Now, let's get to today's business. I will be talking about Taxidermy. Have you ever seen animals which almost look like they are alive mounted in museums, homes, etc? These are products of taxidermy. According to this site, Taxidermy may be defined as the preservation of the body of an animal through stuffing or mounting for the purpose of display or study.
Taxidermy is carried out in different ways and they are listed below
Re-creation mounts: These are depictions of animals which make use of body parts which are absent on the skin of the animal being depicted. They make use of horn, teeth, feathers, skin, etc which are gotten from animals which are different from the animals that are actually being depicted. An example of a re-creation mount is the depiction of an eagle which is made using the feather of a chicken. Or mythological creatures such as Hydras, Unicorns or Griffins which are made from the body parts of real life creatures.
A re-creation mount of a Griffin at the University of Copenhagen Zoological Museum Picture Source
Reproduction Mounts: These are mounts which are created with the aid of special materials and do not involve the preservation of real animals. Instead, the pictured and measurements of the animals to be depicted are taken and then the models are shaped precisely after the pictures. An example of this form of Taxidermy is the creation of a life size depiction of a Puma with the aid of man made materials. Picture Source
Freeze dried Mounts: Although mounts such as these are expensive are especially favoured among pet-owners. When their pets die, some people strive to immortalize such pets and hence, they freeze dry such animals by removing the liquids present in the tissues of the animals, therefore preserving them. These types of mounts are also favoured as they are able to catch a very life-like look such as the ones held by the animals during their lifetime. Picture Source
Traditional Skin-mounts: These are the kinds of mounts initially used by taxidermists. The creation of this type of mounts involve the removal of the skin of the animal after which the skin is tanned or preservative chemicals can be used, depending on the type of skin being used. At this point, the skin is then stuffed with wool or mounted on a mannequin which is made from wood or wire.. Artificial teeth, eyes, etc are then fixed on such mounts Picture Source
