2008-08-28 – Raro serpente fossile, USA

Lindgren finds snake fossil; family donates reptile replica Posted: Thursday, Aug 28th, 2008 BY: Kay Murphy Fatheree, Gazette Reporter

 

On July 24 of last year, Adam Lindgren, age 22, unearthed a fossilized snake, said to be a primitive boa, while quarrying in the Blue Moon Quarry owned by Charlie Nunn and located just east of the monument. “This is only the second snake found at the Butte area,” said Dave McGinnis, superintendent of Fossil Butte National Monument.

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On Monday, the Tom Lindgren family donated a replica of the rare snake fossil to the Fossil Butte National Monument.

Tom’s son Adam Lindgren was just 21 when he found the specimen. He remembers the event clearly, even the time of the day he found the snake.

One would think that with someone so young, that this would be his first big find, but Adam, who has been quarrying for the past six years, reports that he found a turtle when he was just 17. “Turtles are kind of rare, too,” Adam said.

“But this is definitely his biggest find,” said Tom.

The only other snake found in the area was quarried in 1908 by Robert Lee Craig, one of the area’s first successful quarriers. Craig’s specimen ended up in a private collection and has not been seen since 1938. Its whereabouts are unknown.

Lindgren’s snake is owned by Tom Lindgren and is for sale. It is currently on display at the Natural Science Museum in Houston, Texas.

Tom Lindgren prepared the replica out of original stone from the area. “We are very thrilled to get this (replica),” McGinnis said. “This is one of the nicest pieces to be donated to Fossil Butte.”

Tom has two other sons, Anthony and David, who are also experienced quarriers and excavate together every summer. “It’s such a pleasure to see something like this found by my son,” Tom said. “It’s what our passions have been. It is nature’s art.”

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