8-3/8 inches Left Handed Whelk Shell, Lightning Whelk - Buy this one for $19.99

Our Products: Craft Shells - Bulk Seashells > Large Seashells, Big Shells > Whelk Shells, Knobbed, Lightning, Channel

SKU: WW12017AD

Units in Stock: 1

Price: $19.99

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8-3/8 inches Left Handed Whelk Shell, Lightning Whelk - Buy this one for $19.99

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Product Details

Left-handed whelk shell for sale, also called a Lightning Whelk Shell, Busycon sinistrum. This shell measures approximately 8-3/8 inches long and 5-1/4 inches wide. Left-Handed Whelks, also called Lightning Whelks are the state shell of Texas. Native Americans harvested whelks for religious ceremonies and practical tools. Many tribes believed that the "left handed" spiral made the shells sacred objects, but whelks were also eaten and their shells used as scrapers, gouges and even cups and bowls. Some larger shells can hold up to one quart of liquid. It is believed that sailors even used the egg cases as sponges for bathing.

They are a two tone tan colored shell accented with brown stripes and they have either a tan or orange mouth opening. The Left-Handed Whelk or Lightning Whelk Shell, Busycon sinistrum is a large edible predatory sea snail. Sinistrum is Latin for left. The size of the shell varies between 7.9 to 17.7 inches in length. This species normally has a sinistral (left-handed) shell, thus the scientific name. (When the shell is held with the spiral end up, the opening is on the left side.) The spire is low and the siphonal canal is long. There is a distinct shoulder where the spire meets the body whorl; knobs of small to moderate size are found at the shoulder. The base color of the shell is variable but is usually pale, and the shell is marked with dark stripes that run down its long axis. These shells are used for seashell crafts, displaying air plants and for seashell decor.

Our Whelks are Real - NOT Replicas. They will have natural imperfections.

Cannot Be Exported Outside the US

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8-3/8 inches Left Handed Whelk Shell, Lightning Whelk - Buy this one for $19.99