[NatureNS] skull of something

From: "Paul S. Boyer" <psboyer@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:58:59 -0400
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Index of Subjects

  he finds it attached to the rest of th

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The Peterson series Field Guide to Mammals has nice pictures of skulls =20=

in the back of the book.  I suspect that you could find your animal =20
there =97 or at least narrow it down to a few species.  The dental =20
formula is very diagnostic: it is the count of the four kinds of =20
teeth: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars.

For example, humans have (top and bottom and on each side): two =20
incisors, one canine, two premolars, and three molars (counting the =20
"wisdom tooth" in the back).  Humans have a dental formula 2-1-2-3.  =20
With a little practice, you can get the dental formula easily from =20
well preserved skulls.

On 29 Mar 2010, at 8:28 PM, Angela Joudrey* wrote:

> Good evening.
>
> I was trying to think of a witty title, but I'm too tired!
>
> About a week ago, my dog went running off the trail in a spot that =20
> he usually goes running and barking off the trail. A few days before =20=

> that he had treed a raccoon, so I assumed that was what he was up to =20=

> again.
>
> A minute later he came out of the trees with a skull ( animal of =20
> some sort ) in his mouth. I caught a glimpse of the fur and thought =20=

> it was the raccoon. ( It had been there for a few days, picked =20
> clean, no brains, but fur and nose still there. The front and face =20
> mostly. )
>
> Then I saw the nose, it was definitely not a raccoon. I though maybe =20=

> a rabbit as the neighbors have some loose around the woods. But the =20=

> ears didn't fit. I actually thought for a second " OMG. There is =20
> such thing as a jackalope."
>
> All this took about 10 seconds to run through my mind as the dog =20
> came towards me with his prize. I got it from him and am now really =20=

> quite perplexed as to what it could be. It is definitely cat like. =20
> But the long teeth- canines on a dog- are just under an inch long. =20
> The part of the of the skull that's left is about 3 inches. Not a =20
> fox and anything dog like.
>
> I took many pictures with a tape measure and still have the skull in =20=

> a baggie in the shed. When I went to get my camera I thought it set =20=

> it out of reach of my dog, but he managed to get a few more chomps =20
> on it before I got out again. I couldn't find any other parts or =20
> carcass around the field or the trees where it was.
>
> I checked ermine/ weasel and it's bigger than that but smaller than =20=

> a cat. Although I suppose it could have been a big house cat, but =20
> the teeth... I was thinking maybe a pine marten but the coloring =20
> doesn't seem to match. It's the teeth that I can't quite place.
>
> Let me know if you want some pics sent your way. I have most of the =20=

> neighborhood involved now!
>
> Thanks
> Angela in Windsor
>
> aljoudrey@eastlink.ca
>
>
>
>
> When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to =20
> the rest of the world.
> John Muir
>


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">The Peterson series <i>Field =
Guide to Mammals</i> has nice pictures of skulls in the back of the =
book. &nbsp;I suspect that you could find your animal there =97 or at =
least narrow it down to a few species. &nbsp;The dental formula is very =
diagnostic: it is the count of the four kinds of teeth: incisors, =
canines, premolars, and molars.<div><br></div><div>For example, humans =
have (top and bottom and on each side): two incisors, one canine, two =
premolars, and three molars (counting the "wisdom tooth" in the back). =
&nbsp;Humans have a dental formula 2-1-2-3. &nbsp;With a little =
practice, you can get the dental formula easily from well preserved =
skulls.</div><div><br><div><div>On 29 Mar 2010, at 8:28 PM, Angela =
Joudrey* wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote =
type=3D"cite">Good evening.<br _moz_dirty=3D""><br _moz_dirty=3D"">I was =
trying to think of a witty title, but I'm too tired!<br =
_moz_dirty=3D""><br _moz_dirty=3D"">About a week ago, my dog went =
running off the trail in a spot that he usually goes running and barking =
off the trail. A few days before that he had treed a raccoon, so I =
assumed that was what he was up to again. <br _moz_dirty=3D""><br =
_moz_dirty=3D"">A minute later he came out of the trees with a skull ( =
animal of some sort ) in his mouth. I caught a glimpse of the fur and =
thought it was the raccoon. ( It had been there for a few days, picked =
clean, no brains, but fur and nose still there. The front and face =
mostly. )<br _moz_dirty=3D""><br _moz_dirty=3D"">Then I saw the nose, it =
was definitely not a raccoon. I though maybe a rabbit as the neighbors =
have some loose around the woods. But the ears didn't fit. I actually =
thought for a second " OMG. There is such thing as a jackalope."<br =
_moz_dirty=3D""><br _moz_dirty=3D"">All this took about 10 seconds to =
run through my mind as the dog came towards me with his prize. I got it =
from him and am now really quite perplexed as to what it could be. It is =
definitely cat like. But the long teeth- canines on a dog- are just =
under an inch long. The part of the of the skull that's left is about 3 =
inches. Not a fox and anything dog like.<br _moz_dirty=3D""><br =
_moz_dirty=3D"">I took many pictures with a tape measure and still have =
the skull in a baggie in the shed. When I went to get my camera I =
thought it set it out of reach of my dog, but he managed to get a few =
more chomps on it before I got out again. I couldn't find any other =
parts or carcass around the field or the trees where it was.<br =
_moz_dirty=3D""><br _moz_dirty=3D"">I checked ermine/ weasel and it's =
bigger than that but smaller than a cat. Although I suppose it could =
have been a big house cat, but the teeth... I was thinking maybe a pine =
marten but the coloring doesn't seem to match. It's the teeth that I =
can't quite place.<br _moz_dirty=3D""><br _moz_dirty=3D"">Let me know if =
you want some pics sent your way. I have most of the neighborhood =
involved now!<br _moz_dirty=3D""><br _moz_dirty=3D"">Thanks<br =
_moz_dirty=3D"">Angela in Windsor<br _moz_dirty=3D""><br =
_moz_dirty=3D""><a =
href=3D"mailto:aljoudrey@eastlink.ca">aljoudrey@eastlink.ca</a><br =
_moz_dirty=3D""><br _moz_dirty=3D""><br _moz_dirty=3D""><br =
_moz_dirty=3D""><br>When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds =
it attached to the rest of the world. <br>John =
M