Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know this isn't a corn snake but,with all this knowledge floating around on this site,I figured someone could help me.This rock/fossil was given to me by friend but,what the crap is it???It was found on a beach on the east coast and the lady who found it has several.My guess whould be some kinda seed or nut.Whatta ya think? Thanks, Jeff

Jeff i would say your guess is a good one, it could also pass as a large clam of some sort, i havent seen anything like it but i would say seed/nut, or some sort of clam

Adam
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6.6 THAYERI
1.2 SPLENDIDA
1.3 ALTERNA
0.0.1 CORN SNAKE
0.1.1 PYXIE FROG
0.0.1 MEXICAN RED KNEE
1.0 CHILEAN ROSE HAIR

It's a fossilized clam. Ones like that are quite common in the Texas hill country.

It is indeed a fossil, but a of somewhat different kind.

This is a trace fossil. In this case the animal was buried and the interior space filled with fine silty sediment. The shell was subsequently dissolved away by acidic groundwater. This left a cast of the internal space of the creatures shell.

The word for this type of fossil is "Stienkern" which I think is German for "Stone Clam".

As noted previously, it is a fossil of a clam (or bivalve). Your Stienkern is likly a few million years old. It looks like a Mercenaria mercenaria, commonly know on the East Coast as the Quohog or hard calm. The indians used the purple colored shells for a form of money - hence the latin name.

Paleontologically yours,

John DeMelas
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat "Roberta" RELEASED!!!

Thanks John! I found a very simlar pic on a site I Googled.It more or less said the same thing. Thanks!, Jeff