NH 095
Olive Snails
Category: Gastropods
Family: Olividae
Well after a two week hiatus, the Sholesonian is back up with a blog post. Not to worry though, as during those past two weeks I have been busy with curating the specimens in the Natural History collection as well as capturing new species to add. Today's post is brought through a small donation of nice shells from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Collected in April of 2011, these two shells belong to the Olividae family and are of the Genus Oliva (species is most likely Oliva sayana). These are snail shells that are commonly referred to as 'olive shells' or just 'olives.'
They are a predatory species of marine snail, feasting on primarily small bivalves (like clams). Known for their elongated shape, these snail shells have been used for centuries in making jewelry and have become so popular, especially among collectors, that it is now the state shell of South Carolina. Also known for burrowing, these guys can be found mainly across the coasts of the Western Atlantic. You can read up a little on the Olive Shells here but there isn't too much to go on and you may have to do some jumping around.
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