Desiccated Eastern - osteoderm pics added

[Lea]

*Pictures of dead skink in this thread, parents/teachers please click on the general forum link to return to the main menu if you do not wish your children to proceed.

I saw this unfortunate soul on the road on New Year's Day. He must have been hit only an hour or so before, but had died on the tarmac. I picked him up off the road, not wanting him squashed any more than he'd suffered and put him in the loose, dry dirt on the side of the road. I then had an idea!

Ok, think me bizarre and odd, but we have had ultra dry weather in SA, for months! I thought that if it kept up, which it did, he would dry out and desiccate, leaving his shell and skeleton behind- if animals didn't get to him, that is.

Well, it paid off! The poor guy lost his feet and tails in the last three weeks, but he remained largely intact and all that is left now is the skeleton and his scaley skin. I was so excited when I went to get him yesterday, as I really wanted to take pictures to share here. We don't get this opportunity often, so examine, enjoy and wonder, please don't be offended by the pictures of a skink in death, it is a natural beauty to behold.

[Kurt]

the skull pics are very interesting. great post.

[Ugthore]

wow, that fascinating! i have a thing for skeletons and such, it intrests me so much to see how they are built. and its beautiful how the scales stay intact. very very cool.

[Lea]

It's amazing to see how delicate they are- not something to take lightly when considering as a pet for younger children.

It was great to have the whole ear canal intact on both sides. The ear drum is so thin and the bones so fragile and bird-like. To have any part of the skeleton affected with MBD would put tremendous pressure on the other parts, particularly in the spine. It's easy to see how deformities can then so quickly and easily develop.

[NennaMeerkat]

What surprises me is how his teeth are all crooked and not all straight. I wonder if this is natural to see?

[Karen]

Awesome, awesome pictures LeaBilly. Thanks for sharing!

[Roheryn]

Morbid, but extremely fascinating! Thanks for sharing

[Coomassie]

These are so interesting. I have often wondered about the skeletons of many reptiles.

[Alioop]

Lea that was a fantastic (albeit bizarre) idea! These photos are fascinating. Thanks so much!

[Katrina]

Wow - thanks Lea. Those are amazing!! Very, very interesting post.

[Kbell31]

Bizarre

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

Sooooooo... What happened to the arms/legs?

[Lea]

Umm, I guess the ants had a feast, monitor

[critterguy]

Wow, interesting stuff.

Questions
-Any guesses as to what the "pits" are around the "molars"? Missing teeth?(doubtful)
-how thick are the osteoderms

What stands out at first glance is how remarkably differentiated the dentition is..like a mammal.

[Lea]

Here are the osteoderms.

They are extremely thin and brittle, very hard to photograph with a light wind, lol, but i did my best!

The scales are the translucent part with the white being the osteoderms. I used my thumb nail to show just how this they are, although bear in mind it is dehydrated and will have lost a little padding from the breakdown of nerve fibres/ blood supply etc.

[critterguy]

Could it be compared to eggshell? Note that although individual ones are thin, the way they lock together and the curved body of the skink means they probably provide a bit more protection than you might suppose looking at one.

[Lea]

Could it be compared to eggshell? Note that although individual ones are thin, the way they lock together and the curved body of the skink means they probably provide a bit more protection than you might suppose looking at one.

It is thinner than egg shell, but harder and more durable. Individually, each one is fragile, but as you say, locked together they form a hard network under each scale.

[Spindown]

wow this is really cool! i love skeletons and such, and considering it was already dead when you found it, at least it could enlighten us.

[Roheryn]

Wow, these new pictures are amazing!

[realis88]

woooowwww