Sidewalk Skull

Tuesday morning I detoured slightly from my usual work commute routine to pay a visit to 251 East 19th Street. Along the way I found the item above, sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, as if it had been placed there.

I don't know what it is, or was. I'm thinking raccoon, maybe opposum? Anyone out there able to provide an id?

This is the sort of found treasure I would normally snatch up and take home, to Blog Widow's chagrin. Except that I was on my way to work, not home, and running late at that. Oh, and because it still had stuff on it; looks like remnants of skin on the right cheek. And me without a baggy to put it in.

I also didn't have the foresight to whip out my ruler and place it alongside for scale. (Yes, I always carry a collapsible ruler in my bag.) It was a medium-sized skull, as skulls go. Bigger than a cat or a squirrel. Bigger than my fist, slightly smaller than my hand with fingers extended. Could have been a small dog, I guess.

The large eye orbits make me think it's a nocturnal animal. The nasal ridges are also interesting. Whatever it was, it had a good nose.