Find a good spot, and plop
down in the sand. Anywhere
in the shell line, you’ll find
dozens right where you sit.
Just move the shells from
side to side and you will
expose tooth after tooth,
moving a few feet down
every few minutes to a fresh
new spot, rich in yet more
treasure.
DON
Story by Deana Camerlingo
you will expose tooth after tooth, moving a few feet
down every few minutes to a fresh new spot, rich in
yet more treasure.
You’ll sometimes see folks with a metal net basket
from one of the local shops, scooping the tumbling
teeth right out of the shore break. We like to call these
contraptions “Florida snow shovels” in an effort,
perhaps, to tease the Northerners. So, what? You’re
down here now, and that’s what matters.
Our beaches yield a variety of teeth from different
species of sharks. There are the lemon shark, mako,
sand shark, tiger shark, snaggletooth, hammerhead
and others. Shark’s teeth aren’t the only things that
have survived the long process of fossilization. There
are stingray barbs, stingray mouth plates, puffer fish
mouth plates, all different kinds of mammal teeth,
pieces of tortoise shell, etc.
Identification books can be bought locally and a
wealth of information is available, of course, online.
Barefoot Trader on Manasota Key has a basic, easy to
use guide, and Sea Pleasures and Treasures in Venice
has a nice selection of books on the subject. Mark
Renz is a Florida resident, professor, longtime fossil
hunter, and author of Fossiling in Florida and
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