Outer Cape Cod Moon Snail (Lunatia heros)
As Turtle Journal waded through the submerged tidal flats south of Lieutenant Island on Outer Cape Cod Saturday, April 24th, we encountered several moon snails actively sliding across the sands. These specimens marked the first active moon snails we had seen this season.
Moon Snail Gliding along Submerge Tidal Flats
Moon snails glide across the bottom on their “foot” as gracefully as Olympic skaters on ice.
Examining Moon Snail (Lunatia heros)
Since these specimens were the first we had seen this year, we couldn’t resist the chance to examine them up close & personal. And it was clear from the action of this critter that it wanted to examine us as much as we wanted to examine it.
Moon Snail Retreats Behind Safety of Operculum
After a while, the moon snail had enough of our intrusion and snapped into safety behind its protective operculum.
Exquisite Shell of Cape Cod Moon Snail (Lunatia heros)