Any small mammal forensics folks around?

[DrEntropy]

Mitsy dug this up yesterday while digging around th' hovel to prep for having the place retreated for subterranean termites. Not feline, too big for a local rat, methinks.

No mandible found.

 

[DrEntropy]

Hamlet's Horatio?!? "Poor Yoric."

 

[maynard]

Coyote, wolf or dog?

 

[Basil]

Some sort of medium sized canine based on the teeth and length. Looks to be some breed with semi-long snout (not a pug or boxer or bulldog). I just measured my Husky's head from back of skull to tip of nose and it's 9 and 1/2 inches. Your specimen is 10 inches and that doesnt include any fur nor fleshy part of the nose. So, I'd say it's a dog similar in size to a Husky, maybe a little larger. The bridge of the nose seems a bit wider than on my Husky, so maybe something similar to a retriever type of dog. Just spit balling.

 

[DrEntropy]

The skull is 4" and our best guess now is opossum. Likely a younger one. Eye sockets look rodent-like.

 

[Basil]

The skull is 4" and our best guess now is opossum. Likely a younger one. Eye sockets look rodent-like.

Don't I feel silly. I was reading the wrong side of the scale on the tape. The canine teeth don't look long enough for Opossum. (From pictures I see online). Doesn't look anything like a skunk. Beside

Possibly Raccoon? (Just based on the large protruding eye sockets?)

 

[DrEntropy]

P'raps a young raccoon .

 

[DrEntropy]

Brain case looks most like raccoon, molars and eye sockets as well. Must have been a kit when it died.

 

[Basil]

P'raps a young raccoon .

Your skull (top image) seems to have very similar eye sockets, to include the little pointy protrusion about mid-way on the outer shank of the sockets most clearly visible in your #2 image.

 

[NutmegCT]

yep - I'm thinking raccoon skull.

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[Mickey Richaud]

The skull is 4" and our best guess now is opossum. Likely a younger one. Eye sockets look rodent-like.

'Possum's my guess as well.

 

[bobhustead]

Racoon. Google racoon skull and possum skull. Bas is right about the orbit protrusion, but the possum seems to have a much smaller orbit
Bob

 

[DrEntropy]

'Possum's my guess as well.

The brain case seems too large for the 'possum, I'm going with raccoon adolescent. Especially after seeing a largely intact (adult) example.

 

[NutmegCT]

hmmm - did anybody read post #10?

just sayin'

 

[Basil]

hmmm - did anybody read post #10?

just sayin'

Or posts #6, #7 and #9.

 

[NutmegCT]

Or posts #6, #7 and #9.

Aha! Further proof we only read the last post!

"It's easy to remember - and so hard to forget."

 

[JHaydon]

Looks eerily similar to one I found, along with some mummified remains. Silly of me, raccoon never even crossed my mind.

I'm pretty sure both photos are of the same skull (mummified and then stripped) but not sure if the body belongs to it.

I asked my bio-major niece if she could ID it, but she's been working with moths for so long she said she's too rusty on anything with a spine!

 

[DrEntropy]

I asked my bio-major niece if she could ID it, but she's been working with moths for so long she said she's too rusty on anything with a spine!

Fortuitous! This is on Mitsy's car just now. One for the niece!

 

[Basil]

Fortuitous! This is on Mitsy's car just now. One for the niece!
View attachment 86456

Liberace has come back as a moth!

 

[John Turney]

Opossums have lots of small teeth. I vote for raccoon.