Skull specimen

[gahspidy]

Well, here is most likely an unusual post to this forum. I found thi animal skull during one of my shoots in an abandoned building. A friend/artist of mine asked me for it as she sculpts animals and collects bones and specimens such as this.
Before giving it up I wanted to photograph it for my keepsake.
Here it is.

btw, anyone have an idea as to what animal this is from? There are lots of feral cats in the area, but I doubt this is a cat skull. possibly a small dog (skull is about 5-6 inches long) I'm thinking maybe Racoon or possum
thanks

[SmartWombat]

I wish you'd taken a few angles of this, the lighting is great.
3/4 right and up, so that we see the top of the skull and the reflection shows a little of the underside.
Maybe a front view and an underneath view for the jaw/dentition as well.

Skull looks to long for a cat and that tooth doesn't look right either.

[Dylan8i]

oops should have checked here before i posted in critique forum...

that front tooth is very peculiar for animals.

[Grandpaw]

Excellent picture! I looks like a hog's head but at five inches in length that is awful small, Jeff

[gahspidy]

Skull looks to long for a cat and that tooth doesn't look right either.

I agree.
Actually, this skull is not quite 5-6 inches long but more like 3-4. The front fangs are loose in the skull and so when I lift it off the glass they do hang down a slight bit more in their resting.
Here are a couple more, pardon the tacky shot with the Rose.

[Jaedon]

It looks like a Ferret or some other animal in that family, mink maybe? I don't have my anatomy books available right now as they are in storage but that would be my guess from the conformation and the description.

[Dylan8i]

does the angle of the teeth change when you lift it up? ie so they are more verticle as opposed to the forward pointing they are in the top pic? if so id agree saying probbably a weasle, fisher, etc type animal.

[Loupey]

That first one is gorgeous! Exceptional "museum" quality/feel to it.

It is neat how the reflection actually shows more as it reveals the view from below. I love the contradictory nature it.

Thanks for sharing it with us over here.


Oh, I have no know idea about the forensics of it btw.

[gahspidy]

After having researched this on the internet I have found that this is a Racoons skull. It most likely is also a young one because there is no Sagittal crest (a ridge running lengthwise along the top of the skull) which mature Racoons develop. Unfortunately this young Racoons life was cut short, possibly by another predator.
Dylan8i, the teeth do hang down straighter than they are in the photo.