Oklahoma Native Skull Identification

Have you ever found a skull out in the wild and weren’t sure what it was? Here is a quick guide to identifying common Oklahoma Skulls!

First, some basic skull anatomy. Though they may look different depending on the animal, these are present on most skulls. These differences can help you narrow down which skull you have found.

The Sagittal Crest is an anchor point at the top of the head that connects the jaw muscles. When a more defined crest is present, this tells us that the animal requires stronger jaw muscles for a powerful bite. From this, we can guess that the animal is most likely a carnivore. Herbivores and Omnivores have a less defined sagittal crest, if one is even visible.
When a skull has more intricate and defined turbinates, the sense of smell is heightened because of the increase of surface area of the olfactory epithelium (tissue that detects odors). These are used to regulate temperature; warming the air before reaching the lungs in the winter and cooling it in the summer.

Dentition: When identifying a skull, one of the best places to start is by looking at the dentition. Teeth can tell us a lot about an animal and their diet.

Herbivore: Animals with a plant based diet will typically not have canines, in their place is a gap called the diastema. The premolars and molars will be flat, indicating that they are used to grind and crush plant life.

Carnivore: Meat eaters will have sharp canines used to tear apart meat, even the molars have sharp points perfect for slicing through tough flesh.

Omnivore: Characteristics from both carnivore and herbivore dentition will be present in those who consume both. Omnivores will have canines that help tear through meat as well as flat molars to help with grinding up plant matter.

HERBIVORES

Animal	Average Skull Length	Habitat	Specifications	Reference
Beaver Castor canadensis	5.5”	Marshlands, ponds	-Teeth grow continuously -Enamel is packed with iron which gives it the orange color. - Diastema in place of canines
Deer Cervidae	10-12”	Edge habitat, where forest meets field	-Continual orbit with side facing eyes tells us this is a prey animal
Duck Anas platyrhynchos	4-5”	Wetlands	-The bill of the duck is separeate from the skull and has lamellae rather than teeth.
Horse Equus caballus	22-24"	Grasslands	-Prominent diastema. -Male horses will have small canines called "bridle teeth"

OMNIVORES

Animal	Average Skull Length	Habitat	Specifications	Reference
Opossum Didelphis virginiana	3.5-5”	Suburban areas, woodlands	-Pronounced sagittal crest for a strong bite. -Most teeth of any mammal, 50!
Raccoon Didelphis virginiana	4-5”	Suburban areas, woodlands	-Compact round braincase -Short snout
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes	5.5”	Forests, urban areas	-Sharp v-shape crest -Long narrow snout, large orbital bone

CARNIVORES

Animal	Average Skull Length	Habitat	Specifications	Reference
Coyote Canis latrans	7-8”	Across the US, every state except Hawaii	-Pronounced crest. -Long braincase
Bobcat Lynx rufus	4.5-6”	Rugged terrain, dense forest	-Large auditory bullae, great for hunting small prey. -Lack the small first premolar that domestic cats have

How to calculate the size of an animal based on the average skull size: If you’re having trouble identifying a skull, this equation will give you a clue as to how big the animal is!

Take the length of your skull and times it by 5. For most animals, this calculation will give you an estimate of how large or small the full body is. This can help you narrow down what critter you’re looking at.
Skull Length x 5 = Average body length

There are a few families of animals that have very similar-looking skulls! Below are some comparison charts to help you identify which one you may have found.

So what do you think? Feel confident about identifying the next skull you come across?

SHOP SKULLS