Tom:  Do just that, soak them in water, they will soften and the animal
will come out easy, I have done this many times, with other shells.  If
something gets stuck, either a water pick or the garden hose will blow out
the rest.  John Bernard

----------
> From: G Thomas Watters <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: freeze-dried snails
> Date: Monday, July 26, 1999 10:01 AM
>
> I recently defrosted a large bag of snails from the beer refrigerator in
> the garage. They (the snails, not the beer) have been in there for 14
years
> and are quite freeze-dried. I placed them outside to "soften" but they
are
> so desiccated that they are still mummified after a month of 90+
> temperatures and near 100% humidity. Ants, flies, chipmunks, even the
> raccoons won't touch them. I hesitate to "reconstitute" them in water as
I
> fear they will turn into a putrifying mess. Has anyone any experience
with
> this situation? We're talking big snails - Busycon, Strombus, etc.
>
>
> *****************************************
>  G Thomas Watters
>  Ohio Biological Survey &
>  Aquatic Ecology Laboratory
>  Ohio State University
>  1315 Kinnear Road
>  Columbus, OH 43212 USA
>  v: 614-292-6170  f: 614-292-0181
> ******************************************
>
> "The world is my oyster except for months with an 'R' in them" - Firesign
> Theater
>
> "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he
> has to buy a license" - GTW