Something is afoot

And that something is a gastropod (from the Ancient Greek, gastro for stomach and pod for foot). Alas, this poor fellow is just a shell of his former self. The snail that inhabited this particular shell is long gone, perhaps drowned in garlicky butter. Or not. That's not an "eating" snail.

Those green things on the right side of the shell look like antennae, but they're just tiny blades of grass.

We see this variety fairly often in the vegetable garden and around the exterior of the house. If I'm not mistaken (and considering my minimalist research I very well could be), this is an escargot des bois, or a grove snail in English (cepaea nemoralis). It normally feeds on dead or dying vegetation, so it poses no real threat to our garden.

The shell, which I understand is quite variable in color, is often a creamy yellow like the one in the picture above. At least, that's the color that I notice most in our garden.

When I took the garbage out this morning, I noticed this guy near the driveway. I think it's the same variety of snail, but with wider banding on its shell. And look at those eye stalks!

If anyone who knows better can confirm or correct my identification, I welcome your help!