My shell that I have been given to draw is a pleuroploca gigantea, or more commonly known as the horse conch. This shell is found in Florida and is the home to a specific type of sea snail. This shell species is the largest gastropod in waters of the USA. The shell is somewhat fusiform, meaning it tapers at both ends. This shell can form as large as 24 inches long. The body of the snail can retreat into the shell being completely covered for up to three months. The color of the shell changes depending on the age of the shell. The young shell has a bright orange color and as it becomes older it changes into an grayish brownish with a salmon orange color. According to Amanda Miller on the Encyclopedia of Life, "It has ten whorls, and its shoulders bear large, low nodules. The operculum is a leathery brown color, the aperture is orange, and the animal itself is brick red in color." This gives a great physcial description of the shell in a clear concise manner describing the large knobby protrusions. Looking at this subject matter it creates a very interesting interaction for an artist with the detail and perfection created in nature.