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Description
This is a skull of Procyon lotor, or the common raccoon. This skull must have come from a coon' with a lot of stories. Every tooth it there, but most are so worn or shattered during life that they are almost gone. One of the molars broke out and has bone growing over the tooth socket! Another indicator of extreme age is that every single suture in this skull is fused up and gone.

The average life expectance for a raccoon is only about 2 years in the wild, but they can live up to 20 years, this battered old guy probably died of starvation after his teeth wore out, and probably came close to that 20 year mark. That's why I like bones and fossils, they all have stories we can only guess at.

Make sure to zoom in!

Description
This is a skull of Procyon lotor, or the common raccoon. This skull must have come from a coon' with a lot of stories. Every tooth it there, but most are so worn or shattered during life that they are almost gone. One of the molars broke out and has bone growing over the tooth socket! Another indicator of extreme age is that every single suture in this skull is fused up and gone.

The average life expectance for a raccoon is only about 2 years in the wild, but they can live up to 20 years, this battered old guy probably died of starvation after his teeth wore out, and probably came close to that 20 year mark. That's why I like bones and fossils, they all have stories we can only guess at.

Make sure to zoom in!