Mountain Wolf Skull Replica measures 7.4 inches. Mountain Wolf Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Made in USA. Cast from original specimen. Known as Dhole.
Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home decor skull, or office decor skull.
The Dhole or Mountain Wolf typically weighs 26 to 44 pounds and measures 35 inches in body length and 20 inches shoulder height. The tail measures 16 to 18 inches in length.
The Dhole has a wide and massive skull with a well-developed sagittal crest, and its masseter muscles are highly developed compared to other canid species, giving the face an almost hyena-like appearance. The rostrum is shorter than that of domestic dogs and most other canids. It has six rather than seven lower molars.
The bones of the forehead and upper jaw are swollen, producing a dish-faced profile. The hooded eyes have amber or light brown irises, and the ears are large and rounded.
Dholes are more social than gray wolves, and have less of a dominance hierarchy, as seasonal scarcity of food is not a serious concern for them.
They closely resemble African wild dogs in social structure. They live in clans rather than packs, as the latter term refers to a group of animals that always hunt together.
Dhole or the Mountain wolf clans frequently break into small packs of three to five animals, particularly during the spring season, as this is the optimal number for catching fawns.
Dominant Dholes are hard to identify, as they do not engage in dominance displays as wolves do, though other clan members will show submissive behavior toward them. Intragroup fighting is rarely observed.
Dholes are far less territorial than wolves, with pups from one clan often joining another without trouble once they mature sexually.
Clans typically number 5 to 12 individuals in India, though clans of 40 have been reported. In Thailand, clans rarely exceed three individuals.
Unlike other canids, there is no evidence of Dhole or the Mountain wolf using urine to mark their territories or travel routes.
When urinating, Dholes, especially males, may raise one hind leg or both to result in a handstand. Handstand urination is also seen in bush dogs.
They may defecate in conspicuous places, though a territorial function is unlikely, as faeces are mostly deposited within the clan’s territory rather than the periphery.
Faeces are often deposited in what appear to be communal latrines. They do not scrape the earth with their feet, as other canids do, to mark their territories.
