What kind of bone is this?

[Walker's Ridge]

It looks like a skull from a cat to me, but I couldn't say for sure by looking at th ephotos.

 

[J Hoy]

Now what did I tell you would happen but nooooo you wouldn't listen.

Yes, chaded, it is all your fault that I decided to identify the skull when TC Ranch asked if anyone knows what kind of skull it is. My hypothesis is that it is the back part of the skull of a small dog. However, if that is shown to be incorrect, I would be interested to know what species it actually is.

 

[chaded]

Yes, chaded, it is all your fault that I decided to identify the skull when TC Ranch asked if anyone knows what kind of skull it is. My hypothesis is that it is the back part of the skull of a small dog. However, if that is shown to be incorrect, I would be interested to know what species it actually is.

You reckon pesticides killed it?

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I got it! This is in KS......its a dog...... The skull belongs to Toto and was deposited there by a tornado!

 

[Silver]

I would like to see more pics of this skull. The teeth didn't come in clear. More angles would be great.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Drop Bear....
Indigenous to Australia. Curious how it ended up there in Kansas.
Perhaps remnants from a BIG hurricane

 

[J Hoy]

I would like to see more pics of this skull. The teeth didn't come in clear. More angles would be great.

Silver, there weren't any teeth remaining in the section of skull shown in the photo, just the holes where the roots of the teeth clear at the back of the upper jaw were. The part of the skull that has the front teeth on a dog is no longer there.

 

[J Hoy]

I would like to see more pics of this skull. The teeth didn't come in clear. More angles would be great.

 

[TCRanch]

Let's see if these help. And for scale, it's clearly smaller than my hand.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Very possible. I was thinking some kind of mammal. I don't know, but is it a little bit long for a bobcat? I also can't tell how big it actually is. Opossum came to mind for me, or maybe badger?

Probably TMI, but the sagital crest looks like its a bit too developed for a bobcat? Maybe not.

Looking further......I am thinking NOT badger (too small). I definitely think carnivore with the sagital crest. Its not a full skull, but I don't think its round enough for a bobcat. Possibly a raccoon or a fox? Opossum still a possibility I think.

 

[TCRanch]

Looking further......I am thinking NOT badger (too small). I definitely think carnivore with the sagital crest. Its not a full skull, but I don't think its round enough for a bobcat. Possibly a raccoon or a fox? Opossum still a possibility I think.

I haven't seen badgers around here, but we do have marmots, fox, lots of raccoons, beavers, armadillos, opossums, coyotes, the rare mountain lion . . . .

Speaking of opossums, love is in the air! But who doesn't love a little Nat' Geo (right by the house)? BTW, I recently learned the male opossum has a forked penis. Yikes!!!!

 

[Penantly72]

If these photos These are a couple of bobcat skulls. Notice the large orbital bones and overall short snout. Also the bulbs underneath that are surely for hearing. You may not have a bobcat but almost certainly some sort of cat.

 

[M.Magis]

Nearly certain its a coon skull.

 

[Penantly72]

That would make more sense.

 

[J Hoy]

Looking further......I am thinking NOT badger (too small). I definitely think carnivore with the sagital crest. Its not a full skull, but I don't think its round enough for a bobcat. Possibly a raccoon or a fox? Opossum still a possibility I think.

It is definitely a canine, likely a young dog. It doesn't match a fox skull and doesn't come close to matching a raccoon. Not even close for opossum.

 

[J Hoy]

Dog skulls vary a lot depending on the kind of dog. The skull is from a small animal and it closely matches the rear part of some of the small dog skulls pictured on the internet. The front part forward of the eye sockets is gone.

 

[kenny thomas]

Pretty sure its a big turtle. Finding it in a pond points to that also

 

[TCRanch]

Pretty sure its a big turtle. Finding it in a pond points to that also

I thought about that & googled images of turtle skulls. Actually, I've googled images of pretty much every possibility mentioned and nothing seems to match.

What are the odds it was an aborted animal, and the skull wasn't fully formed?

Or it's been there so long, part of the skull has decayed.

 

[J Hoy]

I thought about that & googled images of turtle skulls. Actually, I've googled images of pretty much every possibility mentioned and nothing seems to match.

What are the odds it was an aborted animal, and the skull wasn't fully formed?

Or it's been there so long, part of the skull has decayed.

TCRanch, you are correct. All of the front part of the skull is gone. It originally was fairly long, like a canine's face is, except for dogs bred to have very short faces. The reason it is difficult to find an exact match is because there is a great deal of variation in dog skulls and the front half of the skull has been destroyed, leaving only the back half. I think that most people are trying to match this partial skull to whole skulls.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I thought about that & googled images of turtle skulls. Actually, I've googled images of pretty much every possibility mentioned and nothing seems to match.

What are the odds it was an aborted animal, and the skull wasn't fully formed?

Or it's been there so long, part of the skull has decayed.

Not an aborted animal. The 'sutures' on the skull have completely 'knitted' the plates of the skull together. It was an adult or near adult animal. No idea on how long or old the skull is, but it is only the top half to 3/4 of the skull, which makes the id more difficult. If the teeth were present, that would be a definite plus in the identification.