Why do they call it taxidermy

Taxidermy is also used in the production of 'skins' and 'mounts' for scientific study rather than exhibition. Put simply, the skin of an animal is cleaned and preserved and then stretched onto a 'body-shaped' frame, usually modelled on the animal itself. The 'mounted' animal can then be adjusted to provide a reproduction of the creature in life, or in the case of scientific collections, a reference specimen from which accurate measurements, observations and even samples can be taken. In the 19th and early 20th centuries the production of items of furniture such as those from Hippopotamus and Rhinoceros feet was acceptable in society, but thankfully times have changed.

Ironically however the same period provided museums round the world with millions of skins and mounts, carefully preserved by taxidermists, which remain an essential resource for study both now and for future generations of zoologists.

The process of preserving skins can be traced back to the beginnings of civilisation, and despite changing social attitudes to the display and use of an animal's dead body, a great deal on information is gained annually by the study of this preserved material assembled in museum collections.

Each specimen is biologically unique and represents an individual encapsulated in a moment in time, allowing us to examine animals, which may have been dead for many years. The molds are incredibly accurate and detailed, with muscles and veins carved into place. Clay is used for the tricky areas around the eyes. The antlers and skull are then removed. The real skull is discarded, and the antlers are then attached to the foam skull using screws after the skin is stretched over the glue-covered body mold.

The trick is to get everything lined up and to ensure that the skin is nice and tight. After sewing the skin shut around the mold, glass eyes are inserted into the sockets and the deer is mounted onto a wooden plaque, usually from the shoulder to the antlers. The legend of the jackalope is familiar to anyone who's ever passed through a Western gift shop in search of the perfect belt buckle or shot glass.

The shoulder-mounted rabbit with antlers on its head was born in the s with the Merrick brothers of Wyoming. Legend has it that the pair of amateur taxidermists went hunting, came home with a rabbit and tossed it onto the table, where it slid up to a pair of deer antlers.

They decided to mount it as is and the jackalope was created. The jackalope has since inspired an entirely new art -- rogue taxidermy.

Also called carcass art, it involves combining all kinds of animals to create "new species. If it can be imagined, a rogue taxidermist can make it happen. During this process all the meat and bones are removed, but the feet and talons are kept in place. After the bird is skinned and the excess fat is removed, the skin is washed in warm water with normal dish washing detergent to get it clean and non-greasy. The bird skin and feathers are then dried with a towel and hair dryer.

This will fluff the feathers up. The remaining moisture is soaked up with a salt preservative. The neck and body of the fowl is sculpted with polyurethane foam. Once the main body is ready, it's put aside, and wires are inserted in place of the wing, tail and leg bones.

The wire is inserted under the skin of the wings and tied off with dental floss -- the same goes for the legs and tail. At this point, the skin of the bird and the legs, wings and tail are taut from the wire. The foam body and neck are then inserted, and the wires from the legs, wings and tail are pushed into the body until firm. The molded neck sticks into the clay in the head area. The last step is to sew the bird up around the body mold using dental floss or carpet thread.

Once the glass eyes are pushed into the clay socket, the bird is ready to be shaped into flying position and mounted. Choosing a taxidermist is crucial for ensuring a nice finished product. You may save a few bucks by going with a cut-rate operation, but when your bobcat ends up with a toothy smile, don't be surprised. Like with anything else, you get what you pay for. Visit the taxidermist's shop and check out his work.

If he doesn't welcome you into the shop, turn around and walk away. You should also ask for references. If the taxidermist did a good job, your mount should last a lifetime. You should also talk price and turnaround time beforehand so you both know what to expect. It's also advised to leave taxidermists alone until your finish date -- they're notorious for not taking kindly to phone calls inquiring about the progress.

If you end up with a bad mounting job or if years later the mount has begun to deteriorate, a good taxidermist can fix your issues.

Snap some detailed photos of the bad spots and take them with you, or simply take the mount if it's not too much trouble. Here are some tips to follow if you're a hunter or fisherman and plan to have your animal mounted:.

Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. He covered the frame with wire mesh, and then clay which he sculpted to recreate the elephant's muscles. After placing the skin on this form and making sure the clay accurately replicated "every fold and wrinkle," Milgrom says, he cast the form in plaster to make a lightweight mannequin, which is what he eventually stretched the skin over.

This is the process he used to create the elephants in the Akeley African Hall of Mammals. In addition to his obsessive eye for detail—he even invented the first portable movie camera to capture footage of animals in the wild, to better create more accurate taxidermy mounts—Akeley was also a badass: In one of many adventures, he killed a leopard with his bare hands. In those days, competition was fierce, so methods of preservation differed from taxidermist to taxidermist and were closely guarded—some even went to the grave without revealing their secrets.

Fun fact: As a teen, future president Theodore Roosevelt —who was an avid hunter and nature lover —tried to purchase a pound of arsenic for taxidermy purposes at a store in Liverpool and was refused. An adult apparently did vouch for him. In taxidermy, a specimen is an exact replica of the animal as it appeared in the wild; an example of a trophy is a deer head mounted on the wall.

According to Milgrom, in these categories, taxidermists attempt to create an animal without using any of its actual parts—making an eagle using turkey feathers, for example, or creating a realistic panda using bearskin—or even recreating extinct species based on scientific data.

When the rhino that belonged to Louis XIV and Louis XV was stabbed to death by a revolutionary in , its skin was varnished and stretched over a frame of wooden hoops.

At that time, it was the largest animal to undergo a modern taxidermy process. BY Erin McCarthy. Several crocodiles show up on the list of oldest existing mount examples, probably because their thick skin makes them hardier.

Early taxidermists stuffed mounts with sawdust and rags, which sometimes disfigured them. In contrast, modern taxidermists can purchase mannequins, which they can sculpt into different positions, then stretch and sew skins over them. Arsenic was widely used to repel insects from the late s up until the 20th century — even the s in some places — but it was phased out in favor of less dangerous chemicals like borax.

The practice of stuffing pets began in this era as well, as did anthropomorphic taxidermy, wherein specimens were positioned and sometimes clothed as though participating in human activities like boxing or playing in a band. Like it or not, the art of taxidermy has contributed to broader conservation goals. William Hornaday, chief taxidermist at the Smithsonian in the s, was dismayed at the widespread slaughter of American bison, so he brought some specimens back to Washington and displayed them to draw attention to their plight.

His work contributed to the creation of the federally protected bison range in Yellowstone, which was instrumental in saving the species.