James M Cheshire wrote:
>
> Dear all, what do you think about the snail?
> It has green inside the aperture, but the rest is
> yellow. Is this a sign of bleach treatment? Does it
> decrease the value?
>
> let me know,
> James C.
 
Hi James,
 
I think Dr. Lee answered the first part of your question. If the aperture
(under the parietal callous - where there's a shiny deposition of a clear or
whitish layer) is green, but the rest of the shell is a markedly different
color, that's a pretty sure sign of treatment of one kind or another. Seems to
me that the naturally occurring yellow phase is a partially yellow shell, not
the entire shell...(since drought conditions for the entire growth period of a
given snail is rather unlikely due to the climate where it occurs). As to the
value...who can say. I have a few all-green, but no yellows, treated or
natural...just can't bring myself to do it with any of the shells I have. I
would like to have a yellow specimen, but personally, I wouldn't want a
treated specimen. As far as a white specimen is concerned, get the real
thing... a Paupstyla xanthocheila, the bright yellow lip really sets it apart.
 
Ken Zentzis
Wichita, Kansas