Skeletal preparation
- Thread starter LRM
- Start date
LRM, thanks, very infromative. These are the results of my recent failure, I was not prepared for how badly the results came out.
I was surprised how deteriorated the box even became
These were the only bone fragments I found, I'm think they are probably pieces of the skull.
Next time I'll do it right. Thanks again for the info
I was surprised how deteriorated the box even became
These were the only bone fragments I found, I'm think they are probably pieces of the skull.
Next time I'll do it right. Thanks again for the info
meghanashley;3593254; said:
I take it you tried burying it? I did that once with a frog and never found anything left...
I did, two months, everything completely gone except for those fragments. Should have done some research first.
Fish can be really tricky because of all those small unfused bones. Your best bet for working with fish are the dermestid beetles I showed in the first post. They really aren't that difficult to get. If you browse different taxidermy websites you can almost always find people selling surplus from their colonies. The going rate is about $75 for a thousand. For a fish the size of the bichir you posted I'd imagine you would want a colony in the 3-4 thousand range to get the job done in three to four days. I will see if I can get my hands on a freshly dead fish to demonstrate beetle cleaning on a fish. I'll have to stop by the local fishing hole or buy a large goldfish (but where is the fun in that?).
Nice write up!
For someone who is doing this on a small scale or as a one-off project, I suggest terrestrial isopods (AKA pillbugs, roly-polies, wood lice) as a substitute for dermestids. They don't act as fast so it is a good idea to remove larger pieces of flesh first. The major advantages are that they can be easily collected locally in most places (without having to root through last week's roadkill) and a colony can be maintained with vegetable matter, so you don't have to keep them supplied with meat as you do with dermestids.
For someone who is doing this on a small scale or as a one-off project, I suggest terrestrial isopods (AKA pillbugs, roly-polies, wood lice) as a substitute for dermestids. They don't act as fast so it is a good idea to remove larger pieces of flesh first. The major advantages are that they can be easily collected locally in most places (without having to root through last week's roadkill) and a colony can be maintained with vegetable matter, so you don't have to keep them supplied with meat as you do with dermestids.
I recently did this with a feral cat that died in my back yard. I'm painting the entire skeleton with brightly colored acrylic paints and flowing shapes and patterns. The beetles had already stripped most of it dry by the time I found it. I used an X-acto knife to remove the remaining tissue. I definitely used a military grade gas mask when working with it until the hydrogen peroxide submersion.
Just as a warning from past experience, use a bent piece of wire to remove what's left of the brain. I sprayed a hose into the brain case of the cat skull and sent the remnants of the brain rocketing out of the sinuses. It was really nasty!
Just as a warning from past experience, use a bent piece of wire to remove what's left of the brain. I sprayed a hose into the brain case of the cat skull and sent the remnants of the brain rocketing out of the sinuses. It was really nasty!
left over chicken, pork, steak etc and cold cuts.spiff;3593726; said:
I think I might be able to find you a link for a no hands "brain blaster" that you can make with a few handy items from the hardware store.Death Pony;3593739; said:
