Need help identifying this shell

[smterry]

Trying to identify this shell and where I can find more of the same ones...any help is much appreciated!

<a href="http://www.seanthejeweler.com/shell.htm" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.seanthejeweler.com/shell.htm">http://www.seanthejeweler.com/shell.htm</a><!-- m --></a>  <span class="petit">--Last edited by Paul Monfils on 2010-06-22 04:24:17 --</span>

[paul monfils]

This is a land snail - like you might find crawling around in your garden.  Exact ID may be tough because there are many species that look similar to this one.  What is the size of this shell?  That may help.

[smterry]

Size is roughly the same as a silver dollar or so.  I am not sure where it came from but need to find one almost the same...

[paul monfils]

One more request.  The image on the left is helpful, but the one on the right is not.  Very important in land shell identification is a view of the interior of the aperture, like this:

<a href="http://members.cox.net/paulcyp/Pglobulosa.jpg" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://members.cox.net/paulcyp/Pglobulosa.jpg">http://members.cox.net/paulcyp/Pglobulosa.jpg</a><!-- m --></a>

There are often structures in the aperture - teeth, ridges, etc. - that are useful for identifying families as well as individual species.  Lack of such structures is also helpful in ruling out some families and identifying others.

[smterry]

Sorry those are the only pictures I have of it but I can tell you it was pretty smooth on the inside, no ridges really or anything.  I am trying to reproduce it in silver for a friend it meant a lot to him and he lost it so I am trying to see if I can reproduce it as a charm for him.  Appreciate any help I can get thanks! :-)

[paul monfils]

OK, well I was thinking it looks like one of several Pleurodonte species that inhabit various Caribbean islands.  Something like this:

<a href="http://members.cox.net/paulcyp/Pisabella.jpg" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://members.cox.net/paulcyp/Pisabella.jpg">http://members.cox.net/paulcyp/Pisabella.jpg</a><!-- m --></a>

However, most Pleurodonte species do have well developed blunt teeth in the aperture.  In a few Pleurodonte species the teeth are only minimally developed though, so it may be one of these, though I can't guarantee that ID.  Also, not sure where you might get one, unless one of our frequent users might have one to offer.