SE Texas Ivory or Snakewood?

[johnnyvaldez7.jv]

Well...either way it's a first for me. Looking at some unusual rocks that I've found over time I looked at this little 1/2" piece that I had...and I think those are Schreger lines on the ends making me think this could be a very small piece of tusk?!? Then I heard of snakewood so could it be that instead?? Either way....either one would be a 1st for me so I'm cool either way. Thanks for your thoughts. 

[JohnJ]

It is not snakewood. 

[jikohr]

Hi,

Looks like petrified wood to me, though not snakewood. Snakewood is crazy rare and very distinctive looking. It has lots of dots, that I can't remember the scientific term for, in between it's growth rings. It gets it's name from the pattern of these "dots" that looks like snakeskin when you take a cross section.

You can find petrified wood from lots of other species there, all much more common than snakewood.

Oak, Hardwood, Legume, and Palm are the ones found the most.

 

 

[Al Dente]

4 hours ago, johnnyvaldez7.jv said:

and I think those are Schreger lines on the ends making me think this could be a very small piece of tusk?!?

I think so too.

[val horn]

It certainly looks like schreger lines which i thought was the definition of tusk

[Rockwood]

54 minutes ago, val horn said:

It certainly looks like schreger lines which i thought was the definition of tusk

You mean defining feature, maybe ? 

[GPayton]

It definitely looks like most pieces of ivory I've found in the area in the past.

[johnnyvaldez7.jv]

I don't know why I've never considered finding tusk even after I've found other mammoth/mastodon pieces including enamel so this small piece is still a good find for me. I'm really gonna have to start searching for the smallest of  gravel pieces for these kinds of things. Only with some recent threads did I really even begin to see what Shreger lines look in ivory and then the snakewood  was thrown in to...which is why I wasn't sure. But instead of bones...I now have to keep a good eye out for ivory pieces that's been here all along. Thanks for the ID.

[jikohr]

59 minutes ago, johnnyvaldez7.jv said:

I don't know why I've never considered finding tusk even after I've found other mammoth/mastodon pieces including enamel so this small piece is still a good find for me. I'm really gonna have to start searching for the smallest of  gravel pieces for these kinds of things. Only with some recent threads did I really even begin to see what Shreger lines look in ivory and then the snakewood  was thrown in to...which is why I wasn't sure. But instead of bones...I now have to keep a good eye out for ivory pieces that's been here all along. Thanks for the ID.

My motto when I'm out is if I see something that I don't know what it is, keep it. The worst thing that happens is it gets IDed as a rock and I throw it away but every once in awhile that weird thing winds up being something special.

Also yeah I see the Schreger lines now, my bad. Definitely tusk. Congrats!

[Brandy Cole]

Looks like a really pretty piece of tusk!