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'Cowry' shells (also spelled 'cowrie'), are marine snails of the genus '''Cypraea''' (family 'Cypraeidae'), found chiefly in tropical regions. The shell itself is almost always smooth (a few species have granular shells) and more or less egg-shaped, with a long, narrow, slit-like opening (aperture). 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''.
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 where the shell or copies of the shell were in theory used as a means of exchange. 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. Many find the shiny, porcelain-like shells pleasing to look at.
Cowry shells are sometimes used in a way similar to dice, e.g., in board games like Pachisi, or in divination (cf. Ifá and the annual customs of Dahomey).
A number of shells (6 or 7 in Pachisi) are thrown, with those landing aperture upwards indicating the actual number rolled.
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. 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. 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.

Contents

Species

See also

External links

Species

★ ''Cypraea achatidea'' Sowerby, 1837 ★ ''Cypraea acicularis'' Gmelin, 1791 ★ ''Cypraea aenigma'' Lorenz, 2002 ★ ''Cypraea albuginosa'' Gray, 1825 ★ ''Cypraea alexhuberti'' Lorenz & Huber, 1999 ★ ''Cypraea alfredensis'' Schilder & Schilder, 1929 ★ ''Cypraea algoensis'' Gray, 1825 ★ ''Cypraea amphitales'' Melvill, 1888 ★ ''Cypraea androyensis'' Blocher & Lorenz, 1999 ★ ''Cypraea angelicae'' Clover, 1974 ★ ''Cypraea angioyorum'' Biraghi, 1978 ★ ''Cypraea angustata'' Gmelin, 1791 ★ ''Cypraea annettae'' Dall, 1909 ★ ''Cypraea annulus'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea arabica'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea arabicula'' Lamarck, 1811 ★ ''Cypraea argus'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea armeniaca'' Verco, 1912 ★ ''Cypraea artuffeli'' Jousseaume, 1876 ★ ''Cypraea asellus'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea aurantium'' Gmelin, 1791 ★ ''Cypraea barbieri'' Raybaudi, 1986 ★ ''Cypraea barclayi'' Reeve, 1857 ★ ''Cypraea beckii'' Gaskoin, 1836 ★ ''Cypraea bernardi'' Richard, 1974 ★ ''Cypraea bistrinotata'' Schilder & Schilder, 1937 ★ ''Cypraea boivinii'' Kiener, 1843 ★ ''Cypraea boucheti'' Lorenz, 2002 ★ ''Cypraea bregeriana'' Crosse, 1868 ★ ''Cypraea brevidentata'' Sowerby, 1870 ★ ''Cypraea broderipii'' Sowerby, 1832 ★ ''Cypraea camelopardalis'' Perry, 1811 ★ ''Cypraea capensis'' Gray, 1828 ★ ''Cypraea capricornica'' Lorenz, 1989 ★ ''Cypraea caputdraconis'' Melvill, 1888 ★ ''Cypraea caputserpensis'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea carneola'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea castanea'' Higgins, 1868 ★ ''Cypraea catholicorum'' Schilder, 1938 ★ ''Cypraea caurica'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea cervica'' Sowerby II, 1870 ★ ''Cypraea cervinetta'' Kiener, 1843 ★ ''Cypraea cervus'' Linnaeus, 1771 ★ ''Cypraea chiapponii'' Lorenz, 1999 ★ ''Cypraea childreni'' Gray, 1825 ★ ''Cypraea chinensis'' Gmelin, 1791 ★ ''Cypraea cicercula'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea cinerea'' Gmelin, 1791 ★ ''Cypraea citrina'' Gray, 1825 ★ ''Cypraea clandestina'' Linnaeus, 1767 ★ ''Cypraea cohenae'' Burgess, 1965 ★ ''Cypraea colligata'' Lorenz, 2002 ★ ''Cypraea coloba'' Melvill, 1888 ★ ''Cypraea comptonii'' Gray, 1847 ★ ''Cypraea connelli'' Liltved, 1983 ★ ''Cypraea contaminata'' Sowerby, 1832 ★ ''Cypraea controversa'' Gray, 1824 ★ ''Cypraea coronata'' Schilder 1930 ★ ''Cypraea coxeni'' Cox, 1873 ★ ''Cypraea cribraria'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea cruickshanki '' Kilburn, 1972 ★ ''Cypraea cumingii '' Sowerby, 1832 ★ ''Cypraea cylindrica '' Born, 1778 ★ ''Cypraea dayritiana '' Cate, 1963 ★ ''Cypraea decipiens '' Smith, 1880 ★ ''Cypraea declivis '' Sowerby II, 1870 ★ ''Cypraea deforgesi '' Lorenz, 2002 ★ ''Cypraea depressa '' Gray 1824 ★ ''Cypraea diauges '' Melvill 1888 ★ ''Cypraea dillwyni '' Schilder 1922 ★ ''Cypraea diluculum '' Reeve, 1845 ★ ''Cypraea eburnea '' Barnes, 1824

★ ''Cypraea edentula '' Gray, 1825 ★ ''Cypraea eglantina '' Duclos, 1833 ★ ''Cypraea eludens '' Raybaudi, 1991 ★ ''Cypraea englerti '' Summers & Burgess, 1965 ★ ''Cypraea erosa'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea errones'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea erythraeensis'' Hedley, 1837 ★ ''Cypraea esontropia'' Duclos, 1833 ★ ''Cypraea exmouthensis'' Melvill, 1888 ★ ''Cypraea exusta'' Sowerby I, 1832 ★ ''Cypraea fallax'' Smith, 1881 ★ ''Cypraea felina'' Gmelin, 1791 ★ ''Cypraea fernadoi'' Cate, 1969 ★ ''Cypraea fimbriata'' Gmelin, 1791 ★ ''Cypraea friendii'' Gray, 1831 ★ ''Cypraea fultoni'' Sowerby, 1903 ★ ''Cypraea fuscodentata'' Gray, 1825 ★ ''Cypraea fuscorubra'' Shaw, 1909 ★ ''Cypraea gangranosa'' Dillwyn, 1817 ★ ''Cypraea garciai'' Lorenz & Raines, 2001 ★ ''Cypraea gaskoinii'' Reeve, 1846 ★ ''Cypraea geographica'' Schilder, 1933 ★ ''Cypraea gilvella'' Lorenz, 2002 ★ ''Cypraea globulus'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea goodalli'' Sowerby I,1832 ★ ''Cypraea gracilis'' Gaskoin, 1849 ★ ''Cypraea granulata'' Pease, 1862 ★ ''Cypraea guttata'' Gmelin, 1791 ★ ''Cypraea hammondae'' Iredale, 1939 ★ ''Cypraea hartsmithi'' Schilder, 1967 ★ ''Cypraea helvola'' Melvill, 1888 ★ ''Cypraea histrio'' Gmelin, 1791 ★ ''Cypraea isabella'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea isabella-mexicana'' Stearns, 1893 ★ ''Cypraea kieneri'' Hidalgo, 1906 ★ ''Cypraea leucodon'' Broderip, 1828 ★ ''Cypraea leviathan'' Schilder & Schilder, 1937 ★ ''Cypraea limacina'' Lamarck, 1810 ★ ''Cypraea lynx'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea mappa'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea margarita'' Dillwyn, 1817 ★ ''Cypraea mariae'' Schilder, 1927 ★ ''Cypraea mauritiana'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea microdon'' Gray, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea minoridens'' Melvill, 1901 ★ ''Cypraea moneta'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea mus'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea nigropunctata'' Gray, 1828 ★ ''Cypraea nucleus'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea ocellata'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea onyx'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea oweni'' Linné, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea pantherina'' Solander ''in'' Lightfoot, 1786 ★ ''Cypraea poraria'' Linné, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea propinqua'' Garrett, 1879 ★ ''Cypraea pulchra'' Gray, 1824 ★ ''Cypraea robertsi'' Hidalgo, 1906 ★ ''Cypraea spadicea'' Swainson, 1836 ★ ''Cypraea spurca'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea staphylaea'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea stercoraria'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea surinamensis'' G. Perry, 1811 ★ ''Cypraea talpa'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea testudinaria'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea tigris'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea vitellus'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea vredenburgi'' Schilder, 1927 ★ ''Cypraea walkeri'' Sowerby I, 1832 ★ ''Cypraea xanthodon'' Sowerby I, 1832 ★ ''Cypraea zebra'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea ziczac'' Linnaeus, 1758 ★ ''Cypraea zonaria'' Gmelin, 1791

See also

★ Shell-money

External links

★ cowrys.org

★ Cowrie Genomic Database Project

★ Genus ''Cypraea'' on Animal Diversity Web

★ Cowries.info