Virgin Nerite
Neritina virginea
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A glossy, thumbnail-sized snail painted in an almost endless variety of patterns.
- Typical size
- 0.25–0.6 in
- How often it turns up
- Common where brackish water meets sand
- Collecting
- Usually legal to collect
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Empty shells are fine to keep. Leave live snails in the mangroves.
How to tell it apart
- Small, smooth, highly polished shell
- Half-moon aperture with a white shield
- Patterns from zigzags to stripes to spots in olive, black and red
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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More shells in the field guide
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