Fossilized Ecphora (Gastropod)

Ecphora is a close, extinct relative of Morex, and may have shared the same feeding habits. If so, Ecphora would have been a predator, boring holes in the shells of bivalves or other snails. A gland at the foot would have secreted a special chemical to soften the prey’s shell. A set of tiny teeth, called the radula, would have rasped first the shell and then the victim’s flesh. This example is of good quality with the tip worn down. Found: located at Eden Estates Pond, King George County, Virginia (currently closed to the public). Age: 65 million to 136 million years old. Size: 2 ˝ inches long by 2 ˝ inches wide. A great “show and tell” piece.