Eastern Melampus
Melampus bidentatus
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A small, thin, olive-brown marsh snail with a slightly taller spire than the coffee bean snail.
- Typical size
- 0.4–0.5 in
- How often it turns up
- Common in marshes
- Collecting
- Check local rules
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Leave live snails in the marsh; empty shells are fine on public beaches.
How to tell it apart
- Small, thin oval shell
- Taller, more pointed spire
- Olive-brown, sometimes faintly banded
Where to find these in Florida
Beaches rated very good or excellent for shells. Each page shows today’s score, the best window and access details.
- Anclote Key Preserve State Park · Tarpon Springs
- Bean Point · Anna Maria
- Beer Can Island (Greer Island) · Longboat Key
- Boca Grande Public Beach · Boca Grande
- Bowman's Beach · Sanibel
- Captiva Beach · Captiva
- Cayo Costa State Park · Cayo Costa
- Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park · Naples
- Don Pedro Island State Park · Cape Haze
- Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park · St. George Island
- Gasparilla Island State Park · Boca Grande
- Gulfside City Park (Algiers Beach) · Sanibel
Found one?
Photograph it and BeachNut ranks the likely matches with a confidence read, then logs it to your collection with the beach and date.
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Commonly confused with
Coffee Bean SnailMelampus coffea
Coffee bean snail is glossier with a low spire and pale bands; eastern melampus is thinner with a taller spire.
More shells in the field guide
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