This is a particularly challenging skull, so we’ll give some clues. We found this on the side of the road near a large field, and we had to do extensive re-construction to get it looking like a skull again. The bone of the skull is particularly thick, giving the skull a ‘dense’ sort of heft.

Another clue is seen when we observe the canines. Notice the self-sharpening canines that wear themselves into very sharp points.

Another odd thing about this skull is the way that the lower jaw connects to the upper. See the hinge-like structure? It keeps the jaws from dislocating, and gives this animal a mean bite. However, it also reduces the jaw’s mobility, so that the jaw cannot twist and angle as much as most other mammals’.

Can you guess who this skull belonged to? For your answer, click here!

Let us know your guesses, and if you’d like to learn the answer, you can find out here.

We found this skull on the banks of the St. Croix River on the Minnesota side.  Here is a view from the side.

Look at those teeth!

If you’re up for the ID challenge, post your guesses below.  If you’d like to know the answer, you can find out what kind of skull this is, and learn a little about its former owner here.

We love finding skulls.  We found this one in a pine plantation – it was probably the prey of a hawk.  The plantation was about 200 yards from a river-bank.  Any idea what kind of animal this is from?  You can find out here. Or see a living example at WinterWoman’s blog.

We’ve had great luck finding skulls in pine plantations.

We look for plantations where the trees are about eight feet tall.  Hawks bring their prey there to eat, and the heads, after being picked over, are droppoed to the ground and soon the skin rots away to leave a gleaming white specimen.