Hi, I'm new / unidentified animal skeleton

Chris_1994 · #1 (**permalink**) 19-01-2011, 07:16 PM

Hi, I'm new to this forum

Last week I had to dig up part of my garden with a neighbour so I can build a new pond / landscape. We had to remove the lowest slat of wood on my shed to get to some pipes and we found this small skeleton. Neither of us have a clue what creature it belongs to.. I'm hoping someone on here will know.

thanks
Chris
(Isle of Wight)

John_M · #2 (**permalink**) 19-01-2011, 07:53 PM

How small is small? I think it looks like frog or toad, pelvis and hind legs are missing.

turkeyneck · #3 (**permalink**) 19-01-2011, 07:57 PM

Hi Chris, welcome to WAB

As for the skeleton, yer it's one of them thingy ma jigs, you know, them things

Alright, sorry haven't a clue but there are people on here with more than 'one' brain cell, that'll sort you out....................enjoy the site

Deb London · #4 (**permalink**) 19-01-2011, 08:04 PM

Welcome to WAB Chris,

I'm wondering if that's a frog's skeleton. Pelvic bone and back legs missing. The long thing looks like the 'urostyle'.

wizzo · #5 (**permalink**) 19-01-2011, 09:10 PM

Hi Chris and welcome to WAB. Couldn't be a large lizard could it? Not doing too well, so far, are we?? lol

triops · #6 (**permalink**) 19-01-2011, 10:40 PM

It's a frog skeleton. Frogs have tiny teeth and frogs have none. These skeletons are so fragile you are lucky to see one with parts so complete.

wizzo · #7 (**permalink**) 20-01-2011, 06:25 PM

[QUOTE=triops Frogs have tiny teeth and frogs have none.

Hows that again??

John_M · #8 (**permalink**) 20-01-2011, 08:06 PM

[quote=wizzo;724980][quote=triops Frogs have tiny teeth and frogs have none.

Hows that again??

[/QUOTE]

Frogs do, toads don't. (I think...)

tcvarlh · #9 (**permalink**) 20-01-2011, 08:17 PM

They have a ridge of very small cone teeth around the upper edge of the jaw. These are called Maxillary Teeth.
Frogs often also have what are called Vomerine Teeth on the roof of their mouth.
They don't have anything that could be called teeth on their lower jaw, so they usually swallow their food whole. The so-called "teeth" are mainly used to hold the prey and keep it in place till they can get a good grip on it and squash their eyeballs down to swallow their meal.

Toads, however, do NOT have any teeth.

h

davecatt · #10 (**permalink**) 22-01-2011, 07:37 AM

Hi Chris Welcome to WAB.
I'm pretty certain it's a frog,going by the shape of the skull and lower jaw, and the size and shape of the teeth on the upper jaw.

For future ref it's useful have something of known size in the pic to indicate the size of the subject.

Dave