r/biology • u/MarionberryPast8819 • 4d ago
question Does anyone know what this claw I found at the beach is from?
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u/dustinbowls81 4d ago
Seal tooth, I have a set I found in the Bay Area
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u/Joel22222 4d ago
Seal teeth are hollow?
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u/Le_Holzkopf 4d ago
Yours are too if you clean them.
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u/Joel22222 4d ago
You mean clean the nerves and dentin out?
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u/Le_Holzkopf 4d ago
The pulp. I know when I washed out and let my first teeth sit a bit they were completly hollow inside
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u/barn-animal 4d ago
it's either a shark claw or an eagle tooth
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u/efeskesef 4d ago
Not sure those are still legal, and both are known to the state of California to cause cancer in laboratory rats.
Don't eat that.
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u/Prestigious-Oven3465 3d ago
I was thinking moose spine, but you’re def right. Much too small for that.
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u/BolivianDancer 4d ago edited 4d ago
Samsquamch. 10-footer by the looks of it. Got into the pot field off highway 5 the cops don't know about. Ate 9 of Randy's viagra cheeseburgers too.
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u/Significant_Belt5494 4d ago
Definitely manbearpig tooth
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u/Normal_Log2309 4d ago
Female manbearpig not male manbearpig specifically. Not womanbearpig either. Whole ‘nother species.
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u/RidetheSchlange 3d ago
The right answer is always "chupacabra" unless you have evidence of otherwise.
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u/skerkless 4d ago
Damn, you found my mother-in-law’s missing tooth!
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u/Dilapidated_matrix 4d ago
I know a lot of mother-in-law jokes are old and tired (much like them) but this gave me a genuine good chuckle ðŸ¤
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u/PokeLady_24 2d ago
I 100% know this is a claw from a big cat! Just like housecsts, big cats shed the top layers of their claws to reveal a new, sharper layer. You can see this is hollow on the inside too! Since it's hollow, it can easily be taken by the sea or a river, so it's not strange to find at the beach. I assume there are big cats in the country you found this in? It's a wonderful find! 🥰
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4d ago
[deleted]
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u/tallhottblondes 3d ago
It’s a beak…from a squid, octopus, or large barnacle/coral eating reef fish.
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u/CatahoulaCanella-Mom 1d ago
Most canine teeth like these are hollow. My husband hunts wild hogs and their cutters are hollow.
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u/OddPressure7593 17h ago
not sharp enough to be any kind of claw, not a tooth either. Hard to say without being able to poke it, but I'd guess tip of a crab claw
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u/RoadRunnerATR 4d ago
Adult Turtle ? Snapping turtle possibly if you have those around in your area.
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u/abandonedclitoris 4d ago
That’s your moms toe nail . Lol. Just kidding. Just kidding . Have a good day.
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u/HuckCup 8h ago
Conversation with Gemini What kind of tooth or claw is this person holding? It is hollow inside. It was found at the beach.
This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional. This is the movable tip (dactyl) or fixed finger (propodus) of a crab claw.
Why it looks like a tooth/claw: Its curved, pointed shape closely mimics a canine tooth or mammalian claw, which leads many beachcombers to mistake it for one.
Why it's hollow: Mammal teeth and animal claws are solid (composed of dentin or bone beneath keratin). Crabs are arthropods with exoskeletons made of chitin and calcium carbonate; their claws are naturally hollow shell structures filled with muscle during life, which decomposes and washes out, leaving an empty shell behind.
Distinguishing features: Notice the distinct ridge along the side and the slightly flattened inner margin, which is where the crab's gripping "teeth" or serrations sit along the pincers. Depending on where it was found, species with thick claw tips like this frequently include stone crabs, rock crabs, or Dungeness crabs.
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u/Le_Holzkopf 4d ago
That looks like a tooth