Florida Cave Bear Tooth
Tremarctos floridanus
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A large, low, rectangular fossil molar with a broad, wrinkled grinding surface, from the extinct Florida spectacled bear.
- Typical size
- 1–1.5 in
- How often it turns up
- Very rare
- Collecting
- Restricted
- Handling
- Safe to handle
A vertebrate fossil that is not a shark or ray tooth: collecting it on Florida state land or water, including beaches below the high-tide line, requires a Florida Museum Fossil Permit, and significant finds must be reported. Collecting is banned in Florida state parks and national seashores. A bear tooth is a significant find — report it.
How to tell it apart
- Large, low-crowned rectangular molar
- Broad grinding surface with blunt, wrinkled cusps
- Two roots
Where to find these in Florida
Beaches rated very good or excellent for fossils. Each page shows today’s score, the best window and access details.
- Caspersen Beach · Venice
- Englewood Beach (Chadwick Park) · Englewood
- Stump Pass Beach State Park · Englewood
- Turner Beach · Captiva
- Turtle Beach · Siesta Key
Found one?
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More fossils in the field guide
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