Can you identify this animal skull?

[JohnRich 4]

I ran across this animal skull last weekend in the bottom of a canyon in west Texas, near the Rio Grande River border with Mexico. Can anyone identify from what type of animal it came?

Photo #1: Animal skull

Photo #2: A nice little water hole I found down in the canyon.

Photo #3: Ancient indian art on the cliff wall at the water hole.

[SudsyFist 0]

Looks like a chupaverga to me, but it's been a while.

[jumpchikk 0]

Now when you were in this canyon, was it a federally funded expedition or were you there on your personal time?

Did you get permission to pick up that skull or were you trespassing on private property?

Did you do any damage to that Indian art with the flash of your camera while taking that picture?

[KindredSpirit 0]

Obviously a fossil of a T-Rex.

"Kicking gravity's ass since 2003!"

[riddler 0]

Young Puma/Mountain Lion.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[masterrig 1]

Quote

Young Puma/Mountain Lion.

________________________________

That's what I was thinking. A cat skull... most likely mountain lion.


Chuck

[Shotgun 1]

Quote

Quote

Young Puma/Mountain Lion.

________________________________

That's what I was thinking. A cat skull... most likely mountain lion.

I agree. It looks like a sort of big cat skull.

[flyangel2 2]

Great places you get to go to. Maybe some day I can take a trip down that way and you can take me out with you. Then again, maybe you can head up here and I'll show you some place I like to get away to.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[masterrig 1]

Quote

Quote

Quote

Young Puma/Mountain Lion.

________________________________

That's what I was thinking. A cat skull... most likely mountain lion.

I agree. It looks like a sort of big cat skull.

___________________________________

Yes, M'am. Just from cats that I've seen and knowing their numbers in the area described, I'd say, we guessed right.


Chuck

[nbblood 0]

At first I thought mountain lion, but then I noticed the scale of the skull and the hand. Too small to be a mountain lion. And its teeth are too developed to say it's a young lion. Now I think bobcat. Certainly a cat though.

Blues,
Nathan

Blues,
Nathan

If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

[artistcalledian 0]

a ferret?

________________________________________
drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police

[riddler 0]

Quote

then I noticed the scale of the skull and the hand.

That's why I said young. It's not a baby, but not an adult either. Many yung'ns die at an early age for various reasons. I'm guessing this one was 10-12 months old. Well enough to have teeth - they can't suckle forever

Quote

a ferret?

Ferret, Bobcat and Puma are all good guesses. My thinking is that it's not a ferret because the canines are more prominent, and the back teeth are pointed on a ferret. Bobcat is a good guess too, and it may be right.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[skycat 0]

There are several native cats to Texas/northern Mexico that are about that size. Not saying this is one of them by the way, but it is possible.

jaguarundi
ocelot

Fly it like you stole it!

[riddler 0]

Yeah, that's true! An Ocelot skull would be a great find! I've never even seen one of those in the wild - they're pretty uncommon. I would have no idea what the skull would look like on that.

Let's not forget it could be a common housecat I think the flat rear teeth and rounded skull narrow it down to just one or two possible species.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[skycat 0]

Quote

Yeah, that's true! An Ocelot skull would be a great find! I've never even seen one of those in the wild - they're pretty uncommon. I would have no idea what the skull would look like on that.

Let's not forget it could be a common housecat I think the flat rear teeth and rounded skull narrow it down to just one or two possible species.

Ok my money is now on racoon.

http://www.skullsite.co.uk/Racoon/racoon.htm

Fly it like you stole it!

[masterrig 1]

Quote

At first I thought mountain lion, but then I noticed the scale of the skull and the hand. Too small to be a mountain lion. And its teeth are too developed to say it's a young lion. Now I think bobcat. Certainly a cat though.

Blues,
Nathan

____________________________________

I know now... IT'S FLUFFY!
Seriously... Bobcat, it very well could be. Bobcat, range that area.


Chuck

[skycat 0]

Quote

Quote

At first I thought mountain lion, but then I noticed the scale of the skull and the hand. Too small to be a mountain lion. And its teeth are too developed to say it's a young lion. Now I think bobcat. Certainly a cat though.

Blues,
Nathan

____________________________________

I know now... IT'S FLUFFY!
Seriously... Bobcat, it very well could be. Bobcat, range that area.


Chuck

Nope not a bobcat.

http://www.skullsite.co.uk/Bobcat/bobcat_lat.htm

Fly it like you stole it!

[Diversgodown 0]

Quote

Now when you were in this canyon, was it a federally funded expedition or were you there on your personal time?

Did you get permission to pick up that skull or were you trespassing on private property?

Did you do any damage to that Indian art with the flash of your camera while taking that picture?

LMAO

***Glory Favors the Bold***

[Diversgodown 0]

Maybe it is a Jackalope!

***Glory Favors the Bold***

[riddler 0]

Quote

Ok my money is now on racoon.

K - it's too late for me to change my guess, and I wasn't even thinking racoon, but I'll buy it. It looks like the same number of teeth. Never seen a racoon skull. Just their footprints after digging through my garbage, and rummaging around the inside of my car.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[JohnRich 4]

Quote

Now when you were in this canyon, was it a federally funded expedition or were you there on your personal time?

Did you get permission to pick up that skull or were you trespassing on private property?

Did you do any damage to that Indian art with the flash of your camera while taking that picture?

Do you think I can get a $5,000 grant for canyon art education?

[JohnRich 4]

Quote

Great places you get to go to. Maybe some day I can take a trip down that way and you can take me out with you. Then again, maybe you can head up here and I'll show you some place I like to get away to.

That's a great photo you posted. Where is that?

I'll hike with you any time. Where are you located?

Tomorrow I'm digging in the dirt with an archeology project, to excavate the first Texas settlement by Europeans, in the 1830's.

I don't have any upcoming fancy hikes planned. Dec. 3rd I'll be back in the canyons again, but it's a place I've been to before. I'm hoping to be able to branch out and explore some more.

Here's another photo (attached) of "Painted Cave" which I also visited last weekend. That's me standing in front, with lots of great Indian art behind me on the wall. This was a beautiful spot in the desert, with continuous running spring water.

[JohnRich 4]

Quote

Ok my money is now on racoon.
http://www.skullsite.co.uk/Racoon/racoon.htm

Wow, I think you've nailed it down! That's a great web site. I sometimes find skulls like this on hikes, and don't have a clue what they are. I've bookmarked that web site for future research.

I was thinking some kind of cat myself. I never imagined that those cute, cuddly raccons would have such ferocious-looking teeth. I'm going to be sure to stay away from angry raccoons from now on. They want to tear up my garbage? Fine!

Thanks for the help!

While we're at it, attached is a photo of an Indian painting of some unidentified animal. It's neck is too long to be a deer, or anything else in west Texas over the last 1,000 years that I can think of. What does this guy look like to you? It could just be a poor rendition from an artist in-training? This animal painting is also very unusual because the body is filled in with a geometric pattern. I have never seen that done before in this area. Very odd!

[efs4ever 3]

Looks CAT like to me.

Russell M. Webb D 7014
Attorney at Law
713 385 5676
https://www.tdcparole.com

[flyangel2 2]

That is a picture from my five day outing this past summer. What a great get away, just me and the dogs. It's a loop located in the Rawah Wilderness. Started out on Link's trail (963), then crossed over on Medicine Bow (965) and then down McIntyre Creek (966)

I'll keep in mind to maybe head down your way during the winter and do a trip with you. I'd love to do some digs.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey