Strange Egg ?

Glynn · #1 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 01:56 PM

Hi all,

Today i found this egg in my garden in South Yorkshire and was hoping that you guys & gals might be able to identify it for me please. It is approx 4cm long, white in colour and has many granulations on the shell. Thank you in advance.

triops · #2 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 02:32 PM

Are you sure it is an egg? It looks more like a fungus to me. Is it hard or soft? Hopefully we have a fungus expert who will identify it. If it really is an egg, whoever laid it is quite unwell!

astarsdad · #3 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 02:33 PM

Hi,

Looks like a pigeons or dove egg. It may have been laid during a downpour.

Terry.

Kayleigh · #4 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 02:35 PM

Looks like fungi to me too try posting on the fungi threads.
Eggs do not have lumps and bumps like this have you been and had another look as fungi changes with time.

Welcome to WAB..

Glynn · #5 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 02:39 PM

This is certainly an egg and not a fungi. It is in actual fact the second we have found in the last 3 weeks or so.
Terry, sorry for my ignorance, but why would a downpour make this egg go like it has?

Kayleigh · #6 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glynn

This is certainly an egg and not a fungi. It is in actual fact the second we have found in the last 3 weeks or so.
Terry, sorry for my ignorance, but why would a downpour make this egg go like it has?

Is it hard or leathery..

solus · #7 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 03:03 PM

Somebody posted a photo of something vaguely similar on the Fungus Forum the other day:
what is this?
Turned out to be a pet tortoise egg!

It doesn't look much like a bird's egg - does the "shell" feel like eggshell or is it more sort of rubbery?

Harold Smith · #8 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 06:39 PM

Just to be silly! It looks like a 'Mint Imperial' that has got wet. Many years ago there was a story that 'cowboy' contractors would use mint imperials as substitute white stones in tarmac drives.

Harold.

solus · #9 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harold Smith

Just to be silly! It looks like a 'Mint Imperial' that has got wet. Harold.

At the OP's measurement of 4cm that's quite some gobstopper Harold!

snake · #10 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 07:19 PM

Hi Glynn,
I think it may be a wood pigeons egg.
The rough surface of the shell can be caused by a number of different things such as a shortage of water, lack of calcium or other vitamins but given its size my guess would be it has a double yolk and the egg laid after this one would have been laid without a shell, just the membrane.
The calcium that would have been used for the latter egg is spread across the double yolk egg giving the rough texture.

Not that uncommon.

Phil