Help ... can anyone tell me what this is?

[Jody Tilley]

I found this in my front yard while raking.  I live on the outskirts of Fresno, Ca. Can anyone tell me what it is? I have found other, what  looks to me, like bones.

  

  

[Coco]

Hi,

 

Vertebra.

 

Coco

[Rockwood]

Well I too can confirm that they are indeed bones, vertebrae, if more than one. They appear to be modern. Beyond that a guess that the animal may have been a mammal, perhaps a deer, is the best I can do.

[Sjfriend]

To see if modern or fossil hold a flame to it for a little bit. If fossil nothing will happen. If modern, it will blacken and stink!

[ClearLake]

They are definitely bones and are vertebrae.  They look like caudal (tail) vertebrae from a mammal as suggested.  I looked at my deer and they don't match that, attached is a picture of my horse tail and they are similar but not quite the same.  Trying to judge the size by your hand, they appear to be more horse sized but I could be off.  Don't have a cow tail handy to compare.  I say keep raking and see what else turns up that may be more diagnostic.

 

[Jody Tilley]

Thank you all for the information. I put a flame to it and it is definitely modern,  do to the smell. Yuck! A vertebrae from a horse makes the most sense. I find bones in my yard all the time. Maybe one day I will get lucky and find a fossil.