I'm helping build our group's first combat wild shaper. He's loving the character, being incredibly fun to charge a cyclops in tiger form and ripping it to shreds. My question is, what about abilities that are specific to the creature in question. I understand that the ability functions as the Beast Shape spell, and that the spell in question lists the universal monster abilities you have access to based on level and shape. But what about abilities like the krenshar's Skullface, or the quills on a porcupine or giant puffer fish? Are these available to a druid in those forms? My though is that these kinds of abilities are part of the creature's anatomy, but they are too rare to be listed in the universal monster rules and have therefore been over-looked. I'd love an official text, but ay advice from my fellow GM's is appreciated.
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When using polymorph spells, you get what the spells say you get, nothing more. While this means that plant shape is pretty useless, because most plants rely on special abilities you can never possess, it also means that the designers aren't limited by these spells when they create monsters, being able to give them abilities that would be too powerful for a PC. Also, you don't actually turn into one of the creatures when wild shaping, just a reasonable facsimile. Close enough that most people wouldn't notice the difference, but a sharp eyed investigator might be able to tell that you're not, in fact a dog, but something pretending to be one.