>
>The "spiraled pedicle" attaches to the columella, not to the snail.
Otherwise,
>the snail would be trapped in its own shell as the clausilium stays in the
>shell when the snail is out. The attachment point can be seen by breaking
open
>a clausiliid shell above the aperture.

I'm having trouble visualizing this.  Has anyone done any work on from
where in the shell the clausilium is generated?  Is it some weird part of
the columella?  Is it actually attached to the columella by shelly material
or connective tissue?

The clausilium is somewhat like a door
>hinged from the top, the hinge being the "spiraled pedicle". When the
snail is
>coming out I believe it simply pushes the clausilium out of the way.

Where does it get pushed to?  Outside the shell or does it remain inside
out of the way someplace?  I've collected a bunch in Pakistan but didn't
observe them alive for long.  I dissected out a clausilium from a species
we described from there a few years back.  I didn't pay any attention to
where it attached at the top of the pedicle.

And as
>the snail is withdrawing, the clausilium falls back down. It is fun to watch
>this happen by holding a live Albinaria upside down under a dissecting
scope &
>gently poking the snail to force it to go in its shell.

Thanks for the info!!!  Kurt
>
>A.
>