Would any of you ever have your herps taxidermied?

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Originally Posted by lord jackel

If I could afford it I would do it in a heartbeat. I know a taxodermist and you might find it surprising that unless it is a leather skinned animal (deer, bear, etc.) everything is fake (old stuff was real but not anymore).


For example all those stuffed trophy fish you see were never live fish - someone caught one took a picture and measurements (sometimes they send the fish just to review) but then a mold is created and painted.

The same holds true for most other animals...having a nice ball morph in a natural pose on a natural background (like a african termite mound) would look very cool and could be a very nice show piece.

They aren't literally going to take your dead snake and stuff it.

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I am sorry but that is just not the case. There are now what are called replica fish where you measure the girth, length, etc and let it go and they mount a replica but that is not how most are done.

To mount a fish you skin it, preserve the skin and put a form inside it and paint it. I took a few courses when I though about being a taxidermist myself back 20 years ago. Most mounts are simply the animals skin over a form, but it is the real skin, scales, fur, etc. not a "mold" or "reproduction". Do you really think a mounted deer for instance is a "mold" where would they get the hair? There is indeed a mold (called a form in the trade) but it is under the real skin of the animal.

Mounting a snake is very easy, they are easy to skin and the cut is easy to hide, (right where the belly joins the back skin would be best. You would then touch up the skin with some paint yes that is true, but it would be real skin and glass eyes work best. A really good artist would even be able to mount the mouth open with the real teeth, etc.

Now would I do it? Perhaps with certain snakes? The display would be nice and it would be a way to remember a pet. I don't have the bond with my reptiles that I do with my dogs or cats. I know I could not do it with my dogs, etc but a snake yea the right snake with the right display could be pretty nice.

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Originally Posted by jjspirko

I am sorry but that is just not the case. There are now what are called replica fish where you measure the girth, length, etc and let it go and they mount a replica but that is not how most are done.

To mount a fish you skin it, preserve the skin and put a form inside it and paint it. I took a few courses when I though about being a taxidermist myself back 20 years ago. Most mounts are simply the animals skin over a form, but it is the real skin, scales, fur, etc. not a "mold" or "reproduction". Do you really think a mounted deer for instance is a "mold" where would they get the hair? There is indeed a mold (called a form in the trade) but it is under the real skin of the animal.
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As I said in my post this is what they did long ago but now most fish are not the real skin. As for your deer comment again I said this in my post that leather based products are the real deal.

I agree you could do it with the actual skin of a fish or a snake but that isn't necessary (or the common practice - according to a practicing taxodermist) not now a days.

Nope. I find that stuff to be pretty creepy.

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Originally Posted by lord jackel

As I said in my post this is what they did long ago but now most fish are not the real skin. As for your deer comment again I said this in my post that leather based products are the real deal.

I agree you could do it with the actual skin of a fish or a snake but that isn't necessary (or the common practice - according to a practicing taxodermist) not now a days.

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Well with fish MOST taxidermists use the forms today but not with snakes or even with less common fish species. They don't make "molds" using a dead animal they take measurements and order a replica at those deminsions.

This is fine for a large mouth bass or a striper which are mounted by the thousands each year. Yet how much call is there for a 51 inch ball python form? or a 9'9" Asian Rat Snake form. Using replicas for something mounted on such a small scale would be inpractical.

You take your snake to be mounted and mark my words, its' getting skinned and tanned. As for the forms made from live animals with snakes I have seen them for rattlers, waste of your time and money in my opinion the do not look very realistic at all and appear to be what they are, mass produced peieces of plastic.

I don't think I could do it with one of my dogs, but I'm not sure about the snakes. I could have a random dog though, I think the dog on scrubs and what they do with it is hilarious. I could see messing with some people with it :) but I dont think I could bare to see my dogs after they'd passed, it'd make me too sad.

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Originally Posted by jjspirko

Well with fish MOST taxidermists use the forms today but not with snakes or even with less common fish species. They don't make "molds" using a dead animal they take measurements and order a replica at those deminsions.

This is fine for a large mouth bass or a striper which are mounted by the thousands each year. Yet how much call is there for a 51 inch ball python form? or a 9'9" Asian Rat Snake form. Using replicas for something mounted on such a small scale would be inpractical.

You take your snake to be mounted and mark my words, its' getting skinned and tanned. As for the forms made from live animals with snakes I have seen them for rattlers, waste of your time and money in my opinion the do not look very realistic at all and appear to be what they are, mass produced peieces of plastic.

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OK..I guess I am just not sure your point...I never said they wouldn't use the skin...I said it wasn't necessary (and uncommon with fish - since fish skin turns brown and loses most of it color when dried so there really is no reason to use it). As for the forms they still aren't going to stuff your snake...they are going to take measurements use clay, modeling plaster, etc. to make the shape - then determine the best way of covering it.

But Peace...I think we agree that with the right snake and look we would both consider getting it done.

:rockon:

Taxidermy is an art and the the use of living skin is just one of hundreds of ways to make authentic looking replicas and mounts.

Hey we are cool on this, I just don't agree with what would be the most common way to mount a snake. Unfortunately rattlesnake round ups are still very common in Texas and I call tell you the ones you see mounted there are real skin and real fangs.

To me that is sad, though I do understand a ranchers delema with loosing stock and dogs, etc.