Absolutely Not
As others have stated, no you can not use a focus (of any kind) while Wild Shaped, even if the animal you morph into has hands, and they are empty and holding the focus. All of the information you posted in the original question provides the answers for you so long as you cross reference them. But a lot of people have missed a crucial part of why it can't be done.
The description of the Druidic Focus says (5e PHB, p. 151):
A druidic focus might be [...] a totem object incorporating feathers,
fur, bones, and teeth from sacred animals. A druid can use such an
object as a spellcasting focus.
This essentially states that you get to create a focus out of whatever you deem worthy to call a focus; pretty neat.
The description of Material (M) components says:
Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in
parentheses in the component entry. A character can use [...] a
spellcasting focus in place of the components specified for a
spell [but not costly or consumed components]
This is the start of the unravel. Here it says you can use a focus instead of a material component (so long as it has no cost/isn't consumed). So essentially focuses are just fluff/filler for material components that most people over look anyway, but if you don't overlook that stuff it's still a pretty minimal net gain.
Part of the description of the druid's Wild Shape feature says (5e PHB, p. 67):
- You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your
space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. [...]
This portion infers that you get to wear or hold your focus if you so choose when you Wild Shape, which is pretty cool.
The druid's Beast Spells feature says (5e PHB, p. 67):
Beginning at 18th level, you can cast many of your druid spells in any
shape you assume using Wild Shape. You can perform the somatic and
verbal components of a druid spell while in a beast shape, but you
aren't able to provide material components.
This is the crucial spot. It specifically says no material components. If you recall from what exactly a focus is, it is essentially a fancy material component. Meaning it can't be used, not because you can't "hold" it, but because for Game Design purposes they disallowed it.
This is further backed up by the fact that they allow somatic components (hand and body gestures) even if you don't have hands or the appropriate body part to do the somatic component, i.e. a snake making a hand sign. So holding/wearing the material component/focus is irrelevant because it is completely outlawed in RAW.
The druid's Archdruid capstone feature says (emphasis mine):
At 20th level, you can use your Wild Shape an unlimited number of
times.
Additionally, you can ignore the verbal and somatic components of your
druid spells, as well as any material components that lack a cost
and aren't consumed by a spell. You gain this benefit in both your
natural shape and your beast shape from Wild Shape.
Doesn't this seem a bit redundant? It is because it is trying to show you that it is essentially an improvement to Beast Spells. At this point, once you reach 20th level you no longer need the material/focus component. So even at level 20 the answer is still technically no, but it becomes irrelevant because materials/focuses are no longer even needed.
However, this is D&D - so if the DM says, "Well that's stupid, you should be able to use your focus as long as you are wearing/holding it"... Then boom, there you go: the true answer is "yes, you can, so long as your DM handwaves it".
Yes, False Focus can be used to replace multiple material components in the same spell, as long as the total cost is below the cost of your divine focus.
This is shown in the example in the rules text you quoted (emphasis mine):
By using a divine focus as part of casting, you can cast any spell with a material component costing the value of that divine focus (maximum 100 gp) or less without needing that component. For example, if you use a silver holy symbol worth 25 gp, you do not have to provide material components for an arcane spell if its components are worth 25 gp or less. The casting of the spell still provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. If the spell requires a material component that costs more than the value of the divine focus, you must have the material component on hand to cast the spell, as normal.
In the bolded line, it uses the plural "material components," indicating that the divine focus can be used for multiple components.
Best Answer
Questions & Answers
Answer: Yes, unless the DM determines otherwise. The only reason I can think of for a DM to determine otherwise is if the DM says spell component pouches are themselves unique creations (e.g. they're connected to a plane of magic, they're specially prepared to prevent exhausting their contents), but I've never heard of this done in a game. Being able to go without a spell component pouch and instead rely on separate foci and material components is especially appropriate for a low-level sorcerer who might otherwise be able to cast all of his Spells Known with only a bag of chicharrĂ³n and a comfortable sweater.1
A: Yes. For example, using a decanter of endless water (DMG 254) (9,000 gp; 2 lbs.) as the focus for the spell bless water [trans] (PH 205) renders the next pint of water that issues from the decanter holy water but leaves the remaining water unaffected. For example, after killing the marauding grig druid who made it, a reasonable DM should allow his cloak of resistance +1 (DMG 253) (1,000 gp; 1 lb.) to function as the "miniature cloak" material component necessary for casting the spell resistance [abjur] (PH 272). The latter is wouldn't be considered a wise use of resources, however.
A: No. As long as the focus or material components satisfy the DM's opinion of the focus or material components needed for the spell, the spell can be cast, but a spell only does what the spell says it does. It would be problematic and tedious to develop such house rules as they would have to cover a huge range of possibilities unless either options were restricted to a very small set of effects (e.g. while the "pair of small iron bars attached to two small canine statuettes, one black and one white" needed as the arcane focus for the 6th-level Sor/Wiz spell repulsion [trans] (271-2) are the subject of the 1st-level Sor/Wiz spell grease [conj] (237), in addition to the standard effects of the spell repulsion, creatures who fail the Will saving throw are rendered prone) or the DM just concocted effects on the fly, a tremendous risk that can have serious long-term consequences on the campaign.
A. Yes. There are evil spell components (BoVD 45-6), good spell components (BE 37-8), metamagic components (UA 139-51), optional material components (CM 135-6), and optional material components (ECS 91-2).
A: I'd probably say The spell works as written. Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 is already a hilariously expansive game with many, many options, and another layer of options on the game's already optimal problem-solving strategy seems indulgent. That said, if all of my players were interested in the increased complexity, I'd consider letting them experiment with alternative material components for minor changes to a spell's effects, but I'd keep ones that were important to the plot or significantly powerful rare or secret, to be located or discovered as the campaign progressed.
Kelgore's Fire Bolt
The 1st-level Sor/Wiz spell Kelgore's fire bolt [conj/evoc] (PH2 116) specifically "conjures a small orb of rock and sheathes it in arcane energy." There's just no way to substitute a different orb of rock for the orb of rock that's conjured, in much the same way a javelin of lightning (DMG 226) (1,500 gp; 2 lbs.) can't be substituted for the "stroke of electrical energy" in the 3rd-level Sor/Wiz spell lightning bolt [evoc] (PH 248). The magic creates the effect.
However, house rules might have the "handful of ashes" that are the spell Kelgore's fire bolt's material component change the spell's effect if the ashes were, for example, from a golem manual (iron) (DMG 258) (35,000 gp; 5 lbs.) or an ingredient a wizard had planned to use to create a homunculus (MM 154).
To expand on the first question and its answer, here's
A Brief History of Focus and Material Components in Dungeons and Dragons from Advanced Dungeons and Dragons to Dungeons and Dragons 3.5
Being a caster in the earlier days of Dungeons and Dragons meant managing focus and material components. Although house rules often eliminated them, were they not eliminated they afforded the DM the opportunity to deny a caster his ability to cast some spells, forcing the caster to solve problems using different spells or even different means entirely (e.g. fleeing; grappling, overbearing, and pummeling; lateral thinking; role-playing; throwing daggers or darts).
Spoiler for an Over-30-year-old Adventure Module
The Player's Handbook (1978) says that
Thus, beyond explicitly being able to "add or delete entire spells" as he was given permission to do a mere paragraph earlier, the DM is further given tacit permission to restrict access to spells by making some obviously inexpensive material components rare (e.g. the "tiny ball composed of bat guano and sulphur" [sic] as the material component for the 3rd-level magic-user spell fireball (73); the "small magnetized iron bars attached to two small canine statuettes, one ivory and one ebony" as the material component for the 6th-level magic-user spell repulsion (86)). Material components were both bad jokes and campaign management mechanisms.
In the Player's Handbook (1989, 1996) material components are handled differently:
And that's it. Without optional rules material components are flavor text. A caster has the material components with which to cast his spells unless the DM uses the the section titled Spell Components (Optional Rules):
But the inclusion of the spell component pouch (5 gp; 3 lbs.) (PH 108, 111) in the Player's Handbook (2000) removed (except via rule O) the DM's ability to control what he considered problematic spells via making obviously inexpensive foci and components rare. Every wizard with a spell component pouch has within a "tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur" to cast the spell fireball (203-4) and a "pair of small iron bars attached to two small canine statuettes, one black and one white" to cast the spell repulsion (245)2 in addition to nigh infinite edible live spiders, miniature cloaks, powdered herring scales, undead creature bones, will-o'-wisp essence, and other gooey, icky, stinky stuff that must make anyone who carries a spell component pouch smell like a grease fire in crap factory.
Also of Interest
1 The material component for the spell grease [conj] (PH 237) is a "bit of pork rind or butter," and the material component for the spell silent image et. al. [illus] (PH 279) is a "bit of fleece."
2 "...the whole array worth 50 gp" was added in the 2003 Player's Handbook 3.5 (272).