Shell Freaks

I was welcomed home from my Virginia Beach visit to Sanibel by a bunch of FREAKS!! Shell freaks, that is. And I’m not even saying that we are a bunch of shell freaks (errr, although I guess we are). What I’m talking about are seashells that have odd growth patterns or defects that cause them to have weird shapes or colors that aren’t typical for the species. Look at this one….

Freak Scotch Bonnet

Freak Scotch Bonnet

This is the SCOTCH BONNET Clark found last weekend that he didn’t really mention all that much because he was so busy ribbing me about his JUNONIA – heehee. I saw this one in his picture and I thought it looked a little funny so I couldn’t wait to get my paws on it. Oooooh… So Cool! Do you see anything strange about this shell?

Freak Scotch Bonnet second lip

Freak Scotch Bonnet second lip

Now do you see it? It’s got a second “lip” where it doesn’t belong! Otherwise it is in fantastic shape! Here’s a look again at the SCOTCH BONNET I found in January along with the FREAK….

Freak difference in sb shells

Freak difference

There is a category at the Sanibel Shell Fair and Show for “Unusual Variants- Albinos, Freaks, etc”. I think Clark should enter this one!!! It’s a Super Freak by Super Sheller Clark!

Apex of scotch bonnet with freak

Apex of scotch bonnet with freak

Clark had sent a photo of this next FIGHTING CONCH FREAK he found on the same day but the photo was so blurry, I couldn’t really tell what it was, much less post it.

freak fighting conch

freak fighting conch

Yep! This is a juvenile FIGHTING CONCH that maybe thought he was a COWRIE.

freak fighting conch apex

freak fighting conch apex

Is that wild, or what! Here’s a side by side picture of another “regular” FIGHTING CONCH with this FREAK FIGHTING CONCH.

freak difference in conch shells

freak difference in conch shells

This next picture of an APPLE MUREX isn’t what I’d call a real FREAK but the coloring is so cool that it gives an optical illusion. This shell was in Clark’s photo in A Plate Stuffed With Shells and Cheri had commented that “It looks like a cross between a murex (texture) and a fighting conch (color)!!“. It does! It’s just the coloring (it doesn’t show it as much as the original photo) so I’d say this one was a just little “freakish”.

Freakish apple murex

Freakish apple murex

PS- I couldn’t help but imagine those freaks in Michael Jackson’s Thriller video when I wrote the headline “The Freaks Come Out On Sanibel”. Ha! So I googled the song and saw that top photo and laughed when I thought of them all holding freak shells. I never put anybody else’s photos on my blog without asking permission from the photographer and giving them credit. Well, I didn’t get permission for this photo because of the time restraints so I hope it’s okay with the photographer Andy Clark. It’s a great photo but I just had to embellish it just a tad with my own FREAKS.

PSS- Mom seems be doing okay! Thank you again for all of you good wishes- it’s working!