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 Cypraea caputserpentis L. , 1758; very common in intertidal rocky areas of the Indo-Pacific ocean.
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See text. Molluscs are animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca. There are around 250000 extant Species within the phylum with an estimated 70000 The class Gastropoda or the gastropods, also previously known as gasteropods, or univalves, and more commonly known as Snails Orthogastropoda is one of two major Taxonomic groupings of snails and slugs an extremely large Subclass within the huge class Gastropoda. Caenogastropoda is a very large Taxonomic group a Superorder of saltwater (and in a minor way freshwater snails ( aquatic and marine Sorbeoconcha is a very large Taxonomic order of Snails (mostly sea snails with gills and often with an operculum) According to one version of the taxonomy, Hypsogastropoda is a Suborder of sea snails marine Gastropod Mollusks in Littorinimorpha is a large Taxonomic grouping an Infraorder which consists primarily of sea Snail families but also includes some freshwater Cypraeoidea, the cowries and cowry allies, is a Taxonomic Superfamily of sea Snails marine Gastropod Mollusks Cypraeidae, Common name the cowries (singular Cowry) is a Taxonomic Family of small to large sea Snails These are |
Cowry, also sometimes spelled cowrie, plural always cowries, is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cypraeidae. For Wikipedia aspects see WikipediaNaming conventions (common names, WikipediaNaming conventions, and WikipediaStyle manual. The word snail is a Common name that can be used for almost all members of the Molluscan class Gastropoda which have coiled shells in the An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. The class Gastropoda or the gastropods, also previously known as gasteropods, or univalves, and more commonly known as Snails Molluscs are animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca. There are around 250000 extant Species within the phylum with an estimated 70000 Cypraeidae, Common name the cowries (singular Cowry) is a Taxonomic Family of small to large sea Snails These are The word 'cowry' is often used to refer primarily to the shells of these snails. The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or Snail.
(It is worth noting that a few species in the family Ovulidae are also often referred to as cowries, and in the British Isles the local Trivia species Triviidae are sometimes called cowries. Ovulidae, Common names the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries, is a family of small to large Predatory or Triviidae is a Taxonomic family of small sea Snails marine Gastropod Molluscs in the Infraorder Littorinimorpha These other two families are somewhat closely related to the Cypraeidae. )
Many people find the very rounded, shiny, porcelain-like shells of cowries pleasing to look at and to handle. Porcelain is a Ceramic material made by heating raw materials generally including Clay in the form of Kaolin, in a Kiln to temperatures
Cowries have historically been used as currency in several parts of the world, as well as being used, in the past and present, very extensively in jewelry and for other decorative and ceremonial purposes.
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Distribution
Cypraeidae are found in tropical and subtropical oceans and seas worldwide.
Shell description
The shells of cowries are almost always smooth and shiny (a few species have granular shells) and more or less egg-shaped, with a long, narrow, slit-like opening (aperture). In most Birds and Reptiles an egg ( Latin ovum) is the Zygote, resulting from Fertilization of the Ovum.
All varieties have a porcelain-like shine (except Hawaii's granulated cowry) and many have colorful patterns. Lengths range from 5 mm (1/5") for some species up to 15 cm (6") for the tiger cowry, Cypraea tigris. To help compare different Orders of magnitude this page lists Lengths between 10&minus3 m and 10&minus2 m (1 mm and 1 cm In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. To help compare different Orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10&minus1 m and 1 m (10 cm and 1 m
Human use
Cowries (esp. Cypraea moneta) were used as a currency in Africa (Ghanaian cedi in Ghana named after cowry shells) and elsewhere, such as in China and India where the shell or copies of the shell were in theory used as a means of exchange. Cypraea moneta, commonly known as the money cowry, is a Species of small sea Snail, a marine Gastropod Mollusk in The cedi is the unit of Currency of Ghana. One cedi is divided into one hundred pesewas The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the They are also worn as jewelry or otherwise used as ornaments or charms, as they are viewed as symbols of womanhood, fertility, birth and wealth. Jewellery (also spelled jewelry, see spelling differences) is a personal Ornament, such as a necklace ring or bracelet made from Gemstones Fashion refers to styles of dress (but can also include cuisine literature art architecture and general comportment that are popular in a culture at any given time The musical instrument is spelled Cymbal. A symbol is something --- such as an object, Picture, written word a sound a piece
Cowry shells are sometimes used in a way similar to dice, e. For other uses see either Die or Dice (disambiguation. Dice (the Plural of Die, from Old French g. , in board games like Pachisi, or in divination (cf. A board game is a Game in which counters or pieces that are placed on removed from or moved across a "board" (a premarked surface usually specific to that game Pachisi is a Board game that originated in ancient India; it is described as the national game of India. Divination (from Latin divinare "to be inspired by a god" related to Divine, Diva and Deus) is the attempt of ascertaining Ifá and the annual customs of Dahomey). Divination process Special instruments are used to assist in the Divination to transcribe Orunmila 's wisdom through the diviner Every year in the Kingdom of Dahomey, a huge festival in honor of the ancestors was organized called the annual "customs". A number of shells (6 or 7 in Pachisi) are thrown, with those landing aperture upwards indicating the actual number rolled.
Large cowries have also been used in the recent past as a frame over which sock heels were stretched for darning. The cowry's smooth surface allows the needle to be positioned under the cloth more easily.
The Ojibway aboriginal people in North America used the cowry shells (which they called sacred Megis Shells or whiteshells) in Midewiwin ceremonies, and the Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba, Canada is named after this type of shell. The Ojibwa or Chippewa (also Ojibwe, Ojibway, Chippeway) is the largest group of Native Americans - First Nations Whiteshells (also known as Cowrie shells or Sacred Miigis Shells) were used by aboriginal peoples around the world but the words "whiteshell" The Midewiwin (also spelled Midewin and Medewiwin) or the Grand Medicine Society is a secretive religion of the aboriginal groups of the Maritimes Whiteshell Provincial Park is one of the Provincial Parks along the eastern border of Manitoba, near Ontario, Canada. Manitoba (English ˌmænɨˈtoʊbə French /manitoba/ is a province of Canada, spanning 647797 square kilometres (250116 sq mi of North America Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page There is some debate about how they traded for or found these shells so far inland, away from the natural sources. Oral stories and birch bark scrolls seem to indicate that they were found in the ground, and/or washed up on the shores of lakes or rivers. Wiigwaasabak ( Ojibwe language plural wiigwaasabakoon) are Birch bark scrolls on which the Ojibwa ( Anishinaabe) The cowry shells so far inland may indicate the use of them by an earlier tribe or group in the area, and an extensive trade network in the ancient past. Petroforms in the Whiteshell Provincial Park may be as old as 8,000 years, and there are questions about how long the shells were used in that area as well. Petroforms, also known as boulder outlines or boulder mosaics are human-made shapes and patterns of rocks on the open ground Whiteshell Provincial Park is one of the Provincial Parks along the eastern border of Manitoba, near Ontario, Canada.
On the Fiji Islands, the golden cowry or bulikula, Cypraea aurantium, were worn by chieftans as a badge of rank. Fiji (Matanitu ko Viti फ़िजी officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands (Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य Cypraea aurantium, commonly known as the golden cowry, is a Species of sea Snail, a marine Gastropod Mollusk in the A traditional tribal chief is the leader of a Tribe, or the head of a tribal form of self-government [1]
Species
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See also
External links
- cowrys.org
- Cowrie Genomic Database Project
- Genus Cypraea on Animal Diversity Web
- Cowries.info
- Beautifulcowries
Dictionary
cowry
-noun
- Any of the marine molluscs of the genus Cypraea.
- The money cowry, Cypraea moneta.
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