Scientific Illustrator


Fish and Marine Life Illustrations: Gilled Snail Shell Illustration:

gilled snail shell

Gilled Snail Shell, colored pencil

Commissioned by: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

About gilled snails:
Snails are defined as either gilled or pulmonate. Pulmonate snails have lungs, can breathe air, and are generally hermaphroditic. The shells are "left-handed". Gilled snails have gills, have separate sexes, and their shells are "right-handed". Gilled snails eat decaying plants and algae. They can close the opening of their shell with a plate called an operculum. Eggs are laid in the spring. They live two to five years.

Taxonomy:

Phylum: Mollusca (bilateral symmetry, unsegmented)
Class: Gastropoda (muscular foot, distinct cephalic region)

More about snails:
Environmental Education for Kids: Orb, Gilled, and Pouch Snails
Stillman Nature Center: Sinistral Snails


Keywords related to art on this page: mollusk, artist, art, snail, images, shell illustrator, pictures, gastropod, image, conchology, picture, gastropods, mollusks, snails, art, shells, conch, nature, natural, science

All images on this site are copyrighted by Gina Mikel. Please contact for terms of use.

portfolio | email | home
St. Louis, Missouri
natural science

Last updated: Friday, May 9th 2008