How to Identify a Skull & Bones

You are hiking or walking in beautiful Switzerland and find bones or skulls - what kind of animal is it? You might even discover a whole skeleton. But how can you find out which animal the find belongs to? SWISSkulls is an expert in this field and will be happy to help you!

What kind of animal could it be?

Basically, you can assume that it is a native wild animal or a domestic animal. The most common bones found are:

Wild animals such as foxes, deer, stags or wild boars, domestic animals such as dogs or cats or birds

Most animals retreat into dense undergrowth before they die, so they are often not found. Smaller animals are also eaten by scavengers. Bones decompose relatively quickly, and usually only small remains remain. Rodents gnaw on bones, and snails and insects also contribute to decomposition. Some animals, such as lynx, badgers and foxes, drag bones into their dens.

How to identify the animal by its skull

First, you should determine whether the skull comes from a predator, ungulate or rodent. The teeth and their arrangement provide the best clues.

predators

• Felines: Narrow fangs, round skull
• Canidae & marten species: Large fangs, elongated skull

rodents

• Rodents: Conspicuous incisors without canines

ungulates (even-toed ungulates)

• Cervids (deer, roe deer):
  • The roe deer skull is quite short, while the deer skull is longer.
  • Male deer can be recognized by the base of their antlers.
  • Young red deer have humps in their upper jaws (small bumps or holes where the humps used to be).
• Wild boar:
  • Very elongated skull
  • Large tusks (in males)
  • Pointed incisors have teeth in the upper and lower jaw
• Wild ibex (chamois, ibex):
  • Belong to the goat family and therefore have horned bones.
  • Chamois have smaller skulls, ibexes have larger ones with thick horn bones.

comparison with existing skulls

If you are unsure, you can search through our range and compare your find with skulls you have already identified. If you have any questions, we are happy to help!