Note that this is page 127. Prime number.
Note that this is page 127. Prime number.
Very cool, thanks. That makes sense, since they're located by the base of the ears.
If you didn't know beforehand, could you tell by looking at the skull that it was a raccoon skull?
A quick search on google indicates the auditory bulla developed with the carnivores about 63M years ago.
Not a primate (okay, I had to throw that one in there).
Carnivore: easy to tell.
Could eliminate cats, dogs.
Dental formula eliminates mustelids (e.g., badgers, weasels, etc...).
Too small for a bear. Throw out ursids.
Found on land.
Found in the Northeast.
I'd have guessed raccoon.
FWIW, primates have petrousal auditory bullas.
Cheers,
Lavabe
On the subject of critters who shouldn't be in our backyards, one of the neighbors' cats was under our deck challenging what turned out to be a snake. I figured it would be a little garter snake, maybe an adolescent snake, but nooooo.... at least a yard long and all black. It looked like moving poo - utterly disgusting. Obviously, it's not poisonous or the cat would have been toast, but I'm not sure I like something slithery and yucky and BIG sliming through our yard!!
There's a large black snake called a rat snake that is a very nice snake, quite harmless to humans. The snake can reach a length of 8 feet. It's an excellent climber and is often found in trees, bushes and vines as well as on the ground. The black rat snake keeps the small rodent population in check.
"The snake is my friend."
Notice that neither of you is saying, "Don't worry, blublood, you're being ridiculous! The snake would never slime up a tree limb, await its fiendish opportunity, and dive bomb onto you or your small child when you least expect it!"
Also, my cats handle all rodent-dispatching duties around the yard, so I'm not sure why the snake wants to live with us anyway. I mean, not with us, not in the house, not in our house, oh my God, o.k. gotta go!!
IIRC, calling another poster ridiculous would be an infraction, and no one wants to be banned from the OTB.
Many rodents are nocturnal, so while the cats are away ...
Most snakes in the US are afraid of humans. They don't attack you as prey, ambushing you from the trees.
Leopards, on the other hand, ambush from the trees remarkably well and efficiently. Last check, however, is that we have no leopards in the US.
Cheers,
Lavabe
Snakes in trees!!!
Funniest thing - my mother-in-law walked out her front door and a snake fell down on her neck. It doesn't get any funnier than that.
She was fine, just momentarily startled.
They have a "roof" over the entrance, and tree frogs hang out in that enclave. Most likely, the snake was hungry for some frog. My theory is that when the door was opened, the snake fell rather than pounced.