While on a vacation last month, we were hiking in a rain-forest area of St Martin. We found and photographed these skeletal remains. I moved parts closer together for the photo. We couldn’t find a skull, though we tried.
Any ideas?
I’m going to say Racoon.
Judging from the long tail, I’d guess some sort of monkey. The photo on this page halfway down looks sort of close: St. Martin wildlife.
ETA: Diagram of a monkey skeleton. Looks pretty close, same pelvis, tail, ribcage.
Cool, that was our guess. We saw green monkeys in the vicinity. RIP;)
This is what happens when you take the wrong turn at Albuquerque.
Not saying you guys are wrong about the monkey ID, but a racoon skeleton is very, very similar (to both the linked pic of the remains, and the linked pic of the monkey skeleton).
The pelvis in the linked pic is almost identical to the pelvis of this disarticulated racoon skeleton.:
http://www.skullsunlimited.com/userfiles/image/variants_large_5216.jpg
I think the primate pelvis tends to be broader - I couldn’t find anything in a Google image search for monkey pelvis or primate pelvis that looked as narrow as the one in the OP’s photo.
Probably an alien-human hybrid. Were there a lot of bees around?
Very unlikely raccoon, as the only one on the island is in the St Maarten Zoo. I’ve seen the fat thing.
Apparently not so.
http://www.stmaartendivers.com/index.php/Island-News/nature-foundation-staff-attend-feral-animal-workshop-will-start-pilot-study-on-raccoon-population.html
I would have guessed Possum. But I am by no means an expert.
Holy crap. Sorry, I sure thought what I said was correct. The sign at the zoo mentions them not being native and I thought said that the one on exhibit was it.
Found two more pics.
Howsabout tail length?
Coincidentally, I’ve been trapping and relocating a family of raccoons in our barn. Their tails seem short and stubby IIRC.
Judging from the size of the surrounding foliage, that’s one small monkey, or a baby from a larger species.
St. Martin has very few mammals. The only native ones are bats.
The following species are introduced:
Horse
Donkey
Cow
Sheep
Goat
Pig
Cat
Dog
House mouse
Brown rat
Black roof rat
Indian mongoose
Raccoon
African green vervet monkey
I think the tail is much too long for a raccoon - it’s longer than the whole rest of the vertebral column, while that of the raccoon is shorter. The mongoose’s legs are shorter and stouter. I think it’s probably a monkey.
The pelvis in both of those monkey skeletons is broader, though - that’s what’s making me think this isn’t a primate. If not a racoon or mongoose, how about a feral cat?
I think a cat’s tail is too short.
Dunno - but monkey tail bones seem to have prominent wings on them - particularly near the base of the tail, presumably for muscle attachment where the monkey tail is prehensile. The tail bones on this specimen seem quite slender, even at the base.
If only I had pocketed a vertebra, we could have DNA analysis done. Getting through airport security and customs, though. . .
Ok, after further comparison with a cat skeleton, I think you’re right.
The clincher is the form of the [femur and tibia](http://bio.bd.psu.edu/cat/skeletal_system/appendicular_skeleton.htm#femur and patella) bones; both bones can be seen particularly well in kayaker’s second photo. The monkey has a longer, thinner femur and the tibia is not curved in the same way as in the cat.