When I launched Nature Photo Challenge 6: Sharp!, I included three photos of animal skulls (to show off their sharp teeth). I didn’t name them but invited bloggers to guess what they were. In my round-up I forgot to include the answers. So here they are.
This fox skull is missing a few teeth, but you can see its long top canines and its molars which slice through its food.
The skull has a large crest on top of the skull for attachment of its strong biting muscles. You can also see how the lower jaw fits into the upper jaw really tightly, which means it’s difficult for a badger to dislocate its jaw. Badgers are omnivores, so they have biting incisors at the front, some sharp canines, and grinding molars that are flatter than those of the fox.
The Coypu is a large, herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent native to South America, but has naturalized in various parts of Europe and North America. Aren’t its bright orange incisors impressive? As a herbivore it needs these to chew through tough grass and reeds. The orange discoloration is due to pigment staining from the mineral iron in the tooth enamel. The incisors are constantly wearing down and regrowing. You can also see the characteristic flat molars used to crush its food.
Who guessed correctly?
- Philo guessed the Fox correctly, although Brian knew it was a dog-like animal.
- No-one guessed the Badger.
- Kathleen Jennette and Philo were very close with the Coypu skull by suggesting it was a Beaver. Sarah and Sofia were in the right ball-park by suggesting a Squirrel.
Thanks for all who participated. All three skulls date back 50+ years ago when as a 14-year-old boy one of my interests was collecting skulls from dead animals. (And you’re right, I didn’t have a girlfriend.)
Denzil Nature 
Thank you Denzil.
It was tough for a fellow like me with zero knowledge.
Since you have given us a clue about the geographical location, some guessing was possible.
We all enjoyed a lot.
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You are being modest Philo.
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Thank you for satisfying our curiosity, and for the name-check, although I think you’re being generous when you say I was in the right ball-park 🤣
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Well you were in the right area. You might have said something way out of it, like “cow”!
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Well there you go. I should have picked rodent as my girls had pet rats. Thanks for the shout 🙂
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You’ll know next time someone asks you to ID a skull!
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Interesting. Well shared.
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Thanks! đź‘Ť
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Our teen has an opossum skull.
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Interestingly, when researching this post I came across loads of websites offering animal skulls for sale. If your teen runs short of cash …?
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Cool, Denzil. I’ll tell them to keep that in mind!
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Even in death they are beautiful. Great photos!
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Yes Dawn, skulls have a certain attraction and beauty about them don’t they.
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They certainly do. I have some acquired as gifts (because I am known for unorthodox decor). I do not like seeing skulls on display from the murdering of animals. I hope those I have are from natural causes. It is often easier to admire & appreciate the innocent than most people. To me, your skull photos are wall-worthy.
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Well the fox was a roadkill. I also preserved its coat. The badger was found dead in a trap. And the coypu I just found.
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