Hoyt_Viper

Im 6'3" and 240". My hands palm a basketball with no problem. The front teeth I thought would give it away since they are BRIGHT orange. I looked up the nutria and saw nothing like these teeth. Both front teeth are 1 3/4" long and hard as stone. By the rear molars I dont beleieve it is carnivorous, but Im no scientist. Whatever it is the teeth are a huge factor of its daily life, so thats why I was thinking a beaver. I guess I will never know for sure, but it is way off of being a muskrat. I just killed one of them last week (posted a pic on here) and the teeth were maybe 1/2 inch to 3/4. These teeth obviously are made to do some damage...like taking down a tree!

MOTOWNHONKEY

It's a muskrat skull big guy.

Hoyt_Viper

I googled a muskrat and this is what it said of its teeth:

....Only a minimal amount of hair grows on the feet. The hand-like front feet are used in building lodges, holding food, and digging burrows and channels. Although the larger hind feet are used in swimming, they are not webbed like those of the beaver and otter. Instead, the four long toes of each foot have a fringe of specialized hairs along each side, giving the foot a paddle-like effect. The rather small ears are usually completely hidden by the long fur. The four chisel-like front teeth (two upper and two lower incisors), each up to 2cm long, are used in cutting stems and roots of plants.

These two top teeth (incisors) are almost 2 inches long. This must have been a large muskrat, or one with above normal teeth. It has 3 molars on each side of top jaw that look like they were made for chewing vegitation. Whatever it is...or was is a unique display of Gods creatures and their adaption to chewing, or in this case devouring its food.

Thanks for the input everyone. Im kinda a collector of skulls I find while I am scouting, and this one is very unique to say the least!

AF Hunter

If your stand is near water, I agree that could be a muskrat skull that has been gnawed on. Hard to tell from the pics.

bloodcrick

Ive litteraly trapped a thousand muskrats back when they were worth trapping and im saying Large muskrat or very small bever.

MOmightymite

Google images muskrat skull and you will find pics that look identical to yours...I'm going with muskrat.

SwampCollie

We have them.... just not where Hoyt_Viper is... they are down around Back Bay right in the very SE corner of the state. Amazing (and terrbile) what just a couple of those things can do to a marsh island. There is no rule around me and no appologies needed for shooting one of those damn things at any hour of the day.

Jeff I suspect thats either a muskrat, a groundhog or a big arse squirrel.

JFergus7

I googled some images earlier and I have to agree with muskrat!

HNI_Christine

Use your clue words here guys... He said the incisors were 2" long.

A big muskrat skull would only be 3" long. (I've boiled a lot of heads)

If he doesn't have nutria in the area, it's a small beaver.

bloodcrick

Just a thought to ponder on There used to be gums and flesh on there. I have a bever skull to and also used to trap them as well. The teeth look longer when the gums and flesh are minus. BTW I have caught some jumbo muskrats in my day!!