Anyone good at identifying animal skulls?

[carole]

6" - 8" skull

close up of side

front view with teeth

 

[Chip]

I think it's coyote. Does this seem to match ?

 

[Waumbek]

I thought coyote too although it's hard to tell with out the lower jaw. It definitely has the upper canine tooth. Is there room beside it though for where the lower canine would oppose it?

 

[Puck]

I vote coyote or a dog.
Why is it on the tree trunk? Is there some kind of occult activity in that area?

 

[Rugger]

Looks to rounded for a canine. Bear maybe? My little brother has several bear skulls on his barn wall, they are smaller than you would think. Unfortunately he does not have a computer or I would send this to him to compare.

 

[Waumbek]

Looks to rounded for a canine. Bear maybe?.

I think the canine tooth isn't big enough for bear. They do have surprisingly small skulls.

 

[Chip]

this is a black bear

 

[Chip]

I vote coyote or a dog.
Why is it on the tree trunk? Is there some kind of occult activity in that area?

I've found a number of skulls in the woods, mostly deer. I always stick them
on a broken branch as high up as I can reach. It's sick, but it makes me laugh.
It'll come back to haunt me one day, I'm sure. You know, late arrival at camp,
setting up tent solo, I look up...

 

[nartreb]

I didn't think it was a dog or coyote (nor wolf), when I saw the incisors in the front view and what seem to be molars in the side view, but now I'm having second thoughts. It turns out coyotes and foxes do have incisors, and their back teeth look enough like molars that you can't tell from these pictures.

My first thought was bear (obvious ominivore), but bears have forward-pointing canines with a gap between them and the next teeth - this skull has a gap in front of its canines where a coyote's lower canines would fit [bears have that gap too but it's less visible from the side due to the shape of the jaw].
I'm changing my mind and voting coyote or fox.

bear skulls

Canid skulls (coyote, fox, etc)

 

[carole]

Thanks all for your help

I now have some direction to go searching (I was thinking man-eating rabbit ). One link I found shows a good variety of canid skulls. reproductions

Why is it on the tree trunk? Is there some kind of occult activity in that area?

Better to take a picture? Or like a glove it's easier to found by it's owner.

 

[carole]

A better measurement shows it to be 4 1/2 - 5 inches, so I'm thinking fox.

 

[forestgnome]

I assumed this was a bear skull when I found it on the southern slope of Mt Carrigan.

 

[Chip]

I assumed this was a bear skull when I found it on the southern slope of Mt Carrigan.

I agree. I wonder why skulls don't rot or get eaten like the rest of the animal.

 

[DougPaul]

I agree. I wonder why skulls don't rot or get eaten like the rest of the animal.

They are recycled by natural processes including dissolving by acids and chewing by rodents. Otheriwise, the woods would be paved with bones.

Doug

 

[Mr. X]

Of course, Post'r Boy found the most interesting skull...

 

[Puck]

. Otheriwise, the woods would be paved with bones.

Doug

Sounds like my backyard after buffalo chicken wing/beer night

 

[Chip]

They are recycled by natural processes including dissolving by acids and chewing by rodents. Otheriwise, the woods would be paved with bones.
Doug

I understand. My question was why more skulls in the woods as opposed to finding nothing or the entire animal. I guess skulls are harder.

 

[DougPaul]

I understand. My question was why more skulls in the woods as opposed to finding nothing or the entire animal. I guess skulls are harder.

OK. Perhaps more bone mass in one chunk. Also leg bones contain marrow and are worth breaking to get at it. Teeth (much harder than bone) are the real long-term survivors--consider how many fossils are teeth.

Doug

 

[Suebiscuit]

the masked bandit

That could be a raccoon... the snout is too short for a canid and the eyesockets are not forward enough for a bear....

This is a british raccoon, but despite it's cockney accent, looks like its american cousin.

http://www.skullsite.co.uk/Racoon/racoon.htm