casingsconch, clam, oyster, mussel, scallop
- land snailsescargot, air-breathing, Vertigo
- beachcombingdriftwood, sea glass, sand dollar, shark tooth, pebble
- shellsseashells, clam, oyster, mussel, scallop
- escargotescargot, Bourguignon, garlic butter, herb butter, French tradition
- protective structuresexoskeleton, carapace, cuticle, elytra, clamshell