Forest Snail

 

Oak saplings at Dalby Forest

Did you know that most land snails have a shell which spirals to the right?  I’ve been looking closely at a shell as I’m carving one in stone.  The central tip of the spiral is the shell that the snail was born with – when it emerged from its egg.

Log stack at Dalby Forest

As its soft body grows it adds shell to the opening in a spiral shape, and so increasing its size.  What a sculptor the snail is.  (The snail secretes calcium carbonate from glands, which forms the shell).

Forest Snail carved in stone

The shell I’m using as my guide has a distinct lip at the opening and this means that the snail had finished growing and was at a mature and mate ready state.

Carving a snail in stone

As it was carved in the forest, I’m calling my snail Forest Snail – I  was in Dalby Forest at the Dry Stone Wall Maze site running a lettercutting workshop on Sunday.

Dry Stone Wall Maze Dalby Forest

Dry Stone Wall Maze at Dalby Forest

When the session had finished  I worked on my snail which is carved on one of the walling stones and hopefully when my snail is finished it will be built into the maze wall somewhere.

Forest Snail carved in a walling stone

 

 

 

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