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Turtle claw I think or gator

Gator teeth are not hollow all the way through otherwise they would shatter when they bit into something hard like a bone or turtle shell. Crab claw, notice the small pits on one side in picture 3.

@bill-heim these are not hollow all the way through usually. I’ll have to look up crab though.

The point is that an alligator is not going to have a hollow tip to their teeth. The roots are hollow up to where the enamel starts. The enamel may have a bowl shaped hollow at the base, but after that they are composed of layers of enamel.

@bill-heim. I think I get what you are attempting to explain. Ha. I am so new to fossils and such and trying desperately to learn in the little time I get to myself. Thanks.

Let me explain it this way. A large alligator can bite with a force up to about 3000 pounds per square inch. This is about the same as if you put the entire weight of a compact car on your thumb nail. Thus the end of the tooth has to be pretty solid not to shatter under that force.

@bill-heim oh yeah, that I get. I was confused on the basic terms you used to describe, like bowl shaped hollow at the base, but I can visualize it now.

@bill-heim I accidentally hit enter. Ha. So do all crab claws have the tiny hole at the bottom?

think of the tip of a hollow point bullet, that is what the base often looks like but with a broader, shallower cup. Don’t know if all the claws have those but it’s a give away when they do. Also the alligator teeth are made of enamel (except the roots) like your teeth. Sometimes it is worn off but it is usually obvious when that is the case.

I can’t tell from the pictures, but they may be squid teeth. I live in NE FL and find something similar to your description.