When you think of snails, do you also think predator? (more tidepool critters)

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The bright orange snail in the photo above truly is a voracious predator. But wait, it has no feet, no fangs, no claws... how can this be? (Granted not all snails are predatory but the whelk is.) This creature is a dog whelk or sometimes called a dogwinkle. It lives int the tidepools and is often very easy to spot. So what is their prey? Barnacles and mussels. These snails have a radula, a mouthpart that has something like teeth. to drill holes in the shells of their prey. They also secrete a chemical that softens the prey's shell to make it easier to drill. Once they put a hole in the shell, they pump in some digestive juices to dissolve the meat inside. When it is the right consistency, they suck it up with their proboscis (very much like an elephant's trunk or for us a drinking straw) So, what preys on the dog whelk? Birds, crabs, and sea stars. We humans use them to make dyes. Note, whatever tries to eat a dog whelk, has to first break through their hard shell. Birds will often just swallow them whole, (these snails are usually not very large. The ones in the photo are about 3/4 inch (19 mm) long and half an inch (12 - 13 mm) around.) So if you walk along the beaches and find a shell and there is a tiny little hole in it, you can bet a dog whelk or one of its many cousins has been at work and enjoying a meal.