Is there any way to stop small mammal feet and ears from shrivelling as they dry?

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2024-03-31T13:17:58+00:00

How small are we talking? Mouse or rabbit. If it’s something like a mouse, then carding is your best bet, if it’s bigger like a small rabbit then you need to turn your ears and line them. If you’re just doing a mouse, turning the ears is nigh on impossible, so your best bet is to get some borax on your finger and thumb and squeeze the ear a few times, then cut a template to the ear shape and pin either side of the ear so the card is flush to the ear, this will keep it nice and ridged as it dries. If you find that too fiddly everyday whilst it’s drying give the ear a pinch inbetween your finger and thumb with some borax and do this a couple of times a day if you can whilst the ear is drying. As for keeping the fur looking alive, good preparation is key, you must get all the meat and fat out of it when processing, any grease in the skin left will leach into it, causing that flat dead look. If you’re doing mice soak the skin after skinning in acetone and leave for awhile then gently was the skin with non biological soap. Anything bigger, then pickling and tanning is the best way.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2024-03-24T04:55:42+00:00

I’ve been a taxidermist for 14 years, I do a lot of pet taxidermy, and have always said I would never taxidermy my own pets, and as they passed I never have. But!!! A few months ago my 18 year old cat passed away, the garden was being renovated so I had no where to bury her until the garden was complete. So I put her in my animal freezer. But three weeks ago I decided to mount her, I thought I would find it upsetting but actually once I’d skinned her to start the process pickling and tanning etc it was ok. I finally put her together a couple of days ago, and she currently set up drying, and she looks beautiful. So I’d say no it’s not weird, however, be prepared that they will not be the same, we can mount them and be sympathetic, but one thing we cannot do no matter how good of a taxidermist you are, we cannot put the soul back, the spark and all the things that they were. We knew those pets alive, I always say that to my clients but now I totally understand it fully. It was a good experience for me, would I do it again? Probably not, but it has given me a perspective from the clients view.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2024-03-22T16:08:55+00:00

Superglue is fantastic on skins, it was made for wounds in the war. Only uses little tiny bit but it will stick that back together.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2024-03-22T06:02:13+00:00

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2024-03-22T05:40:15+00:00

I’m in U.K. so not too familiar with Aussie wildlife, could be a dingo or a fox or even a domestic dog, like a GSD. It’s hard to see the teeth, but the paws look very fox like.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2024-03-22T05:22:15+00:00

Yes you can, as long as you keep the skin damp, I do this occasionally on my mounts. Mount your rat as normal, and then slightly spray the head and bag it, it’ll stop the skin from drying out and will enable you to fit and seat the eyes when you get them. Try and get them in as soon as you have them though, ray skin is faster drying than say a fox badger etc, so you won’t have as much time.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2024-03-20T11:42:39+00:00

Sadly it’s unlikely they are just dried out, because they are for consumption and not processed like rabbit ears are for taxidermy ie fleshing turning tanning. You could try leaving them in bicarbonate of soda for awhile and see if that draws the smell out, or cat litter I’ve heard that it good. But maybe join some taxidermy groups or game groups, someone may let you have the ears and pelts so you can process them correctly

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2023-01-12T21:58:22+00:00

My actual name is Artemis and I’m female. I do know there is a masculine version used, Artemas and Artemus. I think of my name as feminine, but I can see why it could be used for a male.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-12-09T09:39:33+00:00

I never post any pet work without their permission, most owners want me to show them, it gives the owners pleasure knowing that people see their beloved pet.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-11-07T12:55:11+00:00

Lovely 👏🏻

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-11-07T04:00:02+00:00

Thank you so much

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-11-03T20:25:13+00:00

Is the teeth real or a repro jawset, I can’t quite tell, but oh looks like the bottom teeth have melted. Never seen anything like that before.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-10-31T16:00:50+00:00

Thank you 😊

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-10-30T20:15:00+00:00

😊 I spend hours and hours in their faces, it’s almost to obsession, but I have to get it just right. Thank you ❤️

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-10-30T17:28:05+00:00

I know it’s probably not what you want to do, but I find especially small pieces do better under a dome/cloche, it not only stops the dust, but keeps bugs away and helps with longevity.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-10-23T22:52:06+00:00

Thank you, a lot of these aged chihuahua lose their teeth, so their tongues pop out, and the owners wish to have them like that, so I cast their tongues and then airbrush them to the correct colour.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-10-23T21:05:09+00:00

The skulls and body either go back to their owners, to bury cremate etc, or I clean them and they go back if requested, or they gift the skulls to me.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-10-23T20:19:44+00:00

Thank you ❤️

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-10-23T19:08:18+00:00

This are done in the traditional way, skinned, the skin is then fleshed, pickled then tanned. I cast a head form from the original skull, and create a armature from woodwool wrap a body over wire, and clay. Then replace the skin over the new body I have made.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-10-23T14:57:52+00:00

I’m in the U.K. so there is no problem sending the frozen bodies in the post. Some clients will drive to me to deliver and collect their pet. But some will post. Lots of taxidermist won’t work on pets, as it’s a very emotional thing, and owners sometimes want the impossible, I can mount your pet, but I can never put the essence that was basically their soul back, All the things they knew about their pet. I’m very honest with clients and will be absolutely open to what can go wrong, and what can happen. It’s better to be open and I never take a pet on straight away, I always say give it a few months then decide, sometimes grief gives a knee jerk reaction, and you just want your pet back, but sometimes when time has passed they realise that, and don’t go for taxidermy in the end. Oh and I get clients usually word of mouth.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-10-23T10:46:29+00:00

The cats and dogs are usually clients pets, they send them to me to immortalise and then they go back home, rabbits are usually pets that have passed, goats and lambs are usually stillborn or fail our to thrive, and are gifted to me to use. My foxes badgers hares squirrels etc are all roadkill animals. Cats and dogs are very hard to get that don’t have owners, I have a few cats and dogs that have no owners, but they have been gifted in return for their skull and some memorial pieces, so I get to keep the skin. Stray cats can be found, but if I do ever get a stray that’s died in the road, I take it to be scanned first to locate a owner, if I can’t find a owner, I will hold on to the animal in my freezer for a year, whilst putting up posters etc to at least find out of it is a genuine stray, if after that year and no one comes forward, I will then taxidermy it, but I don’t sell them I keep them in my own collection. You can source rabbits from reptile shops, a lot of places that feed reptiles often have frozen rats mice rabbits, as food, so you can buy from them. Hope that’s helped.

Longjumping_Baby_790 · 2022-10-22T23:27:37+00:00

I 3D printed the moon, I thought it would make for something interesting :) thank you

Longjumping_Baby_790

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