Skull identification?


unit

unit

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I was out hiking today (central Missouri) and I came upon a fallen tree. I have been waiting for a long time for this hollowed out tree to fall;)

Anyway it was blocking the trail so I tried to clean things up a bit (unsuccessfully) for the next guy and this skull was in the debris. I'd guess by the size and tooth shape that this could be a fox skull? Really I am unsure...any experts want to help me out?

Thank you, friends!
 

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Wow! Thanks for all the replies so far. There are certainly plenty of raccoons around here, and I thought that at first also...for some reason I decided it was not a coon...not sure I can recall that reason at the moment LOL.

I guess I jsut thought raccoons had a little more forehead and a bit wider skull for the length....I am far from an expert though.
 
Thats a coon for sure, where there any other bones scattered around the area?
soak the skull in bleach for a spell to whiten it up, makes a great mantle piece, right now i have deer head buried so nature can clean it up, then that will be bleached and grace the wall.
 
Nope no other bones in the area that I could find.

Last year I found these teeth though. I am always finding neat body parts;)
 

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The teeth (not the skull) were previously identified as woodchuck/groundhog teeth. They are a bit small for the beaver we have in this area.

Opossum have NUMEROUS small pointy teeth. I believe they have the most teeth of any land mammal (I *think* that is what the local conservation department said during a presentation I attended). They are really interesting animals that get very little respect in this area (beyond being viewed as nocturnal speed bumps).
 
unit said:
The teeth (not the skull) were previously identified as woodchuck/groundhog teeth. They are a bit small for the beaver we have in this area.

Opossum have NUMEROUS small pointy teeth. I believe they have the most teeth of any land mammal (I *think* that is what the local conservation department said during a presentation I attended). They are really interesting animals that get very little respect in this area (beyond being viewed as nocturnal speed bumps).
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That is cool I was just going off of what someone told me once, I have never looked that close to a possum's mouth.LOL
 
I was watching a show yesterday that was talking about the oppossum species and how diverse it really is, it was actually a show targeted at kids but i always find myself watching it on saturday mornings lol, any way it was really interesting, apparentlly there the only related marsupial-spelling? native to north america, very cool little bugger.
 
walkabout said:
I was watching a show yesterday that was talking about the oppossum species and how diverse it really is, it was actually a show targeted at kids but i always find myself watching it on saturday mornings lol, any way it was really interesting, apparentlly there the only related marsupial-spelling? native to north america, very cool little bugger.
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I have heard that too. I wonder if there are any other marsupials that live outside of Down Under?
 
I have googled a few images. I am quite confident that it is a Raccoon. This skull is bulbous in the rear unlike the images I have seen posted for opossum skulls (that all appear to have a ridge that almost appears like a mo-hawk (for lack of a better description).

Thanks for all the help guys!

I would LOVE to see some of the skulls you fellows talk about having, and the manner in which you display them.
 
I will have to agree that it looks like racoon
attachment.php

Racoon
variants_large_4001.jpg

Possum
Opossum_Skull.jpg
 
skull

looks like a coon...

glad i saw this thread, about a month back i was doing a few of the bushclass usa assignments and found this skull in the woods. idk what it is
what do you guys think?.....hobbit?
 

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Theeagleye92 said:
looks like a coon...

glad i saw this thread, about a month back i was doing a few of the bushclass usa assignments and found this skull in the woods. idk what it is
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Fawn it looks like to me. Eye shape, tooth shape, etc.

On second look.. rabbit? Do you have the skull still? Any measurements could help. I want to say deer fawn, but even then it looks a tad small.
 
OzaawaaMigiziNini said:
Fawn it looks like to me. Eye shape, tooth shape, etc.

On second look.. rabbit? Do you have the skull still? Any measurements could help. I want to say deer fawn, but even then it looks a tad small.
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i'll measure it tomorrow .....it was pretty big for a rabbit, larger than my fist by quite a bit
It was in southern missouri
 
Theeagleye92 said:
l...
I would LOVE to see some of the skulls you fellows talk about having, and the manner in which you display them.
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I have a coyote skull, and a young beaver (missing the lower jaw) sitting on the top of my computer desk. A couple of European white-tail mounts on the wall above them. The coyote skull had to be wired together (museum style) to attach the jaw bone, and hold the two lower front pieces together.

Theeagleye92 said:
... found this skull in the woods. idk what it is
what do you guys think?.....hobbit?
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OzaawaaMigiziNini said:
Fawn it looks like to me. Eye shape, tooth shape, etc.
....
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Those look like deer teeth to me, too. As far as size, it could have been still born. House cat skulls look half the size they ought to, also.
 
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