taxidermy animals

how to taxidermy a squirrel

 

There are plenty of tutorials for skinning squirrels for cooking purposes (because they of course taste great!), But these little guys can also make unique mounts of taxidermy looking, so this Instructable will show you how to peel a squirrel for only end!
You can still eat meat, too, but just keep in mind that it takes a bit more to skin that way, so make sure you work in a cool and clean environment, if you wish keep the meat in good condition. (The squirrel used in this tutorial was a road kill and the bowels had broken and tainted some of the meat so I do not eat this one) but for a mount of taxidermy it will work perfectly since the skin itself was in fine fettle.
Here's what you'll need to get started:

• A fresh squirrel . (If the road kill do not pick up the one that smells bad, has bugs on it or loses hair.Also check your local regulations, in some states its illegal to hit the road kill so wait until the squirrels come in. season in your area!)
• Small sharp knife
• Scissors

Step 1: Make the first incision

 

The skinning method in this tutorial is known as a back coat . This is a method commonly used by taxidermists, since it does not involve a single reduction along the animal's spine and, relatively easy assembly and minimal stitching. On squirrels, I started just behind the shoulders and cut down to just before the hips. Once the incision is made, you can start working the inner membrane of the skin with the tip of your knife or even just your fingers. It is easy to separate them especially if the squirrel is still warm. The last picture shows the completely separated skin on the sides. Now the next step is going to be stripping the legs, which involves a little more precision!

Step 2: The skin of the paws and feet

 

Along with the separated skin in the middle of the body, you can now start working the hind legs with your fingers. Start by pushing the "knee" upward until you can see the joint and carefully start working the skin down from it with your hands. It will come off almost like a wet sock! But be careful, take your time and do not shoot too hard or damage will occur.
When you reach the squirrel's ankle, use the tip of your knife to start separating the small tendons and ligaments that connect the foot bone to the skin. Again, do not pull or cut with too much force or the skin of the foot will tear. So use patience and precision, working the skin down until you reach the bones of the toe.
After getting up to the toes, use your scissors to cut the joints that connect them to the foot bone and the entire foot skin will be fully separated. You did it ! Now, repeat the same process on the other leg!

Step 3: Remove the tail

 

Stripping the tail can be a bit difficult and it still needs careful handling. After the two hind legs have been skinned by, begin by entering the base of the tail bone and the base of the tail skin with the fingers and pull the OS straight outwards. (do not pull on the skin itself, it will tear - just hold them in place with your fingers while pulling on the bones) If done correctly, the bone structure will pull well out in one strand, and the skin resulting tail will be an empty tube.
And if the tail tear in two, by mistake, do not despair! You can always out skin by splitting the skin underneath, taking it off the bone and suturing it on the skin afterwards.
After the tail has been skinned, you can now take the entire hindquarters out of the skin forward, towards the shoulders, to continue with the final steps!

Step 4: The skin of the forelegs

 

The front legs are flayed even for the hind legs by working the skin off with the fingers, but instead of stripping the foot all the way to the toes, I cut the foot bone out at the joint of ankle. Squirrels have very little fat or muscle structure in their front paws and so I was able to leave the bones worry-free about them going wrong. They will contract a bit on the finished product, but this is not a major issue for basic display racks or accessories. The squirrel in this tutorial will later serve as part of a costume accessory.
(However, if you want to do a very high-end editing for a taxidermy contest, museum exhibit or other specialized display, you'll want to take extra time and precision to the skin's front feet as entirely as the hind ones. so that they can be filled with clay to prevent excess shrinkage.)

Step 5: Skin the head-ears

 

After the front paws have been skinned on, pull the skin forward on the neck until it reaches the bases of the cartilage of the ears. These are visible as small, pale "pieces" on either side of the head when viewed from below the skin. Cut each of them close to the skull with the blade of your knife. Its best to cut as close to the bone as possible to avoid damaging the skin.
Once you cut the basics of the ear, you can now move on to pull the skin forward until you reach the back corners of the eyes. These do not appear as darker, almost bluish sections in the skull and the next step will show you how to proceed further.

Step 6: Skinning the head - eyes and mouth

 

With your knife, carefully cut the thin membrane that connects the corner of the skin of the eye to the skull, taking care to leave the actual eyelids intact on the skin. Repeat both sides of the face and then work the skin down to the corners of the lips. Again, cut the membrane that connects to the bone and peel everything down until you reach the nose. With your scissors, cut the cartilage from the nose over the skull and the skin will be completely separated from the rest of the carcass!

Step 7: You're done!

 

Completed skin will be fully intact from head to tail, with all feet, toes, claws, mustache, nose and eyelids attached. The skin can now be prepared for a tan or placed in the freezer until you can proceed with additional work on it. To freeze your skin, turn it fur-out to avoid burns, fold it into a Ziploc bag and place in the freezer until you can then finish. Do not thaw until you are quite ready to work on it again!
As far as preservation is concerned, you can buy home-tanning solutions from most of Taxidermie's supply companies, or dry skin salt and send it to a professional tannery. In any case, you will fully preserve your skin if you can make it your own little roadkill trophy!

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