Fossil Manatee Rib
Trichechus manatus
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A thick, rounded rib fragment from a manatee, often confused with dugong bone.
- Typical size
- 3–10 in
- How often it turns up
- Common at fossil sites
- Collecting
- Restricted
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Florida treats this as a vertebrate fossil: collecting one on state-owned land or water — including river bottoms and beaches below the high-tide line — needs a Florida Museum fossil permit. State parks and national seashores don't allow fossil collecting at all. If unsure, photograph it and leave it. Fresh manatee remains are protected under federal law — report them, do not collect them.
How to tell it apart
- Very dense, rounded cross-section
- Smooth outer surface, no marrow cavity
- Cream to grey
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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