Taxidermy – The disturbing details of how it’s done…

By Juliet Smith 1 year ago

1. They find a dead animal and store it in the freezer...

Image source Instructable CraftsIt sounds gross, but many avid taxidermists can obtain small frozen rodents from pet shops and store them in the freezer in a ziplock bag until they are ready to use them. To thaw, they leave out at room temperature for a couple of hours... lovely!

2. They start to prepare their (scary-looking) tools...

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The things that taxidermists use (besides the dead rodents) are grouped together for ease of use.  Firstly, they get a large piece of plastic or a bin liner to cover the work surface.  Then cotton balls, beads for eye replacement, wire cutters, needle-nose pliers, fine nail scissors, tweezers, scalpel, fine gauge wire plus thicker wire, sewing pins, sewing needles, thread and Borax (cornmeal mix).

3. They measure and cut the wire...

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You may find the lengths of the wire may vary a little depending on the size of the mammal. Wire is used to keep everything together, whether that be wings, tails or legs, it helps to keep things from falling. Be aware, the wire needs to be pliable but if you're thinking of doing this yourself, maybe get some help from a taxidermist the first time...

4. The 'voodoo doll' stage

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Weirdly, taxidermists call this the voodoo doll stage... it's where you stuff your mammal by adding the cotton balls and squish them into the wire. Start at the crimped end of the wire to make the head. They should roughly match the nose to neck distance on your mouse.  Twist the wires a few times to hold the cotton balls in place and to create a bendable neck joint. Shudder!

5. Even more cotton wool...

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They then add 6-12 more cotton balls to make the rest of the body, compressing them tightly against the body. Line them up in a row, compressing them tightly, and again match them against the mouse's body. Twisting the tail ends of the wire tightly, they keep the cotton balls pinched, to create at least 1/2 inch of twisted wire.  Then clip the wire and use the needle nose pliers to fold the sharp end over and into the cotton balls.

6. It's time to wrap the thread...

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They then wrap the end of the string around the 'neck' between the doll's cotton ball segments to tack it down and then start wrapping the body.  Make a couple of loops down and around the tail end of the doll to the tail area, with neck wraps in between for stability.  When they are satisfied the body is properly mummified, they make a couple of neck wraps before moving to the head.

7. NOT FOR THE FAINTHEARTED! Mummifying time.

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Double check that your voodoo doll is tightly mummified and tie the thread off around the doll's neck.  You may need to spend time practicing this part of the taxidermy but you'll get there.  Don't worry if it doesn't look perfect - it will still be realistic.

8. CREEPY ALERT! Make the eyes...

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This requires a couple of plastic beads, preferably black. The taxidermist will now make the eyes, these can look however they want to look, most just use black balls. They are careful to double the thread when sewing to keep your mouse's eyes from rolling!

9. This bit requires a sharp knife...

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This requires a sharp knife or a scalpel and it's recommended that taxidermists wear gloves for this procedure. They'll make an incision along the mammal's spine from the shoulders to the hips. You'll be able to see the difference between skin and muscle tissue clearly and the skin will be very loosely attached.  Put a pinch of Borax/cornmeal mixture into the incision to keep it tight.

10. They then peel the skin... ew!

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This has got to be THE worst part of the procedure - and I mean, it's been pretty gross so far. They'll insert fingers under the skin around the torso to separate the skin from the body and sprinkle the Borax into the nooks and crannies.  Holding the end of the cut to prevent it from tearing too much further when working in the area, they'll removethe torso so the legs and tail can be worked on.

11. The hind legs are first!

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They carefully peel the skin back like a sock, being careful not to pull too hard and the skin should peel back to the ankle. Then they use scissors to cut the leg off at the hip joint.  The two leg bones will remain attached to the foot and pelt for use later on when the limbs are wired up.

12. It's the tail time!

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It's pretty gruesome, isn't it? To release the tail, they slowly work their way up from the stomach, gently but firmly pulling the skin away from the body. The worst bit of all? The tail may try to turn inside out like a sock! But they keep going! At some point the tail skin will pop loose and come off intact.

13. Forelegs To Head

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Carefully work the skin down around the forelegs as you did on the hind legs and clip at the shoulder to remove the legs from the body. The forelegs will also remain attached to the pelt for wiring later on.  Then they pull the skin up past the neck towards the head.

14. Ears are particularly tricky!

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The ears are attached to the head so they have to scoot under the skin all the way around the ears with (closed) scissors, identifying the junction point and cut through that junction. Scissors can be used, but scalpels give more control. The skin should then be peeled back all the way to the eyes.

15. Time for the eyes

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This bit requires a very steady hand! Using the scalpel, they carefully cut through the connective tissue that attaches the eyelids to the skull, making sure the eyelids are still attached to the pelt.  Small, slow cuts will release the eyelids quite easily.

16. Preparing the nose is very intricate.

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Here's what the taxidermist says:
'Use your scalpel to detach a bit more of the skin from the rodent's muzzle but stop before you reach the actual nose.  Work around the lower jaw with the scalpel to detach the lips so the only remaining point of attachment is the nose itself.  Use your tweezers to break the bones behind the nose and lift the broken fragments and skin with them.'

17. Look away if you're squeamish! They now remove flesh.

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Ok, so this is pretty gross! They now remove any remaining bits of flesh or fat stuck to the skin and rub with a cornmeal/Borax mixture.  Using scissors or a scalpel, they will remove the flesh from the arm and leg bones - sounds pretty bad! It doesn't matter if tiny bits of flesh are missed.

18. They now turn the rodent inside out

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Now that the pelt is clean, they are flipped back right-side-out and a moistened finger is run around the inside of the pelt against the skin to keep it moist for further handling.  If it gets too dry it will be difficult getting it around the voodoo doll properly and some fur may be lost.

19. The legs are now wired...

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Legs should NOT be overstuffed as it needs to fit back inside the skin it came out of. It's a very fiddly part of the process, but the larger to mammal, the easier it will be. The worker has to be extra careful not to break the delicate bones. They repeat this process with the other three legs.

20. Head time!

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Here's how the taxidermist does it:
'Make sure the interior of the head is properly moist and align the voodoo doll's bead eyes and insert it into the head skin. Wiggle it in slowly with the tweezers and your fingers and scoot the eye holes over the eye beads.  Keep the wires out of the way for now.  The mouth may gape open to show cotton but this can be adjusted later.'

21. Forelegs are attached now...

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The head should be properly positioned and the legs are fully pushed back into the skin before you push the arms as far forward as they can easily go. Holding the arms with one hand, the wires are twisted in place on the voodoo doll's back, centred just below where the shoulder blades should be.

22. Now, readjust the forelegs...

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Viewed from the side, the wire should zigzag up from the paws to the back, down to the belly and then up to the back. This will provide a stable armature for the rodent's poseable arms. The taxidermist twists the ends of the wire a bit more, then clips it off and tucks the ends into the body of the voodoo doll, thus avoiding damaging the pelt.

23. Inserting the tail is a delicate process

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It's a very fiddly part of the procedure! Exposing the rest of the back opening and the tail, a taxidermist carefully inserts the wire/cotton twist into the tail and runs it as far along as possible. It may go into the rectum by mistake but even a beginner will know and can adjust it.

24. The little tail is reattached once again!

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Here's some advice some the taxidermist on this stage:
'Flip the back half of the pelt back into place along the voodoo doll and position the tail in the correct position.  Like the forelegs, you'll be holding the tail in place while pulling the wires around the body and twisting them together.'

25. Attaching the hind legs to the animal

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Fingers and tweezers are used to scoot the rest of the skin around and over the voodoo doll's rear end and put the hind legs into position.  Then wires are pulled around the back and twist them together.  They make sure not to leave pointy bits sticking up anywhere.

26. Are you brave? It's time to sew the animal up...

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Sewing a mammal up is NOT for the faint hearted, but here's some advice from a taxidermist: 'Use doubled thread with a big knot tied at the end. Stitch back and forth between the two sides of the opening, bringing the needle up under the skin then out, over, and up under the skin on the opposite side, much like lacing up shoes.  Stitch from the neck down to the tail, fluffing up the fur so it doesn't get caught.'

27. Strike a pose... rodent!

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The taxidermist will find the perfect post for their mammals, the pose they want to display them in. For rodents, the most stable position is likely to be sitting upright, using both hind legs and tail for good support. Poses are normally not too complicated, just simply sitting up or laying down.

28. They pin the mouth and feet... ouch!

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Put a pin through the footpad of the hind feet to keep them from curling up as they dry out and keep the mouth in place with three pins (you can use sewing pins).  One of the pins should hold the lower lip up and the other two used to hold each of the bifurcated upper lips down over the bottom lip.

29. Dry them out... for days on end!

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Mammals are then left to dry for... a couple of days! The taxidermist makes sure that they are not over-drying and turning crinkly. To do this, they are kept out of direct sunlight. Rodents or mammals are then spruced up with a toothbrush and some water... and there you have it... ta da! It's brought it back to life!

30. IT'S ALL READY!

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When the rodents are dry, taxidermists will pull the pins out and put their creations on display for all to see. The concept of taxidermy is off-putting to some but seeing the results, especially when they are dressed up, is actually quite sweet and is a real artform that should be admired (if you're not squeamish, of course!).

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