Taxidermy in mammals . Mammals are carefully recognized and cleaned with lotions and friction of hard soap and sodium sulfate, drying with a cloth and dusting with fine plaster until obtaining a shine as in life. The natural openings will be covered, before the incision, with cotton swabs or with tow, depending on whether the animal is small or large.
Summary
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- 1 Practice of taxidermy in mammals
- 2 Skin dissection
- 1 Dissection of the skin on the upper extremities
- 2 Dissection of the skin on the abdominal extremities
- 3 Suture the limbs
- 3 Assembly
- 4 Filling
- 5 Location
- 1 Ears
- 2 Mouth
- 6 eyelids
- 7 Source
Practice of taxidermy in mammals
If the specimen must be transferred before its preparation, it will be filled with sodium chloride and the mouth will be covered, after which an injection of corrosive sublimate will be done rectally. This technique applicable to small animals is not for large animals, which require the extraction of the digestive tract with its glands. In this case, the resulting hole will be filled with pulverized coal , with tow , or with hay. If the specimen is to be kept for a long time, before its preparation, it will be submitted to arterial injections or it will be covered with charcoal powder. If you want to keep a small specimen without removing the integumentary cover, the viscera will be removedabdominal by the rectal opening, and the brain mass by the orbitals. These and the mouth will be filled with cotton with formalin. A daily injection of sulfuric ether will be applied to the anus for a few days.
Skin dissection
Mammalian skin is removed through an abdominal incision in the midline to the anus, separating it from the muscle tissue using the scalpel . The disarticulation of the femorotibiotrotulitis or the knees is started on one side following the dissection of the skin to the spinous processes of the vertebraelumbar. The knee on the other side is immediately disarticulated, dissecting the skin also to the lumbar region, at which point the skin is already completely separated so that the hand can freely pass from one side to the other. The outer integument and the inner face of the dermis are dusted with white plaster, preventing the hair from adhering to the soft parts and the blood leaving stains. The anus is traversed to the first vertebrae at the tail end and fixing the trunk to a special screw on the operating table. Holding the edge of the skin attached to the ligaments of the coccygeal vertebrae with both hands, the tail is separated from the overlying skin. Special care must be taken not to invert the skin in the shape of a glove finger, and for this it will be held together with the trunk of the tail.
Dissection of the skin on the upper extremities
It should be by planes, leaving the joints exposed, without destroying, however, the ligaments or the interosseous membrane. The bones will be shaved with plaster until they are completely whitened, then soaked in arsenic paste, the same as the skin of the region. The space between the wrist and finger joints will also be exposed, proceeding with the cast, a blunt-tipped scalpel and sharp-pointed curved scissors.
Dissection of the skin on the abdominal extremities
It requires the same precautions, respecting the tibiofibular joint, both the upper and the lower, as well as the Achilles tendon , so interesting to preserve the shape and attitude of the specimen. Once the bones and joint parts are cleaned, and after using the arsenical leg, the skin is moved to its original shape. A longitudinal incision is then made between the tibioperoneatarsal joint and the metatarsophalangeal joints in its plantar area.
Suture the limbs
Once the region has been cleaned and the corresponding arsenical embrocations have been made, the suturing can proceed. A strong thread is used to prevent breakage of the skin in consecutive retractions. The stitches must be closely joined to prevent the spaces between them from separating when the skin dries. The suture, depending on whether it is performed on the external or internal face of the skin, will be different, since in the first case it will comprise both edges simultaneously, bringing the points very close to each other. On the inner side, a stitched suture is used with a single needle and without breaking the thread until the edges are joined.
Mounting
The skin requires a previous antiseptic bath with various solutions, preferably arsenicals, in order to preserve the skins from the harmful action of insects. It is placed spread out on the table, making sure that the opening corresponds to the top. The frame will be inserted through one of its tips or extremities into the skull through the occipital hole, leaving through the nostrils, after removing its cartilage. Another limb will be inserted into the left thoracic limb, between the skin and the ulna and radius bones, leaving the palmar region in its middle part. Said limb should be filled with sawdust to the level of the bones mentioned in its upper limb, where a tow plug will be applied. Then another limb of the frame will be inserted into the right thoracic limb, in the same way indicated for the left. With the thoracic limbs ready and before proceeding with the assembly of the abdominals, the neck will be filled with tow in small portions, distributing it over the same so that unevenness and dents are avoided. The wire is then inserted, starting with the left abdominal member and in contact with the tibia, leaving through the plantar region in its middle part. The right and left abdominal parts are now assembled, filling them both. The last extremity of the frame will be inserted into the tail, going all the way.
Filling
The trunk filling will be with different material depending on the size of the specimen. The small ones will be preferable with tow, those of greater proportion with straw or hay. While the abdominal cavity is being filled, the first incision suture will continue, not finishing the incision until the specimen is placed in its position. Before making him adopt the position, it will be good to compress him on each side so that he does not deform once he is filled.
Location
When the specimen is already ready to be placed in a socket, it must be drilled with a hole with a diameter equal to that of the wire used. Finally it will bend once applied immediately to the socket, nailing it at both ends with pointed tips.
Ears
They will demand special care, as they are very exposed to wrinkling and deforming, thus altering the appearance. To obviate this defect, two cardstocks are applied directly to the ears on their outer face and on the inside of each one of them. To imitate the direction, a few pins nailed to the cranial vault will be used.
Mouth
If the mouth is to remain closed, there is no operation left but to suture the lips together, thickening at the right facial corner after filling the nostrils with soft wax. On the other hand, if the mouth is to remain open, the two jaws will be kept separate with the scalpel handle, allowing them to dry afterwards and coating the tongue and gums with yellow wax to oil paint later.
Eyelids
Given their tendency to wrinkle, they will be fastened with pins, giving them a layer of varnish on their inner edge
