That skull!

Each year I buy something “big” for my collection. Often I buy expensive stuff in the end of the year because that way I have a better view over my budget. But this year I spent it all in February already! My purse is bleeding now but I don’t regret that purchase. My biggest predator skull was always my polar bear skull but my new skull pushes that bear from its throne! It’s even a bit bigger than my walrus skull (which is in fact my biggest predator skull). Get more Infos and a ton of photos under the cut! It’s worth it!

It began in December 2012. A good friend of mine and I visited a Christmas and antique fair. It’s was my first time there and I was very impressed. Next to the usual stuff were also some taxidermy goods like antlers, old mounted animals and skulls! One booth was full of those skulls – it was unbelievable! Soon I got in conversation with the booth owners which were all skull collectors, too! Out of the blue they told me that they know me from somewhere. I was all WTF but then they say that they know me from the shop where I work! Ha, the world is a village!

One of the booth owners, a man in my age who sold me a grizzly skull ages ago, showed me that fat skull. It was the skull of an old male sea lion! I was stunned. Such a skull isn’t cheap and I bought something expensive for my collection already, so I couldn’t afford it yet. So I had to be satisfied with looking at that skull. A few months later, in February, I talked with the one man again. He invited me to his home which was filled and filled with bones, skeletons and other cool stuff - even including two elephant skulls! Well, after that and some “trusting dog eyes” of mine I got the skull to a cheaper price.

So that’s how I got it but now some words about the skull itself.
As I wrote above it’s the skull of a male South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens). The skull is very massive and has big crests on the back. That means it was a very old animal. Male sea lions can reach a weight of about 300kg and a length of 2.5 meters!

The skull itself must be old, too because it’s yellowish. It must have had an “accident” one time, because on one side the canines are broken. What a pity. The skull is very heavy– what a massive critter!

Sea lions are predators and live from cuttlefishes, crabs and fishes. They live on the shores of South America. Humans used to hunt these animals because of their leather and train oil. That’s why sea lions are endangered animals!
I think at this point you could read more about South American sea lions in Wikipedia because my pictures already should say more than thousand words. Have fun!