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NaturePunk — Territorial Dispute
Published: 2012-09-14 00:10:14 +0000 UTC; Views: 3004; Favourites: 37; Downloads: 48
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Description
I got the two wolves from the retired leather-worker in the mail today. I was most excited about the black wolf, but when I opened up the hide on this one, I made a very interesting discovery: This unfortunate fellow was killed by another wolf.In the first image, it’s apparent to see the damage to the pelt. The face especially bears the marks of a larger wolf’s fangs, but the neck wound is what likely killed it.
You can see from the elongated gash that the larger wolf bit down on the back of the smaller wolf’s neck and shook it until it died. Oddly, there are no holes in the pelt to suggest that the killer partook in consuming any of his kill, which leads me to believe that this was motivated less by hunger and more by a possible territorial dispute.
In any case, it’s a great and education look at the effects of a wolf bite on another animal. As such, feel free to use these images for reference or anything of that ilk.
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Comments: 46
Yep. The face was punctured with tooth marks all over from the larger wolf holding it's muzzle down, so the face wasn't workable as a mask. I salvaged the ears and am thinking of mounting the face in shadowbox as a curiosity and testament to Nature's occasional raw brutality.
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This is going to help me in Zoology 8'D
Am I tripping or is there something sticking out of the eye- or where the eye use to be? I can't tell >.<'
I think this guy here got lost and wondered too far from his family, it still looks to be like in the puppy stages..8 or 9 months..Unless it is a Mexican Wolf and since they are generally pretty small, it is harder for me to tell xD;
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That thing in the eye is the CITES tag to show that he was legally collected. The pelt is actually a little smaller than average size, so it's a young adult, and not a pup.
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Wow, that's so cool! That's why I love bones and pelts, the history and stories that go along with them! <3
What a gorgeous wolf! <3
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That is pretty amazing. I wouldn't have guessed you could tell that much from the damage on a pelt. Very, very cool.
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I'm guessing this poor guy was fighting to be alpha?
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I don't know. It's hard to say. My guess would be no, though, because it's a small wolf to begin with - too small to be alpha. I think he just got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time by a rival pack.
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Ah yikes! I do agree with one of the posters here the holes and tears give it such a personality, as a wolf being this majestic warrior that died in battle so it is left bearing these scars.
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You're right - it really does have personality! I've kind of fallen in love with it. I saved the area of the pelt with the bite mark in it and will try to find some way to frame it. The rest of the pelt will be made into a cloak, and I'm wearing the tail now as a keychain. Will sell the ears later as a headband if they rehydrate well.
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I'm going to guess it was actually attacked for territorial reasons by an unrelated wolf.
The "alpha" concept of wolf packs is actually a little outdated. Wild wolves travel in family groups, and there's not nearly as much vying for "top spot" as previously thought (because 'alphas' are generally the parents, and are leading their young). Earlier studies done on wolves were done on captive, unrelated animals, so they really were fighting to establish a pecking order.
Wolves do kill each other, but it's far less likely that this wolf was killed by a packmate.
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Ah thank you for the info!
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No problem! <3 (I'm going to grad school to study canine behavior, so I try to be up-to-date on my knowledge).
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I've seen your black one D: How much will that one be when it's done do you think..? D:
I Love it so much...>.<
And I don't even know why honestly!
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I have a few other people interested in the black one, so the tentative price on it right now is $900.00.
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gaaahh....I'd never have that much money.....
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Some of the other people who are interested have been saving up for a headdress for years, so they're pretty dedicated. Seems like the black wolf is "The One" for several people; I may have to do an eBay auction on it.
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Ha..okayy...(:
That'll work...you might get more then $900.00 out of it then. lol
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I would buy the damaged hide from you if it weren't for the fact that I don't think you can ship it here.
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I can ship almost anywhere in the USA, but not outside of it. I've got plans for it, though, so it's not for sale at the moment.
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Well thank you! I do believe in evolution, though, so I guess that sets he and I apart. 
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Oh I didn't mean it in that manner (evo. vs. cre.)... I just meant that he was amazing for his time. He could look at a single bone and tell you almost everything about the animal that it once belonged to. 
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Well thank you! It's a great skill to have, I guess, though demand for it in a work environment isn't exactly high. Trust me - I checked!
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Adds personality/character if you ask me
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Given the amount of damage on this one, I'm planning on cutting the face off to use the ears for a headband; the body will be made into a cloak; and the tail will be sold as keychain (for lack of a better word). I've become quite fond of this wolf, so I'll keep as much of the fur as possible in-tact, but will have to sew up the bite marks to reserve the pelt's integrity.
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Alrighty, I'll try to snag some part of him lol.
He definitely has a neat 'story' behind him, a sad one but none the less.
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Don't think Ive seen a pelt like that. Very interesting, makes me wonder who found this wolf and decided to skin it though. But that makes it better I think personally.
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I wonder what the wolf that killed this one looked like? Must have been pretty big!
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I know right! Must've been a good and long fight between the two, or where other wolves involved?
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Seems to me like there were just the two. If others were involved, I think there would be many more bite marks and the pelt would have been destroyed.
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Man, I wish there was a download button so I could see this larger! haha That's very cool, very unique. Thanks for sharing!
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Just added the download button for ya!
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Awesome, thank you so much!!
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Er... Why did you order wolf furs? Also, poor wolfie! D:
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I'm a taxidermist. It's my job.
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Oh, okay. Um... What's a taxidermist? /facepalm/
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In short, I make are with recycled dead things that have no other purpose. You can view my profile for more info.
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Taxidermy: The art or process of preparing, stuffing, and mounting animal skins so that they have a lifelike appearance.
It's also a way to preserve the animal's beauty of its fur instead of leaving it to rot in the side of the road. Pelts like this can last over 100 years if tanned right.
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... how. How do you keep getting these comments.
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