| “ | That is what sailors for hundreds of years have called the Sea-serpent. I've seen it myself more than once from the decks of ships, at long range, curving in and out of the water. But now that I see it close and still, I very strongly suspect that the Sea-serpent of history is no other than the Great Glass Sea-snail that the fidgit told us of. If that isn't the only fish of its kind in the seven seas, call me a carrion-crow. |
” |
— Polynesia, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1922).
| ||
| Great Glass Sea Snail | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Others | Giant Pink Sea Snail Great Pink Sea Snail | ||
| Binomen | N/A | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Gastropod | ||
| Average height | As large as a house | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Sapient | ||
| Aggressivity | Harmless | ||
| Language | Shellfish language | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Place of origin | The Deep Hole | ||
| Habitat | Ocean | ||
| Diet | Herbivorous | ||
| Locomotion | Swimming | ||
| Lifespan | Over 70,000 years | ||
| Status | CE | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | Doctor Dolittle | ||
| Created by | Hugh Lofting | ||
The Great Glass Sea Snail (a.k.a. the Great Pink Sea Snail) is a giant saltwater snail who lives in a deep undiscovered ocean trench situated on the mouth of the Amazon river, and known to marine life as "the Deep Hole".
Biology[]
The Great Glass Sea Snail is described as a humongous saltwater snail, a member of the winkle family, and "the last of the Giant Shellfish"; since his second wife died long ago, and he's believed to be the last member of his species in existence. As of 1839, he's speculated to be about 70,000 years old. He has a very long neck and tail (giving him a serpentine appearance that, in the past, has led him to become known as the origin of sea serpent legends among sailors), and a couple of short horns on his head.
Although he ordinarily lives in the great depths, the snail can also survive on any other part of the ocean, and has no natural predators to fear. His glass-like shell is pale pink in coloration, and is actually made out of transparent mother-o'-pearl, making it extraordinarily tough and resistant, while still allowing people inside it to see the exterior, as if they were looking through a glass wall. When the snail is not retracted into it, the air-filled parts of the shell are big enough to accommodate a wagon and a pair of horses; although the snail often makes use of this space to transport food in his travels. Despite being a snail, he appears to be quite fast, as he can swim from the Amazon basin to England in six days.
Appearances[]
- The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, by Hugh Lofting (1922)
- Doctor Dolittle's Zoo, by Hugh Lofting (1925)
- Doctor Dolittle's Garden, by Hugh Lofting (1927) (Mentioned only)
- Doctor Dolittle (1967)
- Doctor Dolittle, animated, s01e11, "A Tail of Two Snails" (1970)
Gallery[]
Notes[]
- In the 1967 film and 1970 animated series, this creature is known as the Great Pink Sea Snail or the Giant Pink Sea Snail, respectively. This was probably inspired by the fact that the book's snail's shell is indeed described as having a pale pink hue, but rendering it transparent and glass-like in live action would be harder than just making it opaque; and the plot point of Dr. Dolittle and his companions using the snail as a living submarine to explore the bottom of the ocean is not included.
- While the majority of snails are hermaphrodites, this species appears to be dioecious, as the Snail is always referred to with male pronouns, and mention is made of his late wife.
- Although the book and the cartoon series explicitly establish the Snail as the last of his species, the movie version mentions that he has a cousin in Loch Ness, Scotland.