rapp beach hunting

[Rowboater]

Had some windy days and had high hopes of finding nice stuff on the beach.  had recent back and hip issues, but figured the exercise of bending over to check would help, just made me sore! Two recent trips were similar.  Early morning trip was cold, with a crashing surf.  Water high and dirty, found nothing much (a box turtle carapace and part of its plastron, but recent.  Picked up lots of curious wood and rocks).  Returned yesterday, much warmer, and water lower, and the same crashing surf.  Found nothing much in the first two hours, but enjoyed walking and checking stuff on the beach.  Ospreys and terns were plentiful.  The wind died and the first five feet or so along the shoreline became visible, and I suddenly started finding stuff!  Two shrimp coprolite burrows, and two others that may be conceretions; will be more clear when completely dry.  A one and a half inch mako (not broad or narrow?) with a reddish cast around the edges and a midget mako.  A few other skate  and usual small beach teeth.  I saw two points in the sand and initially thought cow shark, but when I picked it up it was what I believe is a seal tooth (one IDed here years ago).  Three roots (two perpendicular to the tooth) and a small cusp/ blade (not sure if intact?)  Good trip, finally!

 

[Gizmo]

Great trip, congrats! Looks like seal to me. 

[Tidgy's Dad]

 Nice finds.

A good day out.

[Fossildude19]

Cool finds, yet again!

Jealous of the hunts people have been posting.   

[Bronzviking]

Nice teeth, congrats. You should consider getting a beach scooper. It would save your back, hips and knees from constant bending. I have one and it's great on the beach, adjustable height and lightweight.

[Al Tahan]

Hey nice!! Looks like you made it out again and got a few nice teeth. I’ve been enjoying the rapp beach trip reports . Shark teeth are growing on me lol

[Gizmo]

5 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Cool finds, yet again!

Jealous of the hunts people have been posting.   

Come to Maryland this summer! ........

 

[Rowboater]

Few more photos of the seal tooth.  Is the crown /blade damaged?  Or is the usual way they look? I've only found two total in several years of hunting.  One of my friends thought it looked small?  baby or just small teeth?  (sorry for the cell phone photos)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rowboater]

@Gizmo @Tidgy's Dad @Fossildude19  @Al Tahan Thanks everyone for your comments!  Looking forward to reports from the Northeast as the weather warms.  @Bronzviking I usually carry a hoe as a walking stick and to pull stuff in to check.  Part of my trip was for the exercise; my doctor wants me to bend and reach and stumble around the surf line, he's a sadist!  The new approach to hip and back medicine, keep the joints moving.  Frankly its a lot more interesting doing stretching "exercises" at the water's edge on the beach than indoors!  Sometime I screen the sand, which is productive for small teeth (but more work), but walking the surf line seems more productive for bigger stuff. May have to invest in a scooper later; my guests always complain the next day!.

[Al Dente]

28 minutes ago, Rowboater said:

Few more photos of the seal tooth.

I don't think it's a seal tooth. It looks like a carnassial tooth of some type of carnivore.

[Rowboater]

@Al Dente  Thanks, good to know!  From google it says three-rooted carnassial teeth are molars.  With it's small size (about 1 cm at longest axis), what size carnivore would you expect?  A weasel or mink, or a chihuahua?  

[sixgill pete]

@Harry Pristis may be able to help on that tooth. I agree with al Dente that it is not seal.

[Harry Pristis]

These isolated teeth are challenging to identify.  I think this is not from a seal, but that conclusion is based on a superficial Google search.  I think this tooth resembles an upper carnassial (P4) from a canid (but not a dog) or possibly a mustelid (less likely, I think).  Just my impression.

[Rowboater]

@Al Dente @sixgill pete @Harry Pristis Thanks all!  I find few mammalian teeth (mostly domestic cow, horse, pig) on that beach which had more activity in colonial times.  I talked to someone who used to trap foxes just above the beach, so I'm sure there should be foxes (and likely coyotes nowadays).  Minks and otters also used to be common.  A big problem is the jumble of specimens washing up on a beach; my other (creek) hunting site is predominantly Miocene, but on the beach so much relatively modern stuff is mixed in (plus two pieces of tabulate coral from much, much earlier).  Thanks again for the help, I learn something each trip when I find something new (to me).