a booklet about
TAXI DER MY F A C T S
W O R D S I M A G E S S T A T I S T I C S
O P I N I O N S
TABLE OF CONTENTS TAXIDERMY BASICS PAGE TWO AND THREE SPECIAL TERMS PAGE FOUR AND FIVE FACTS AND FIGURES PAGE SIX AND SEVEN THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS PAGE TEN AND ELEVEN FUN FACTS page twelve and thirteen
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TAXIDERMY taxidermy BEGAN IN ENGLAND IN THE 19TH CENTURY. Initially, taxidermy was a crude and unsophisticated process. Animals were gutted, their hides were tanned and then stuffed with cotton or straw and sewed back up for display. In the 1970’s, taxidermists stopped stuffing the animals and stretched their skin over special moulds. This is why you should refer to the animal as being “mounted” rather than “stuffed”. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
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basics Some taxidermy specimens do not involve a carcass at all, particularly in the case of sporting fish, such as trout and bass, for which the practice of catch and release is becoming increasingly prevalent. Instead, detailed photos and measurements are taken of the animal, and then a taxidermist creates a resin or fibreglass sculpture of the animal that can be mounted and displayed as a specimen. The actual animal is released. Some足taxidermists work exclusively with non-hunted animals, which usually means road kill.
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SPECIAL TERMS
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- Taxidermy the art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals with lifelike effect. - Anthropomorphism The attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal, or object. - Habitat Diorama A scene which depicts the animal in its natural habitat. - Rogue taxidermy This kind of taxidermy represents an animal not found in nature, e.g. a griffin. - Vegan Taxidermy Detailed photos are taken of the animal and it is re-created using resin or fiberglass. The actual animal is released. - Re-creation An animal that has been re-created without using any of it’s own parts. - Trophy Something mounted and displayed, for example, a deer’s head.
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The largest mammal ever mounted for a museum is the male African bush elephant, which made its public debut in the rotunda of the Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in 1959. Among the oldest surviving taxidermy specimens is a crocodile that was mounted in 1623 and is still on display in the Natural History Museum of St. Gallen, Switzerland. The Manchester Museum includes a sizable holding of zoology specimens which is 600,000 strong.
A TAXIDERMY BUSINESS CAN BE QUITE EXPENSIVE TO SET UP, USUALLY COSTING AROUND 3000 POUNDS, THOUGH THE RETURNS AND PROFIT MARGIN ARE USUALLY BETWEEN 50 AND 75 PERFCENT. MANY TAXIDERMISTS EARN BETWEEN 12,000 AND 20,000 PUNDS A YEAR, THOUGH SOME CAN EARN UP TO 30,000, AS THE MAJOIRITY OF TAXIDERMISTS ARE SELF EMPLOYED,
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TAXIDERMY FACTS AND FIgURES
it takes at least 72 hours to complete a piece of taxidermy. you could be looking to pay from 150 pounds for a rack of antlers, but if you look after them correctly they can last for more than 10 years.
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THOUGHTS and opinions
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Looks cool, seems mean. Bad Taxidermy is hilarious.
I think it is a very old fashioned thing to do.
I don’t think I’d have one in my house, however I have nothing against it.
I think it is demeaning to the animals, for people to treat them as ornaments rather than living things.
I think it’s super cool; there’s I think it’s really weird and a great skill in making a creepy, but if the animal dead thing look alive! has died of natural causes I don’t see anything wrong Gross & unnecessary. with it as such. It’s okay but I think it’s a bit I think it’s a tad weird personally. disrespectful to the animals. I dont think its respectful I personally love to look at of an animals body the butterfly’s, mixed opinions but mainly against. I think its okay because its preserving something and I personally quite like how making it nice to look at, even when it’s died. As long quirky it is, especially when it’s done badly. as you don’t kill it for the purpose of taxidermy. It goes back to when animals were hunted as I don’t see a problem with it ‘trophies’ so it upsets me to as long as the animal used still see it done today. has died of natural causes and hasn’t been killed think it can look quite nice specifically just for as a decorative piece! taxidermy.
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a few FUN FACTs The oldest record of taxidermy dates back to the 1600’s Mummification can be traced back over 2000 years to the Ancient Egyptians. The M5 has the highest toll of roadkill in the UK.
On most taxidermy courses a large percentage (90%-95%) people are women. Taxidermy specimens can be saved for later use by freezing.
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