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he finds it attached to the rest of th --Apple-Mail-1--450636052 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable 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 > --Apple-Mail-1--450636052 Content-Type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <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. I suspect that you could find your animal there =97 or at = least narrow it down to a few species. 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). = Humans have a dental formula 2-1-2-3. 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