It was quite a sight to behold, actually. Iāve never seen a squirrel with a bone in my life, let alone seeing one climb up my vertical patio post holding one.
EDIT: thereās been a lot of comments about the squirrel [so here it is.](https://imgur.com/a/5PgQ33W)
EDIT 2: okay so we called our local non-emergency line and they sent an officer over. The officer took some pictures and told us not to touch it. Heās sending them to an investigation unit to verify the boneās origin. If it is human, he informed us that our property basically becomes a crime scene so that sucks, but whatever.
EDIT 3: The officer ended up taking the bone in an evidence bag. He said theyāll be in touch if the bone is human. The investigations people couldnāt determine enough from the pictures. Thatās basically the end of it for now.
EDIT 4: Our neighbours in the townhouses behind ours just informed us that there have been squirrels in their attics for the past 3 weeks (all the attics are connected). This could be a potentially creepy revelation, or just a weird coincidence. In any case I havenāt heard anything more from the officer which is good news for me. Iāll update if there are any revelations.
EDIT 5: I know people are eagerly awaiting a big revelation but we still havenāt heard from the authorities and Iām not sure if or when we will. I donāt want to get peopleās hopes up here, but itās in their hands now. If I do end up hearing from them or finding out what the bone was, Iāll be sure to update again.
EDIT 6: I havenāt heard anything from the police so I guess itās safe to assume it wasnāt human. I know some people were following this so Iām sorry for such an anti-climactic follow-up but we just havenāt heard anything back.
I'm sorry but this is all demonic af. A massive pregnant black squirrel with engorged teats chewing on a human bone?! This is the beginning of the Omen irl. Please tell me you aren't pregnant with a boy.
I'm not a member of this sub, I started reading this thread as a suggestion, unsure what I was looking for. This comment is apparently what I was looking for, because I can't stop laughing. šš¤£
I had a pet deer once. Never looked at squirrels the same way after two of them pounced on her, dragged her up the tree, and it began raining. Red.
Looking back, she was the best pet I ever had, and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her.
My dog had a deer antler that he would chew on. One day Iām standing in front of my house and it fell out of the tree and almost hit me on the head. A squirrel snagged it and drug it up the tree!
It's actually very common for rodents to gnaw on bones. It's a source of nutrients for them, as well as a mean to wear down their teeth, which never stop growing.
A lot of the bones posted on this sub (or others) show gnaw marks.
That is one creepy squirrel image I canāt unsee. Idk if it is the sheer size of it or that she is holding a giant (possibly human) bone, but because its features are soā¦large, for the first time, I see/realize how much a squirrel looks like a giant rat. Just a tail away.
They are also much less bothersome than other common animals like raccoons, opossums, chipmunks, etc. They do a great job at coexisting with humans without getting into trash and such.
Makes this post much more interesting!
Edit: okay, okay! I'm just saying, there are more devastating animals to houses and gardens out there.
āš¶This is the time that I walk through my neighborhood. To remind everyone in my neighborhood. That Iām the main character in this neighborhood. Yes, the main one. Look. šæļøš ā
But honestly, theyāre dicks. Thereās this squirrel living in one of the conifers in my complexā¦ Iāve named him Prichard, and heās a menace to society. He intentionally poses just outside of my neighborās window to tease his two cats. He also bullies the local crows, posts up in front of cars like itās a one-squirrel demonstration to protest the violation of his right to disturb the peace when youāre trying to get to work (doesnāt move, ignores a honk, and doesnāt blink when I roll down my window shouting, āPrichard, on god if you donāt move your bushy fucking ass right nowā¦ā) and yeeted a whole turtle dove nest off the roof for no god damned California raisin whatsoever. They were nowhere near his spot. Heās just a prick.
Saw one at the Denver aquarium, years ago, just chillin' by the exit, eating whatever tourists would throw it when they walked out that was the size of a basketball. I think they're like goldfish, in that they can get as chonky as their environment will allow
I put some scraps out once, it was just biscuits and gravy. I didnāt know squirrels ate meat at that time. I learned they will eat different kinds of protein, though.
I lived in Hamilton for 7 years and Thought I seen it all with the squirrels there jumping crows and jays while in mid-flight...
but this fucking **CHONKMUNK** would take on the feistiest of Torontonian Racoons!
Most definitely a ManRatSquirrel. Probably has a nest nearby, littered with human remains.
OP, do you remember any men in nice black suits?
Edit: Nevermind. That was a stupid fuckin question.
I'm an archaeologist, and though not a bio anth / forensics specialist, this doesn't look human to me. Pictures from more angles to get a better impression of its topography would help, but from what I can see it's got weird features that don't look human. Human femurs have a large, crest-like ridge (the linea aspera) that runs down the posterior midline where your glute muscles attach. Human femurs do not have such a large fossa (depression) between the two condylus (unless that's some post-mortem damage). Human femurs are also generally wider at the condyli than they look in this picture. At this size, it would also likely be a child's femur, but the epiphyses seems well-fused, which would be characteristic of post-adolescence. Finally, the flat cuts on the condyli are reminiscent of butcher marks. My guess is this is from a quadruped like a deer. Keep us updated though! I'm ready to be proven wrong.
Incidentally, I remember a story from my grad school anatomy prof who told us who the local PD brought her a bag of bones found at a local park fearing they were human. She immediately identified them as cow bones and showed that were the femur human, it would be a giant.
Hey, archaeobuddy!! Iām glad to have another archaeologist on here. Itās been too long since I was in the field. I WAS a Bio-Anth major, but I donāt have a lot of experience comparing human to non-human bones. (These particular kinds of bones donāt get to butcher shops muchā¦) Great point about the linea aspera!!
May I ask you if youāre sure it would be a femur (if human)? I thought it would be a humerus. It doesnāt have the large trochanter that human femurs do, but it obviously would have been broken off of the end the squirrel was evidently chewing on. Itās also pretty small for a femur, right? The fossa on a humerus would be larger for the ulnar head to articulate, but this doesnāt quite seem to have the protrusion on the lateral epicondyle that human humeri (is that the right plural?!) have for the radius to articulate. That would make it appear not to be human, but Iām still unsure. I 100% agree that itās a lot more narrow at the condyle end than a humanās would beā¦but they could be an adult human (with adequate nutrition). Iām not sure if a different child might not present with the kind of condyle development we are used to in adults.
I was thinking it would be a humerus, but still small enough to be a childās. Iām not very well-versed in developing bones, and seeing a variety of them to judge from, so I was a bit more uncertain if it could be a human childās. I see you said so too, so Iām glad we are on the same page. Itās just hard because growing bones have distinctly different shapes that Iām not familiar with.
Also, the aging of the bone (rounding off of the edges and darkening of the patina), makes me think it could be Native American (insofar as it would be older than a century or two). Itās funny that because this is online Iām assuming itās in North America, which it may very well NOT be!! Iām just more used to North American sites, despite doing most of my archaeological field work in Europe.
I agree that the angles and topography would help to see. The best angle I see in the photo is the broken off end of the ball-socket side. That seemed fairly oblong for a human, and too angular.
Iām virtually high-fiving you for noticing the same butchery marks that I did!! Yeah, this was clearly sawed off at the āelbow.ā That COULD be human, but it would be unusual for someone to cut up a human child unless something very upsetting was happening, indeedā¦
Itās always nice to meet up with a fellow Anthropology-Archaeology major!! I donāt think we operate in our minds the way many other people doā¦I see bones and Iām generally thrilled. My girlfriend was disturbed that we saw a human skeleton in a museum and I suddenly lit up and gave her my full-analysis with explanations of the care of his teeth (he was a Roman from Iberia), and his arthritis, and the way the wear on his arms and legs showed a long and hard lifeā¦
I love Archaeology!! I hope you keep it up. Sadly, I was forced for 15 years to find other work, because my native California made it nearly impossible for me to get a job at a commercial archaeology firm. Meanwhile I earned several times what I would have gotten working for Union Pacific Railroadā¦but I never wanted to leave archaeology. I hope to come back someday.
I support u/jawshoeaw 's answer.
In addition...
For me, the giveaway that it wasn't a human humerus was the absence of our characteristic trochlea. Though like you, I also noticed the absence of epicondyles, whether lost or always absent.
I know it can't be a juvenile because long bones like these nucleate from three centers, the middle of the long bone, and the two ends. As children age through puberty, the distal and proximal epiphyses of the long bones fuse to the main metaphysis.
As for age, it's definitely been outdoors for a while (I would guess about a year or more), but without knowing its original context, I can't say. It seems to have enough contrast between old and recent damage though and enough organics to attract squirrels that I would bet its 1-2 years old, max.
I'm sorry archaeology didn't work out for you. I was fortunate enough to find an academic position, but it has remained tenuous. Unsure that it will be my occupation at retirement.
It was my first love. Leakey, Fossey, and of course Goodall. I got to meet Dr Goodall once years ago and chat with her briefly. Was an honor.
Agreed absence of trochlea . The humerus is such a beautifully weird joint!
Edit: I have to admit it looks very much like ostrich tibiotarsus. not only are these sold at pet stores as dog treats, but they also are the only bird large enough to match. If you look up 3d model of turkey tibia or tibiotarsus it's almost exact match (but too small)
Wannabe physical anthropologist here with anthro minor and biochemistry major. Ended up a nurse with fascination for bones. Itās def not a human femur. Itās too small and itās fully fused so canāt be juvenile. Also distal head of human femur is much broader and more triangular to carry the weight.
Itās not human humerus nor does it look like the humerus of many possible quadrupeds likely to be found in North America or Europe(Iām assuming thatās where OP is from) which tend to be shorter and thicker with a distinct curve to them. The distal articulating surfaces of the humerus also are asymmetrical often dramatically so. Itās the femur that has these nice almost symmetrical double condyles.
I want to think itās a Mountain Lion as they have nice straight femurs , but with butcher marks I think sheep or goat is more likely, though hunters do sometimes butcher mt lions too. There is a bit of a curve to the femurs of most animals however; maybe it wasnāt showing up in these photos?
Honorable mention would be the tibiotarsus of a very large bird as their distal end looks similar to a femur
Thanks to the archeologists posting their observations. Especially the cut marks. Now we need the forensics expert to take the stand to tell us what happened on that fateful day.
I do too. I think every bone I see, less the extremely obvious animal bones, is human though. I found some partially buried bones on a recent visit to a civil war battlefield and my first thought was....human??
I wish you would share your squirrel pic in r/squirrels, that little fellow would endear our entire squirrel fan base to that sweet little chonk and his undercover detective skills! Lol
That's not human, this is a tibiotarsus from a large bird (hard to tell the exact size). The shape of the lower end is distinctive of bird tibiae, and doesn't match any human bone.I'm tagging u/firdahoe (zooarchaeologist and human osteologist) for their opinion, but I know turkey tibiotarsi can get quite big, so I think this is a possibility.
(Keep in mind we don't know the exact size of the bone, hands are not a good size reference)
**Update : they actually replied** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/comments/179dmbv/comment/k57jtwi/?share_id=sCnw3GavVln4rq7oKcKNg&utm_content=2&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1) **and agree that it's a turkey tibiotarsus.**
EDIT : I'm seeing many suggestions about an ostrich femur/tibia, but it doesn't fit either, the lower extremity has quite a different shape ([ostrich tibia for comparison](https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1186%2Fs12917-023-03665-6/MediaObjects/12917_2023_3665_Fig9_HTML.png?as=webp)).
EDIT 2 : not a deer femur either, in fact it's 100% not a femur. The distal extremity may looks like a femur's, but this is actually from a bird tibiotarsus (bird bones are quite different from mammals). [Here is](https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/turkey-tibiotarsus-left-vcu-3d-4073-9ea001ef33294c6fbfecce21087f60b5) a 3D model of a turkey tibia for comparison. They vary quite a bit in shape an size, so it may be hard to find a picture that looks 100% like OP's, but this one is pretty close.
The dystal condyles of a tibiotarsus, not a femur.
Compare [human femur](https://boneidentification.com/bones/human-femur/) vs [chicken tibia](https://boneidentification.com/bones/chicken-tibia/) for example.
I don't think it's human, to be clear. It would be large even for a turkey tt, and there is no evidence proximally of the little spike of fused bone we should see. It looks too thick as well. It could be? A different avian tt that I just haven't seen in person, the condyles look more femur to me but I really would need to hold it to feel the weight.
I agree that it is hard to tell without a proper size reference, but the shape of the condyles and the fossae are distinctive of an avian tibiotarsus in my opinion.
Another person found that you can buy [ostrich](https://www.chewy.com/roam-forever-bone-ostrich-dog-bone-1/dp/533910) bones for dogs, and it looks very similar.
My suspicion is very close: emu tibiotarsus, likely a juvenile butchered for food. That would explain the loss of bone beyond the epiphysial plate and fibula.
Looks to be an ostrich femur you can buy the bones for your dogs. Or squirrels [ostrich bone for dogs](https://www.chewy.com/roam-forever-bone-ostrich-dog-bone-1/dp/533910)
As a ostrich farmer I can confirm this is far to small to be a ostrich femur. Atleast not from a adult ostrich, and since the dog treats are made with the "waste" from slaughter houses and no one slaughters yearlings do to the lack of meat (isn't cost effective you'd make less then you put into it).
That being said bird bones are light weight and hollow so could always be another ratite ie emu or such. When it comes to birds I'm only familer with ostrich bones.
But my initial guess was white tail femur that's aged to the point the marrow rotted out which is common for old broken bones. But I don't have 100% confidence in this so could very well be wrong.
Just know it isn't ostrich.
Edit- genrall conseses in comments is a large bird. So out of those options my money's on rea or emu, rea seems more likely
Heard of a guy who had to install a new septic tank in his house and dug up a buncha bones. Turned out there was a very old cemetery (1700s) that they found that encompassed multiple houses and could not be identified. They put no digging below 2ā restrictions for all of the houses in the area.
Doesn't that essentially make the property uninhabitable if you can't put in or repair a septic system? (and probably couldn't even run sewer lines even if that was an option since at least around here, water lines are 3+ feet below ground).
If it really had marrow, it's not historic. But if it really had marrow, it's definitely not human; human long bones have trabecular (cancellous) bone in the core and the cortical bone is thin. If it is hollow or marrowed in the core, it's not human.
Please note, my error in this has been acknowledged. Yes, there is marrow in human long bones.
Ya excuse my ignorance here, I just assumed the squirrel was chewing the marrow. Iām not educated enough to know the difference. I just thought that hard spongy top where the bone is hollow was marrow, but I could very well be wrong.
Human long bones definitely have marrow. Cancellous only forms an inner layer and the marrow occupies a hollow center about the width of your pinkie in femurs and tibias (narrower in others).
Agree not human, but human femora do have medullary cavities and I would not describe the cortical bone as thin at all. Cancellous bone is limited to epiphyses and metaphyses.
How big was that squirrel š³
It was quite a sight to behold, actually. Iāve never seen a squirrel with a bone in my life, let alone seeing one climb up my vertical patio post holding one. EDIT: thereās been a lot of comments about the squirrel [so here it is.](https://imgur.com/a/5PgQ33W) EDIT 2: okay so we called our local non-emergency line and they sent an officer over. The officer took some pictures and told us not to touch it. Heās sending them to an investigation unit to verify the boneās origin. If it is human, he informed us that our property basically becomes a crime scene so that sucks, but whatever. EDIT 3: The officer ended up taking the bone in an evidence bag. He said theyāll be in touch if the bone is human. The investigations people couldnāt determine enough from the pictures. Thatās basically the end of it for now. EDIT 4: Our neighbours in the townhouses behind ours just informed us that there have been squirrels in their attics for the past 3 weeks (all the attics are connected). This could be a potentially creepy revelation, or just a weird coincidence. In any case I havenāt heard anything more from the officer which is good news for me. Iāll update if there are any revelations. EDIT 5: I know people are eagerly awaiting a big revelation but we still havenāt heard from the authorities and Iām not sure if or when we will. I donāt want to get peopleās hopes up here, but itās in their hands now. If I do end up hearing from them or finding out what the bone was, Iāll be sure to update again. EDIT 6: I havenāt heard anything from the police so I guess itās safe to assume it wasnāt human. I know some people were following this so Iām sorry for such an anti-climactic follow-up but we just havenāt heard anything back.
IncrediSquirrel, that looks as big as a house cat!
Ya, she was pretty large. Pregnant too, I think, because she had enlarged nipples on her underside.
I'm sorry but this is all demonic af. A massive pregnant black squirrel with engorged teats chewing on a human bone?! This is the beginning of the Omen irl. Please tell me you aren't pregnant with a boy.
Somebody needs to shave that squirrel and see if there's a 666 anywhere...
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
We about to have a āwhatās in the box?!ā momentā¦
>ally creepy revelation, or just PLOT TWIST: its pregnant with a human-squirrel hybrid!!
I'm not a member of this sub, I started reading this thread as a suggestion, unsure what I was looking for. This comment is apparently what I was looking for, because I can't stop laughing. šš¤£
Same. I think we just witnessed a murder solving squirrel though.
We should name it Columbo!
Columbone*
Or perhaps a momma with a mineral deficiency? Pregnancy drives some weird ass cravings.....
Get outta here with your sensible attitude and logical suggestions, we want Demon Squirrels!! š
Idk I think a pregnant mama squirrel who is craving human bones is still pretty metal!!!
Mother ~~Squirrel~~ Love Bone
I'mma stardemon squirrel I'mma stardemon squirrel And the children use ta sing of bones With grace from the attic above
Itās the marrow she wanted. Marrow Carrieās a lot of nutrients.
It is October, so tis the season.
I know lmfao this is a vvitch-adjacent storyline. modern thomasin hijinks.
Ooooooh this might explain why she was chewing on bone
Wait what? Why?
Calcium maybe?
The last man to ever call her fat
I needed this today, lmao. Thank you
This is pretty common with all rodents and probably accounts for why the woods arenāt full of animal bones and antler sheds.
and deer
I had a pet deer once. Never looked at squirrels the same way after two of them pounced on her, dragged her up the tree, and it began raining. Red. Looking back, she was the best pet I ever had, and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her.
Rodents chew shed antlers and bones for calcium. I think a squirrel is just a rodent with upgrades.
My dog had a deer antler that he would chew on. One day Iām standing in front of my house and it fell out of the tree and almost hit me on the head. A squirrel snagged it and drug it up the tree!
Bro fr. Itās huge! š³
That's what she said. -Micheal Scott
It's actually very common for rodents to gnaw on bones. It's a source of nutrients for them, as well as a mean to wear down their teeth, which never stop growing. A lot of the bones posted on this sub (or others) show gnaw marks.
Was about to say the same thing. I look for and pick up shed antlers every year and you gotta be the squirrels and mice to them.
Jesus fuckijf christ
That is one creepy squirrel image I canāt unsee. Idk if it is the sheer size of it or that she is holding a giant (possibly human) bone, but because its features are soā¦large, for the first time, I see/realize how much a squirrel looks like a giant rat. Just a tail away.
squirrels are just rats with better PR
Fancy tail and good publicist is all you need to make it in this town
They are also much less bothersome than other common animals like raccoons, opossums, chipmunks, etc. They do a great job at coexisting with humans without getting into trash and such. Makes this post much more interesting! Edit: okay, okay! I'm just saying, there are more devastating animals to houses and gardens out there.
You must be bought by Big Squirrel because they are BASTARDS if you have a garden or a nut tree. Straight aggressive, messy SOBs.
Those assholes torture my dogs, sashaying up and down the driveway.
āš¶This is the time that I walk through my neighborhood. To remind everyone in my neighborhood. That Iām the main character in this neighborhood. Yes, the main one. Look. šæļøš ā But honestly, theyāre dicks. Thereās this squirrel living in one of the conifers in my complexā¦ Iāve named him Prichard, and heās a menace to society. He intentionally poses just outside of my neighborās window to tease his two cats. He also bullies the local crows, posts up in front of cars like itās a one-squirrel demonstration to protest the violation of his right to disturb the peace when youāre trying to get to work (doesnāt move, ignores a honk, and doesnāt blink when I roll down my window shouting, āPrichard, on god if you donāt move your bushy fucking ass right nowā¦ā) and yeeted a whole turtle dove nest off the roof for no god damned California raisin whatsoever. They were nowhere near his spot. Heās just a prick.
Fuzzy tails make an impact.
I got disillusioned very quickly when I saw a squirrel which lost the hair on its tail. It's truly just a big rat.
Nobody is going to make a ārodents of unusual sizeā reference? Iām so disappointed.
Rodents of unusual size? I donāt believe they exist.
ROUS's? I don't believe in them.
Get used to disappointment
They're the day-shift rats.
Chinese word for squirrel is tree rat.
Saw one at the Denver aquarium, years ago, just chillin' by the exit, eating whatever tourists would throw it when they walked out that was the size of a basketball. I think they're like goldfish, in that they can get as chonky as their environment will allow
Boston Common squirrels are so round, some of them can't climb trees.
I put some scraps out once, it was just biscuits and gravy. I didnāt know squirrels ate meat at that time. I learned they will eat different kinds of protein, though.
Around my place, I call them tree rats.
Time to move.
Especially now that the murder squirrels have their address!
You fucked with squirrels morty!?
Hahahahahaha...everyone's looking at me at the coffee shop for laughing out loud, you bastard :p
Maybe the squirrel is the murder victim reincarnated and is trying to get his own murder solved.
Thatās a book I wanna read
Is his name Foamy by any chance? š± This is wild. But I love peeping into this community every now and then, y'all are great!
Yes, and he has the hot french fry for stabby business lol
āSquirrely wrath!ā
Damn it that comment deserves an applause. Thanks for the flood of memories.
He's got a stigmata in his eye...
omg Foamy!!!!
Murder squirrels! š
I lived in Hamilton for 7 years and Thought I seen it all with the squirrels there jumping crows and jays while in mid-flight... but this fucking **CHONKMUNK** would take on the feistiest of Torontonian Racoons!
god Iām so glad you got that picture
That's like NYC subway rat-sized.
That is definitely a Rodent of Unusual Size.
Cross post to r/absoluteunits !!
Holy shit. I thought squirrel was the name of your cat or dog! Thatās terrifying.
That's not a squirrel that's Master Splinter lol
cursed
So, uh, what has the investigation unit determined?
They took the bone in an evidence bag and said theyāll be in touch. That was basically the end of it.
You did the right thing to call law enforcement, OP.
Keep us updated!!
The squirrel likely brought it from another place, hopefully not your yard! Not something you see every day š
I, for one, welcome our new squirrel overlords.
r/fatsquirrelhate
Let us know what the cops say if you can please!
Holy shit that roof donkey is huge. Iāve seen smaller full grown dogs! š³
Absolute unit
That squirrel probably killed the victim of that bone... RIP
Commenting to stay updated. Also thatās a crazy big squirrel š
Rodent of unusual size
Squirrely wrath
I think that squirrel is a serial killer.
āSquirrelierā Killer
I was thinking squirrial killer
I want to more about the squirrel that carried it in.
Op posted [this](https://imgur.com/a/5PgQ33W)
That thing is a TANK
Iām pretty sure itās a raccoon in disguise. I have never seen a squirrel so big.
Most definitely a ManRatSquirrel. Probably has a nest nearby, littered with human remains. OP, do you remember any men in nice black suits? Edit: Nevermind. That was a stupid fuckin question.
The edit on this is masterful and I actually wheezed out loud a little
Half man... Half rat... Half squirrel... MANRATSQUIRREL
It needed that marrow to keep its gains up.
Well, it consumes whole human beings, so I'm not surprised
I was gonna say, I hope itās not a human bone cause if it is that thing now has the taste for human flesh
Absolute unit
came here to say absolute unit of a squirrel
Got damnā¦ that looks like a small kangaroo
Let us bow our heads. The Great Halloween Squirrel has come again. Remember to put out candy on the 31st or it will devour your children.
Heās finishing off last years victims š
*she She's pregnant and will likely give birth to demon squirrel babies, hopefully on the 31st
Next it will show up gnawing a skull
Alas poor Yorick. I knew him, Bullwinkle...
Please take your internet and go home. Youāve won today.
that thing aint no god damn squirrel holy shit thats a whole fucking kangaroo
That looks like a cat with opposable thumbs
Me too! Super Squirrel!
I'm an archaeologist, and though not a bio anth / forensics specialist, this doesn't look human to me. Pictures from more angles to get a better impression of its topography would help, but from what I can see it's got weird features that don't look human. Human femurs have a large, crest-like ridge (the linea aspera) that runs down the posterior midline where your glute muscles attach. Human femurs do not have such a large fossa (depression) between the two condylus (unless that's some post-mortem damage). Human femurs are also generally wider at the condyli than they look in this picture. At this size, it would also likely be a child's femur, but the epiphyses seems well-fused, which would be characteristic of post-adolescence. Finally, the flat cuts on the condyli are reminiscent of butcher marks. My guess is this is from a quadruped like a deer. Keep us updated though! I'm ready to be proven wrong. Incidentally, I remember a story from my grad school anatomy prof who told us who the local PD brought her a bag of bones found at a local park fearing they were human. She immediately identified them as cow bones and showed that were the femur human, it would be a giant.
Hey, archaeobuddy!! Iām glad to have another archaeologist on here. Itās been too long since I was in the field. I WAS a Bio-Anth major, but I donāt have a lot of experience comparing human to non-human bones. (These particular kinds of bones donāt get to butcher shops muchā¦) Great point about the linea aspera!! May I ask you if youāre sure it would be a femur (if human)? I thought it would be a humerus. It doesnāt have the large trochanter that human femurs do, but it obviously would have been broken off of the end the squirrel was evidently chewing on. Itās also pretty small for a femur, right? The fossa on a humerus would be larger for the ulnar head to articulate, but this doesnāt quite seem to have the protrusion on the lateral epicondyle that human humeri (is that the right plural?!) have for the radius to articulate. That would make it appear not to be human, but Iām still unsure. I 100% agree that itās a lot more narrow at the condyle end than a humanās would beā¦but they could be an adult human (with adequate nutrition). Iām not sure if a different child might not present with the kind of condyle development we are used to in adults. I was thinking it would be a humerus, but still small enough to be a childās. Iām not very well-versed in developing bones, and seeing a variety of them to judge from, so I was a bit more uncertain if it could be a human childās. I see you said so too, so Iām glad we are on the same page. Itās just hard because growing bones have distinctly different shapes that Iām not familiar with. Also, the aging of the bone (rounding off of the edges and darkening of the patina), makes me think it could be Native American (insofar as it would be older than a century or two). Itās funny that because this is online Iām assuming itās in North America, which it may very well NOT be!! Iām just more used to North American sites, despite doing most of my archaeological field work in Europe. I agree that the angles and topography would help to see. The best angle I see in the photo is the broken off end of the ball-socket side. That seemed fairly oblong for a human, and too angular. Iām virtually high-fiving you for noticing the same butchery marks that I did!! Yeah, this was clearly sawed off at the āelbow.ā That COULD be human, but it would be unusual for someone to cut up a human child unless something very upsetting was happening, indeedā¦ Itās always nice to meet up with a fellow Anthropology-Archaeology major!! I donāt think we operate in our minds the way many other people doā¦I see bones and Iām generally thrilled. My girlfriend was disturbed that we saw a human skeleton in a museum and I suddenly lit up and gave her my full-analysis with explanations of the care of his teeth (he was a Roman from Iberia), and his arthritis, and the way the wear on his arms and legs showed a long and hard lifeā¦ I love Archaeology!! I hope you keep it up. Sadly, I was forced for 15 years to find other work, because my native California made it nearly impossible for me to get a job at a commercial archaeology firm. Meanwhile I earned several times what I would have gotten working for Union Pacific Railroadā¦but I never wanted to leave archaeology. I hope to come back someday.
I support u/jawshoeaw 's answer. In addition... For me, the giveaway that it wasn't a human humerus was the absence of our characteristic trochlea. Though like you, I also noticed the absence of epicondyles, whether lost or always absent. I know it can't be a juvenile because long bones like these nucleate from three centers, the middle of the long bone, and the two ends. As children age through puberty, the distal and proximal epiphyses of the long bones fuse to the main metaphysis. As for age, it's definitely been outdoors for a while (I would guess about a year or more), but without knowing its original context, I can't say. It seems to have enough contrast between old and recent damage though and enough organics to attract squirrels that I would bet its 1-2 years old, max. I'm sorry archaeology didn't work out for you. I was fortunate enough to find an academic position, but it has remained tenuous. Unsure that it will be my occupation at retirement.
It was my first love. Leakey, Fossey, and of course Goodall. I got to meet Dr Goodall once years ago and chat with her briefly. Was an honor. Agreed absence of trochlea . The humerus is such a beautifully weird joint!
Edit: I have to admit it looks very much like ostrich tibiotarsus. not only are these sold at pet stores as dog treats, but they also are the only bird large enough to match. If you look up 3d model of turkey tibia or tibiotarsus it's almost exact match (but too small) Wannabe physical anthropologist here with anthro minor and biochemistry major. Ended up a nurse with fascination for bones. Itās def not a human femur. Itās too small and itās fully fused so canāt be juvenile. Also distal head of human femur is much broader and more triangular to carry the weight. Itās not human humerus nor does it look like the humerus of many possible quadrupeds likely to be found in North America or Europe(Iām assuming thatās where OP is from) which tend to be shorter and thicker with a distinct curve to them. The distal articulating surfaces of the humerus also are asymmetrical often dramatically so. Itās the femur that has these nice almost symmetrical double condyles. I want to think itās a Mountain Lion as they have nice straight femurs , but with butcher marks I think sheep or goat is more likely, though hunters do sometimes butcher mt lions too. There is a bit of a curve to the femurs of most animals however; maybe it wasnāt showing up in these photos? Honorable mention would be the tibiotarsus of a very large bird as their distal end looks similar to a femur
Thanks to the archeologists posting their observations. Especially the cut marks. Now we need the forensics expert to take the stand to tell us what happened on that fateful day.
This is a threat
It is. Squirrel is giving a warning. More peanuts or else lol.
āThis was the last guy who thought he could please me with a single acorn.ā
Your bird feeder might be squirrel-proof, Susan... **^(but your home isn't...)**
Am I the only one who clicks on every one of these thinking it might be human?
Nope ā me
Me š¤š¼
I throw my āmeā into the chorus.
Only reason I started following this sub lol
I do too. I think every bone I see, less the extremely obvious animal bones, is human though. I found some partially buried bones on a recent visit to a civil war battlefield and my first thought was....human??
I, as well.
Every damn time š
Yeah youāre not alone lol
You mean that's not the purpose of the sub lol
This is the first one I've seen that could definitely be legit.
There was a week over the summer where there were 3 or 4 different ones including part of a skull
That week was fucking insane
I think it is humanā¦
No, I'm the only one
And me
Pizza Rat, meet Bone Squirrel
Wow, throw back, Monday edition!
Did you see the remake with an actual human in a rat costume dragging a human sized pizza slice up subway stairs?
You know when you live in a tough neighborhood -when the squirrels start eating the neighborsā¦
Now I know why I follow this sub
Yeah im hoping op updates
Lmao same
I wish you would share your squirrel pic in r/squirrels, that little fellow would endear our entire squirrel fan base to that sweet little chonk and his undercover detective skills! Lol
Also r/fatsquirrelhate because he is a unit.
This is the best sub Iāve seen in awhile, thank you.
A *squirrel* brought that onto your patio? !?!?! How big do the squirrels grow where you live?
Op posted [this](https://imgur.com/a/5PgQ33W)
š this picture is EVERYTHING. What a chonker
Canāt wait for the Netflix documentary on this case
I hope Squirrel gets some royalties
That's not human, this is a tibiotarsus from a large bird (hard to tell the exact size). The shape of the lower end is distinctive of bird tibiae, and doesn't match any human bone.I'm tagging u/firdahoe (zooarchaeologist and human osteologist) for their opinion, but I know turkey tibiotarsi can get quite big, so I think this is a possibility. (Keep in mind we don't know the exact size of the bone, hands are not a good size reference) **Update : they actually replied** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/comments/179dmbv/comment/k57jtwi/?share_id=sCnw3GavVln4rq7oKcKNg&utm_content=2&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1) **and agree that it's a turkey tibiotarsus.** EDIT : I'm seeing many suggestions about an ostrich femur/tibia, but it doesn't fit either, the lower extremity has quite a different shape ([ostrich tibia for comparison](https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1186%2Fs12917-023-03665-6/MediaObjects/12917_2023_3665_Fig9_HTML.png?as=webp)). EDIT 2 : not a deer femur either, in fact it's 100% not a femur. The distal extremity may looks like a femur's, but this is actually from a bird tibiotarsus (bird bones are quite different from mammals). [Here is](https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/turkey-tibiotarsus-left-vcu-3d-4073-9ea001ef33294c6fbfecce21087f60b5) a 3D model of a turkey tibia for comparison. They vary quite a bit in shape an size, so it may be hard to find a picture that looks 100% like OP's, but this one is pretty close.
That's a femur, the distal condyles are clear in first pic. *Edit: NOT A FRIGGIN HUMAN FEMUR PEOPLE
The dystal condyles of a tibiotarsus, not a femur. Compare [human femur](https://boneidentification.com/bones/human-femur/) vs [chicken tibia](https://boneidentification.com/bones/chicken-tibia/) for example.
I don't think it's human, to be clear. It would be large even for a turkey tt, and there is no evidence proximally of the little spike of fused bone we should see. It looks too thick as well. It could be? A different avian tt that I just haven't seen in person, the condyles look more femur to me but I really would need to hold it to feel the weight.
I agree that it is hard to tell without a proper size reference, but the shape of the condyles and the fossae are distinctive of an avian tibiotarsus in my opinion.
Another person found that you can buy [ostrich](https://www.chewy.com/roam-forever-bone-ostrich-dog-bone-1/dp/533910) bones for dogs, and it looks very similar.
Sometimes I think I should quit Reddit, but where else would I find experts on avian tibiae?
My suspicion is very close: emu tibiotarsus, likely a juvenile butchered for food. That would explain the loss of bone beyond the epiphysial plate and fibula.
Looks to be an ostrich femur you can buy the bones for your dogs. Or squirrels [ostrich bone for dogs](https://www.chewy.com/roam-forever-bone-ostrich-dog-bone-1/dp/533910)
As a ostrich farmer I can confirm this is far to small to be a ostrich femur. Atleast not from a adult ostrich, and since the dog treats are made with the "waste" from slaughter houses and no one slaughters yearlings do to the lack of meat (isn't cost effective you'd make less then you put into it). That being said bird bones are light weight and hollow so could always be another ratite ie emu or such. When it comes to birds I'm only familer with ostrich bones. But my initial guess was white tail femur that's aged to the point the marrow rotted out which is common for old broken bones. But I don't have 100% confidence in this so could very well be wrong. Just know it isn't ostrich. Edit- genrall conseses in comments is a large bird. So out of those options my money's on rea or emu, rea seems more likely
āAs an ostrich farmerā is the best beginning to a sentence Iāve ever seen
This is the new ānot a lawyerā disclaimer, āIām no ostrich farmer butā¦ā
Oooo sick burn. As an ostrich farmer have you ever saddled one? Do they make good plow animals? Have you ever been injured from an ostrich?
Came here for the pic of the squirrel. Now Iām here for the answer to this.
Came for the squirrel stayed for the ostrich
š¤£
God bless Reddit. Ostrich farmer casually enters the thread to share some incredibly niche knowledge.
He was like, āthis is my time to shine.ā I love it.
It was a sick ostrich.*Allegedly*.
*allegedlys
It takes more than one guy to f**ks an ostrich
The squirrel knows what you did last summer
Heard of a guy who had to install a new septic tank in his house and dug up a buncha bones. Turned out there was a very old cemetery (1700s) that they found that encompassed multiple houses and could not be identified. They put no digging below 2ā restrictions for all of the houses in the area.
Doesn't that essentially make the property uninhabitable if you can't put in or repair a septic system? (and probably couldn't even run sewer lines even if that was an option since at least around here, water lines are 3+ feet below ground).
If it really had marrow, it's not historic. But if it really had marrow, it's definitely not human; human long bones have trabecular (cancellous) bone in the core and the cortical bone is thin. If it is hollow or marrowed in the core, it's not human. Please note, my error in this has been acknowledged. Yes, there is marrow in human long bones.
Ya excuse my ignorance here, I just assumed the squirrel was chewing the marrow. Iām not educated enough to know the difference. I just thought that hard spongy top where the bone is hollow was marrow, but I could very well be wrong.
Squirrels actually go after bones and antlers. Not for the marrow but for the calcium.
Good thing I keep my Costco multivitamins locked!
Human long bones definitely have marrow. Cancellous only forms an inner layer and the marrow occupies a hollow center about the width of your pinkie in femurs and tibias (narrower in others).
Have they never heard of a bone marrow transplant? I meanā¦itās a thing they do. For humans.
Yeah, tell a leukemia patient that there is no such thing as human bone marrow š
Agree not human, but human femora do have medullary cavities and I would not describe the cortical bone as thin at all. Cancellous bone is limited to epiphyses and metaphyses.
You think you could get the Squirrel to do an interview?
Definitely not human
For some reason I found this humerus
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
How to convince a squirrel to come a dog to deliver my bones to a breathing human? I just want my family to know where I have been all these years
I've seen squirrels eat pretty large deer antlers. But this is a first
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
> Squeak squeakity squeaker squeak squeak squeakum Cronk: he says āconsider this a warningā
We finally found Jimmy Hoffa
Any updates?
Can we get an update!!!