Snake in the ...ROCK?

[Rackaddict]

A while back my Dad bought a load of landscaping stone that came out of Douglas County, Missouri. We found this stone with a fossilized snake in the pile. I thought it was a real find and that some of you might like to see it as well.

 

[Shovelbuck]

WOW!!!! That is cool. I have allways been fasinated with fossils and have a small collection but nothing like that. How large is it approximately?

 

[Bakes]

Rackaddict,

Being a Geologist I have cracked my fair share of rocks (fingers

)and I can't remember seeing a snake before. I would guess the fossil is not that old. My 2 cents. Neat stuff thanks for sharing!

 

[Rackaddict]

Shovelbuck, The photo is about the actual size. I did measure it since you asked and it is about 7" from the tip to what's left of the tail and about 4" at it's widest curve.

Nonres, I've wondered about how old something like this would be. I thought about having someone at SMSU look at it just for kicks.

 

[Greywolf]

I don't see any bones in the picture. It would be rare indeed to find soft tissues fossilized. Maybe that snake was squished between two rocks, dehydrated, and left a thin film of its skin behind on the rock. Does it scratch off easily or is it "stuck" in the rock?

 

[Rackaddict]

Greywolf, It's a solid piece of rock. Nothing scratches off.

 

[ironwood]

Like Shovelbuck, I've always been fasinated by fossils. That is cool! Thanks for the picture.

 

[Limb Chicken]

Very cool. Would be a great inset on a fireplace... Thanks for the pic.

 

[Fishbonker]

Neat stuff. Any chance it was carved into the stone?

The 'Bonker

 

[horkeymike]

A good snake is a dead snake!!!

 

[Limb Chicken]

Yer damn right Mike! Even better when the are dead and in stone!

 

[bjkpharmd]

Saw this last night & had bad dreams about snakes- I really hate them.

 

[Cornfed]

Oh come on guys..... snakes only help to make turkey hunting more interesting..... especially those long Black ones.....

 

[BW]

That's right up my alley. Excellent!

I like looking for pretty rocks when not bowhunting.

 

[Shovelbuck]

Is that a war club? Nice find!

 

[Greywolf]

Rackaddict - if that's solid it sure would be worth getting checked out. Very cool...

Cornfed - I caught one of those long black ones last year while I was out in the woods. A black rat snake, about 6 feet long. She bit me a couple times when I first picked her up but she's really gentled down now. Kids love holding her.

 

[BW]

Shovelbuck, being am amateur I can only say I think it is an axe due to the groove and one end being pretty sharp. I have found others just like it.

All I know is I don't believe it is a natural rock, and I typically find them with these other things around. But never any instructions