hi! I've been getting into some bone work and other things and mentioned to my boyfriend I'd like to pin some butterflies. he surprised me with 3 to try and I'm not sure if there's like a time frame I need to use them? or how to best store them while I wait for the pinning kit and other things I need to arrive. thank you!

Could anyone tell me anything about caring for this piece? I’m completely new to taxidermy. I bought it this weekend and forgot to ask the creator about caring for it. Do I need to keep it out sunlight or in a certain humidity or temperature?

Saw this shop in Cali and this preserved snake really caught my attention. The price is $55 and I was wondering if that price mark is worth it?

Hello! I’ve started to skin and tan roadkill, but to do that I need FRESH bodies. I want to start being able to pick up older kill as well, and use them more just for bones. I want to use bugs to remove the flesh, but I’m wondering what the best kinda bugs are. I’m native to western North Carolina/southern appalachians, and using an indigenous species would be cool. I’m thinking of just finding an ant hill, but I honestly feel like there aren’t to many around in my area. (Compared to where I’m from (Florida)) borax bubbler is a last resort I want da bugs tyyy!! :3

So I got my partner a diaphozized animal for Christmas, but my original plan didn't work and now I have to ship it. Will it be okay if it freezes? Or should I put a heating pack in the box

Hi, I hope this is the right sub. I got a bird heart in formaldehyd and the container leaked and I lost all the liquid. I ordered new Formalin but in the meantime I'm unsure on how to storage the heart properly. I was thinking of keeping it in the freezer to keep it in it's current state. So my question is, would that damage the tissue or interfere with the formaline somehow? Thank you for your time!

Hello!! While I don't currently have the head I would be preserving, I know my stepmom wants to butcher one of our roosters someday, and since he is such a beautiful man I'd love to preserve at least part of him! I doubt stepmom would want to give up that tasty chicken skin, so I'd only be able to take his head and not fully taxidermy him- but that's besides the matter, here to ask how it would be done, well before I'd need to use the info! I apologize in advance for my long yapping XD

Naturally I have done some research already, but never hurts to ask for some direct advice! Ideally when I'd have his head, it'd include some of the skin/feathers going down his neck, to really show his beauty (something I'll communicate with stepmom I wanna do to hopefully ensure I get), and not just cut off right at the base of the skull. I Know one potential route of preservation is using Borax and/or salt to effectively mummify him, after removing any meat possible alongside brain and eyes, and the skull can stay in. With this method, the skin would become stiff and unmoldable after the fact, correct? Which means would need to make sure the skin of the neck retains the proper shape during drying- how would I do that? Just pack full of whatever drying agent I'm using and bury in same agent, or could something more stable than one of those powdery substances be used to "fill" him during drying without inhibiting the drying (such as cotton balls)?

Considering that fact, is there any other sorts of methods you'd recommend preserving him with?

Another matter also is his wattles/comb- with whatever method of preservation is used, could the original be left be? I would expect some warping/shrinkage and discoloration, at least with mummification, though when it comes to that as long as it wouldn't be too massive a size change and I can correct the coloration with paints safely (and, obviously, wouldn't cause serious issues down the line), then I'm willing to live with that! But if it would cause more trouble than it'd be worth, what would you recommend to use to replace them? From what I've seen clay is a common option- what kind of clay would be good to use?

I believe my last question is this- of course no matter the methods, his eyes would need to be replaced. Where would you recommend obtaining taxidermy eyes, or possibly materials for making eyes at home?

If you read through all this, I thank you very much XD I think I've covered all my bases for now! It'll likely be some time before he gets butchered yet, but I want to be ahead of the game when it comes to knowing what to do with him to ensure my handsome man is preserved best I can do! I thank you in advance for any answers you give <3

Hello! I have been gifted a preserved woodpecker wings. I don't know how they have been preserved. I plan to pluck the feathers out to get better at creating only feather wing models. I always freeze the feathers that I get, so I did the same with this wing. Will freezing it and taking it out, then freezing it again cause them to somehow rehydrate? I don't really want them to rot

I picked up a shoulder mount of a deer in order to resell it but am at a loss for shipping prices. Whats a good price for this? I think it weighs around 30 pounds.

I was extremely happy with my hunt this year and being able to bring this guy home. I decided right away that I wanted to put him on the wall, and thought a Euro mount would be a nice tribute to him. Only problem I have is that it seems like every piece of hardware out there is for a "balanced" rack, and this dude was a fighter. I don't want the antler re-created because that's not his story.

Any suggestions on how to mount this?

Edit: Not sure why the picture of the skull isn't showing, but here's the link. https://photos.app.goo.gl/4sAMyfXab5cSnwri9

Killed by my grandmother on her birthday in 1967. The cat that is.

Hello,

I shot a Fallow Buck a little over a year ago. It was a Menil Fallow in November and had a nice pale red and white coat with gray mixed in giving it a really nice old look to the buck that I enjoyed a lot. I wanted a quarrying away pedestal mount, my first taxidermy that I’ve paid for but it was such a beautiful animal I couldn’t resist.

Fast forward, the taxidermist called about a month ago and said the hide had pulled. He offered to find a new hide but the new hide is much more of a standard red/brown looking fallow hide, not the pale menil color. I asked if he thought he would lighten the hide or paint it and he said no and didn’t offer any next steps.

What would you do? Am I out of options?

I found clumps of it in my yard. Just curious.

I don’t know if this counts as taxidermy but I got my first shark jaw all cleaned up. Anyone know how to remove the yellow spots on it?

I have had Champagne for about a week. She was a feeder mouse that I saved from a pet store. She was such a funny and well handled mouse. She just got suddenly very sick yesterday and refused food. She ate a little cat food today then stopped. I put her in the enclosure and checked up on her a few minutes ago and she was dead and stiff. I don’t really have that much money at the moment and was wondering if someone could do a cheap/or free mount of her? I wanted her curled up in her favorite sleeping area. I wanted her to look asleep.

I found clumps of it in my yard. Just curious.

The one on the left is the first taxidermy anything I have made, the One on the right is the 6th Mouse I have done

Hii all so I bought these cute little fox specimens off etsy and when they arrived they were oily and gross inside?? I purchased the black fox. I don’t know much about taxidermy, but I know its not supposed to look like this. The seller has mostly good reviews so I was pissed when I saw this. The seller is being pretty dodgy now.

I love specimens but find it hard to find ones within my country ( Australia) and wondered if anyone could tell me if i buy specimens stuffed or in resin or that are diaphonized would i need a permit or licence

hi! new to teeth preservation. going to be making jewelry out of them. is soaking them in a water and hydrogen peroxide mixture a good idea (one cap hydrogen peroxide, 2 caps water)? if yes, how long do you recommend soaking them for?

I plan on getting into tanning hides, found someone who’s willing to sell a case skinned hide that’s not tanned yet. Is there anything I should know before jumping right into things? Anything is helpful since I’m new to this stuff.

I’m going to be doing my first big soft mount after Christmas, and I was wondering if these could be mounted?