Posted by Christine Martinez on February 22, 2007

Q: In our backyard, in Miami, my son was digging up some dirt looking for a creepy crawly for a 6th grade science project. As he dug, he came across something that is egg shaped, soft, brownish with purple rings. It was approximately 6 inches under the dirt. It is approximately half an inch in length but very round in circumference. Could it be a snake egg? or some type of animal in hybernation?

State: Florida

A: Sure wish I had a photo to help me out here. From your description, it just doesn't sound like a reptile egg to me. Snake eggs should have a leathery shell and although not always white, I don't know of any that has purple rings. My best guess at this point is that it is a mushroom-in-the-process-of-forming. Mushrooms can be quite strange looking at first and may have a slimy, soft covering before they emerge and unfold.`Of course, the Miami area has many different kinds of invasive species, some quite exotic, so maybe one of these did lay an egg - I can't be sure.

Hope you're planning to keep an eye on it to see what develops. If you've already removed it, why not take it into school and see if the science teacher knows. In any case I'd love to hear back from you if you do find out so I'll know too. Thanks for writing and I wish I could provide more help.

John Wiessinger ( February 23, 2007)