Wife just texts me a couple of photos and "Hey, do you know what kind of skull this is?" Not sure I want to hear the rest of the story. Anyone have any ideas?
jg
Wife just texts me a couple of photos and "Hey, do you know what kind of skull this is?" Not sure I want to hear the rest of the story. Anyone have any ideas?
jg
Dog
Brown short fur, with long floppy ears. There were probably a few white spots on him. BTW it is male. You can tell by the small bones just visible just inside the nasal cavaties.
I watch CSI, I know things!
Boar maybe? Sort of on topic, I was bummed today to find that "PISSCHRIST" is already a working band's name, but "PIGSKULL" is kind of rad too, and available!
Dog. I was going to guess "Bob," but I think Dog fits better.
Dog or fox. If I had to make a WAG, I'd say beagle mix.
Goat / Lamb.
Got dog like teeth.
Yea, incisors are spot on for domestic dog. Canines are missing, but those are typically the first teeth to fall out post mortem.
Nope! It's an Oryx!
Well, maybe not, but I always liked the word "Oryx." 
Per Schroeder wrote: Yea, incisors are spot on for domestic dog. Canines are missing, but those are typically the first teeth to fall out post mortem.
Spend some time working at a Chinese Buffet did we?
poopshovel wrote: Spend some time working at a Chinese Buffet did we?
Nope he lives down the street from here
Has to be "Tuffy". I don't blame someone for murdering him. Little Bastard. Ran away years ago and the family has been looking ever since. Thank you. I will pass on the news and we now have some closure and can move on.
That is clearly a Chupacabra!
You'd better be careful at night.....where there's one, there are always more. I hear they are attracted to voltage being discharged. They can sense electric currents from over a mile away. See, I told you buying the Volt was a stupid idea!
1988RedT2 wrote: Nope! It's an Oryx! Well, maybe not, but I always liked the word "Oryx."
ThePhranc wrote: Goat / Lamb.
No top incisors on goats.
That's probably Canis lupus familiaris. Though the nose is very short. How big is it? Skunk sized? Might be a skunk.
Not so sure it's a dog skull. VERY dog like, but that odd ridge from the inside top edge of the ocular orbits that merge and continue onto the back just isn't represented in any dog skull I looked through on google.
Or it is a Badger Skull:
http://www.wiltshireheritage.org.uk/galleries/index.php?Action=4&obID=159&home=1
Thus. It is a dog skull prop from Star Trek.
My collie has a ridge like that running up the top of his skull. You can feel it when you pet his melon.
My dog has a ridge like that as well. It is very distinct.
I've never seen a dog in person with a ridge. Knew a dog with a bump in it's skull...but no ridges.
Your dogs are mutant freak hybrids with badgers...or Star Trek dogs.
In person it was smaller than it looks in pix. It's maybe 7" from end to end. Of course, I forgot to bring it home, but I'll put up a pic with something o provide some scale when I get it back.
It's not an area known for badgers. The folks with the property near have had beagles for many generations and have probably buried more than a few of the departed nearby. Not unlikely that something dug up an old beagle grave, if indeed that is a beagle.
jg
Much, much too flat for a Beagle:
Beagles have that prominent brow/forehead that the skull you have presented...doesn't. At all.
The skull you have is very flat from the tip of the nose all the way to the ridge between the occular orbits. If it is a canid skull, then you are looking for a breed with a flat head.
Even Airdale Terriers, which have a very flat looking head have a prominent brow/forehead, and a lighter built muzzle than the skull you have.
The other dog that springs to mind with a flat head is the Bull Terrier (Don Cherry's dog) And their skull looks extremely different as well:
It's also much too big to be a weasel or mink skull. But if it really is 7" long, 2" larger than the average badger skull as well. It's obviously not rodent, and it is no where close to being an otter skull.
Sweet. Mystery skull.
Well this is Central Florida, so there's not too much exotic wildlife, at least as far as mammals are concerned. Those front teeth aren't exactly the teeth of a predator, and it's probably too big anyway for something like a fox. Way too big for a rodent. It's not goat or lamb, as the nasal cavity is completely different on those.
Surely one of your weirdos has a basement full of skulls you can cross reference this with.
jg
Actually, the front teeth are exactly like those of a predator. Dogs, cats, badgers, etc all have small, "chisel-like" front teeth before their canids. You can exclude all rodents based on that.
Size wise, if it's 7 inches is a damn big skull. As far as I am aware, nothing in Florida has a skull that large, or in that shape. It is clearly mammalian, not reptilian, and lacks the brow that is present in pretty much every dog skull that I know of. Same with cat skulls. Really, comparing it between the pic of the badger skull...it's really the only thing that looks like it.
The closest thing I've found is the Opossum skull, but even that is rather different: More prominent ridge, no holes in the front of the cheek bones, and usually 4.5-5" in length as well.
Maybe take it into a museum or taxidermist?
Hmm. Not a possum, and it's not a raccoon, either. The lack of a brow and that darn ridge is making it tough.
The thing is, I'm sure there's some hillbilly somewhere that could identify the thing in about two seconds, and even tell you what it had for its last meal. We just need to find that guy.
jg
Well, wait a minute. Here's a raccoon skull with a very pronounced ridge, and a similar upper mandible:
Whaddya think? gettting warmer?
jg
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