Top 8 Things to Know About Taxidermy

Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study.  The word taxidermy is derived from two ancient Greek words; taxis meaning movement and derma meaning skin.  That translates into the movement of skin, the procedure involves moving the nature skin from the specimen, replacing this skin over an artificial body and adjusting the skin until it appears lifelike.

1. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians.


2. The methods that taxidermists practice have been improved over the last century to heighten the quality and to lower the toxicity.


3. The animal is first skinned without opening the body cavity so that the taxidermist does not see the internal organs or blood.


4. The skin is preserved with chemicals or the skin is tanned and mounted onto a mannequin made from wood, wool and wire or polyurethane form.


5. Taxidermist must be familiar with the anatomy, sculpture, painting as well as tanning.


6. Rogue taxidermy is the creation of stuffed animals, which do not have real, live counterparts.  They represent unrealistic hybrids such as jackalope or mythical creatures like dragons.


7. Anthropomorphic taxidermy is where stuffed animals are dressed as people or displayed as if engaged in human activities.


8. Some taxidermy mounts do not contain any parts of the animal at all.