Taxidermy
is the art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals
(especially vertebrates) for display (e.g. as hunting trophies) or for other
sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals,
including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. In many cases, meat
may be far from the most remunerative product that a community can obtain from
a wild species. The comparative advantage of wild species may lie in the luxury
products that can be made from them, such as pictures, fans and musical
instruments made from feathers, wings, teeth, bones, shells and other parts of
animal bodies. There is a large market for what might be termed "display
fauna" - animals or their parts that are used to produce luxury goods for
display.
Animal
skins, whole or in parts, have been used for adornment and household display
for centuries, particularly as rugs and wall hangings (in essence hunting
trophies). Though undoubtedly a form of use that has a long history in many
countries, this sector of trade also developed a global dimension, with
significant movements of skins and skin items particularly along colonial trade
routes to Europe in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. An extension of this
market segment is the trade in whole taxidermy specimens (often skin and
skeleton) for display. Unlike the mainstream trade in wildlife trophies, it is
likely that today’s end user for animal skin display items is seldom also the
hunter of the animal from which the skin was taken. The motivation for
acquiring these items is more likely to be association with, rather than
involvement in, the act of hunting, or simply admiration for and the aesthetic
value of the item.
Process of Taxidermy
The
animal is first skinned in a process similar to removing the skin from a goat.
This can be accomplished without opening the body cavity, so the taxidermist
usually does not see internal organs or blood. Depending on the type of skin,
preserving chemicals are applied or the skin is tanned. It is then either
mounted on a mannequin made from wood, wool and wire, or a polyurethane form.
Clay is used to install glass eyes. Forms and eyes are commercially available
from a number of suppliers. If not, taxidermists carve or cast their own forms.
Taxidermy
specimens can be saved for later use by freezing. The taxidermist then removes
the skin, to be tanned and treated for later use. Numerous measurements are
then taken of the remaining body. A traditional method that remains popular
today involves retaining the original skull and leg bones of a specimen and
using these as the basis to create a mannequin made primarily from wood wool
(previously tow/hemp wool was used) and galvanised wire. Another method is to
mould the carcass in plaster, and then make a copy of the animal using one of
several methods. A final mould is then made of polyester resin and glass cloth;
from which a polyurethane form is made for final production. The carcass is
then removed and the mould is used to produce a cast of the animal called a
'form'. Forms can also be made by sculpting the animal first in clay. Many
companies produce stock forms in various sizes. Glass eyes are then usually
added to the display, and in some cases, artificial teeth, jaws, tongue, or for
some birds, artificial beaks and legs can be used.
Figure
1.1: Products of taxidermy
Source:
Canvass (2012)
Example
of Taxidermy Lion made by ZAWA
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