Conch snails live coiled up way inside the shell! I once found a good-sized one on the beach and took it home. Wanted to pull out some sort of protruding stalk which turned out to be one of its blue eyes (yes, they have blue eyes) - the entire affair creeped me out and I sort of gave up on collecting shells after that. Not sure how to get rid of a dead snail but vinegar or formaldehyde might work better than tossing it under the porch.

Here's a question I've never figured out. I assume snails and clams are color-blind. Then, how can they make shells with such pretty forms of camouflage as brown stripes and spots that blend in with a sandy ocean bottom?