Oh Professor Snail, what a mess you've gotten yourself into. First players have to bust him out of a cave, then they have to complete his entire fossil collection for him. Some field researcher, huh? Stardew Valley received a huge 1.5 update, bringing a whole new area with it: Ginger Island. This new paradise has its own quests, too, like the fossil quest for the aforementioned Professor to complete his survey of the islands' flora and fauna. Fossils must be brought to his tent - the Island Field Office.
Donating these will get players rewards, such as Golden Walnuts and tree saplings. Once the collection is completed, players get a recipe from Professor Snail: the Ostrich Incubator. This will, surprisingly, incubate Ostrich eggs. They can be found from fully grown Ostriches, and in chests inside the Volcano. Neat!
The Large Animal Fossil
The biggest fossil players need to complete for Professor Snail's collection is the 'large animal' fossil. It isn't specified what animal it is, but there are six parts to it - a skull, spine, some ribs, a tail, and legs. These pieces are found separately across Ginger Island. Note that the pieces do not have to be found or donated in any specific order.
- Fossilized Skull - Getting the Fossilized Skull for the Large Animal involves Golden Coconuts. These can be obtained as a random drop alongside coconuts from the trees around the Island - the Trading Hut also has them, costing ten normal Coconuts per Golden one. The annoying bit is that you can't break them open on Ginger Island, and must take them to Clint. One of them will contain a Fossilized Skull.
- Fossilized Spine - Next is a Fossilized Spine. This piece will be found in an Artifact Spot, specifically on the south beach of the Island. The south beach is where the boat will first arrive at Ginger Island, by the way. Use the hoe to dig up any Artifact Spots that appear in this area, and soon the Spine will be found.
- Fossilized Ribs - The Fossilized Ribs will also be found in Artifact Spots, however this time it is in a different place: the Dig Site area. Only this specific area will have the Ribs in it, so keep checking the Site for those pesky worms.
- Fossilized Tail - This piece of the bony puzzle can be a little tricky, as it involves the river and Copper Pan. To be able to get the ability to use a Pan item, players must complete the Fish Tank Bundle in the Community Center in Pelican Town. This can be hard to do, but once it is unlocked, players can see 'panning spots' in the river, where the tool can be used. Head back to Ginger Island and pan any sparkling spots in the river, and the Fossilized Tail will make itself known.
- Fossilized Leg - This fossil is also located in the Dig Site, but requires a different method. Make sure your pickaxe is in your pockets, and then go to town smashing rocks at the Site. The fossil will most likely be in a rock that has a spiral on it, and bones sticking out of the top. There is a small spawn rate for every kind of rock, though.
The Snake Fossil
The next fossil in the display is the less daunting Snake Fossil. This only has three different sections, instead of six: a skull, and two Snake Vertebrae pieces. All of these sections are found on the Western side of the Island. The West part of Ginger Island does need to be unlocked by the player, which costs ten Golden Walnuts.
- Snake Skull - The first part of the Snake Fossil can be found in the water on the Western side of the island. Either in the ocean, the river, or ponds. Those bubbling spots in the water - Fishing Spots - are more likely to net you the fossil quicker, though, so head for those first.
- Snake Vertebrae - Players need two of these fossils to complete the Snake. They can both be found in Artifact Spots on the Western side of the island - they won't spawn anywhere else. Keep the hoe equipped and go dig up some worms!
The Frog Fossil
This next fossil takes a little less legwork to complete. It only has one piece: a Mummified Frog. It also has a very different method of being found than the other fossils that Professor Snail needs.
To get a Mummified Frog, players must chop down weeds on Ginger Island - just like the ones growing on your farm. Specifically in the Eastern forest areas. Even more specifically, the tree-filled area down from Leo's hut will be the best place to get the fossil piece. Keep hacking those weeds with either a sword or scythe tool, and the frog will pop out.
The Bat Fossil
The last, but not least, fossil that Professor Snail requires is the Bat Fossil. Like the Frog, this is made up of one piece, this time a Mummified Bat. Finding this piece takes the player somewhere different from all the others: the Volcano.
Head into the Dungeon in the Volcano, and start breaking open rocks. The Mummified Bat can be found on any floor inside the Volcano - but there is a higher drop rate the higher the floor is.
Stardew Valley is available now for PC, Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.