Callianax biplicata, the purple olive, plows a crazy quilt of trails on intertidal sands. A good low tide will reveal Callianax‘s handiwork on exposed Pacific beaches between southern Alaska and Baja California, Mexico.
What motivates the shape of the trails?
Look at the purple olive, a little intertidal snail, only an inch long.
Last low tide, Callianax left me these, and I’m posting them as my response to Numbers.
I updated this post on September 14, 2022.
theoutershores 
Who says snails can’t write? Or count? This was very funny.
The numbers were kind of a stretch, but thank you!
What a neat display of “writing”! These snails remind me of the “moving rocks” at the Racetrack Playa in Death Valley. And also of the trails left by bark beetles on tree trunks.
Yes, both great parallels I hadn’t thought of at all!
I’ve been to the Playa and the rock “trails” there are impressive. And there’s lots of “wood words” on the dead trees in our forest. Now, all I have to do is go see Ms Olive and her sandy missives. š
That’s a lovely post for the ‘Numbers’ challenge. Olivella is quite beautiful, and obviously clever with figures, d’you think there’s any chance she can come up with the lottery numbers?! š
I forgot to thank you for your nice comment on my Numbers post. Now days later, I can tell you your lottery idea has given me a smile or two. Would that we could call upon Olivella for winning numbers.
Wow Steve, this was very impressive and I like the comment about the lottery numbers:)
Haha I know, that lottery numbers idea gave me a smile too. Thanks for giving my post a read.
Love your blog Steve!
I grew up on a beach where I saw this all the time and never knew what it was. Hadn’t thought about it in years and of course WAY back then there were no computers, let alone Google to find an explanation for these cool trails! I have so many of these shells in my collection! Now I know! Thank you!
That’s a great story. Thank you for taking the time to tell me about it.
Sure. I love following you!