Rabbit Skull

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alforddm

alforddm

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Not exactly rabbit for fur but I figured it fit better here than anywhere else.

This is the first rabbit skull to go through our "bug box". I think I should have left in it just a bit longer as there seems to be a bit of staining on the top from (I'm assuming) residual flesh. Otherwise it turned out great!

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SIGH. Jealous! I had a few wild dermestids colonizing a stump. I wasn't upkeeping it or anything...it was accidental. I guess they figured my bone stump, where I'd leave cat kills and such, was a good place to take up residence. lol
come to think of it, I probably should've thrown some rat scraps in there instead of burying them...woops. :shock:
I just retrieved one of my cavy skulls a couple days ago. I was happy to see it finally not all covered in jerky! lol
 
A couple hours in peroxide would whiten it right up.
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It actually spent a couple of days in peroxide. I didn't want to leave it in any longer. I have some of the more powerful paste stuff that may have taken out the staining but It's so much easier to to use the cheap liquid stuff for smaller skulls and just immerse them entirely.

I want to do an articulated rabbit skeleton so bad it's almost morbid!
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I saw one of those on ebay. It was in Lucite. Looked really cool.
 
alforddm":254lvo3o said:
Not exactly rabbit for fur but I figured it fit better here than anywhere else.

This is the first rabbit skull to go through our "bug box". I think I should have left in it just a bit longer as there seems to be a bit of staining on the top from (I'm assuming) residual flesh. Otherwise it turned out great!
Click to expand...

Would you explain your "bug box"? I've been thinking I'd like a rabbit skull to add to the few we've found left from our wild neighbors--so far deer, possum, and muskrat. My son, who does the butchering, has been dumping the heads, feet, etc somewhere in the woods. Some probably get taken away by scavengers but how long would I need to wait before I'd find a skull mostly just bone without skin, brains, etc? And is the bug box something you use to keep it from being crunched up or carried off before it is clean?
 
Would you explain your "bug box"? I've been thinking I'd like a rabbit skull to add to the few we've found left from our wild neighbors--so far deer, possum, and muskrat. My son, who does the butchering, has been dumping the heads, feet, etc somewhere in the woods. Some probably get taken away by scavengers but how long would I need to wait before I'd find a skull mostly just bone without skin, brains, etc? And is the bug box something you use to keep it from being crunched up or carried off before it is clean?
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We have dermestid beetles. It has been taking about two days to clean a rabbit skull (only skin removed; brains and eyes intact) but I have other things in the box as well. The box is a large Rubbermaid tub with screen windows for ventilation and some insulation. It also has a reptile heater to keep them warm. They die if they get below 40F.
 
I change it out if it gets cloudy and it's kept in a darkish room. The light is what breaks it down. I did the same procedure with the crow skull and it turned out really white. That is why I think I may not have left the rabbit skull in with the bugs quite long enough. It also had a bit of cartilage left around the eyes that I didn't notice until I already had it in the peroxide. I didn't want to put it back in the box after that as I wasn't sure if residual peroxide would kill the bugs.
 
alforddm":2qk4o1qr said:
I change it out if it gets cloudy and it's kept in a darkish room. The light is what breaks it down. I did the same procedure with the crow skull and it turned out really white. That is why I think I may not have left the rabbit skull in with the bugs quite long enough. It also had a bit of cartilage left around the eyes that I didn't notice until I already had it in the peroxide. I didn't want to put it back in the box after that as I wasn't sure if residual peroxide would kill the bugs.
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That is all really good info for anyone getting into it.
Thanks alforddm! :)

Theoretically, if you set it in a place that gets strong sunlight, it should help break down residual peroxide and maybe whiten it just a bit more. It's still a beautiful skull just the way it is IMO. I wonder if I still have that pile of dessicated small mammal heads..
 
Theoretically, if you set it in a a place that gets strong sunlight, it would help break down residual peroxide and maybe whiten it even more.
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I hadn't thought of that! Sunlight is a natural whitener anyway so that might be a really good idea. I'll try it as soon as the next skull is ready. I put it in partially frozen yesterday so It should be ready in a day or two.

That is all really good info for anyone getting into it.
Thanks alforddm! :)
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Thank you! I really appreciate all the info you have shared about furs.
 
Ah, I found a small pile of mostly de-fleshed dried out heads from squirrels (legally hunted), chickens, and unusually sized rabbits that I was supposed to send to someone else before I felt the need to get away from the whole taxidermy-art scene.
If your bugs ever get hungry, I could send em your way.
 

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I appreciate the thought Zass, however, things really need to be fresh or frozen. From what hubby tells me, fly larva is really really bad for the bugs. I was all for picking up road kill and throwing it in but hubby vetoed me on that real quick.

I bet those chicken heads would look awesome all cleaned up!
 
No fly larva possible, because they were all food animals for us.
I prepped them following the instructions of someone else with beetles.

They have been unwrapped in my dead-animal freezer over a year though, and have started to get a freeze-dried look...

Do beetles do well with really dry meat?
 
Lol I'm not sure. I bet I could just spray them with a bit of water to soften them up a bit. If you wanted to pay shipping both ways I'd stick them in the box and if/when they are clean send them back to you.
 
That would work for me. I'd ship them in multiple ziplock bags to keep any unwanted intruders out.

And, you could keep any of them you found interesting. (I can always get more)

Those chicken skulls do look neat cleaned up. It's really fascinating to see the similarities, and differences, in both beak structure and brain size between chickens and crows.
On that topic, coons are another animal, like crows, that have a disproportionally large brain. Don't pass up the opportunity to compare one to an opossum skull some time.
 
Dermestid beetles are the bane of many people who have taxidermied specimens. They will eat stuff that was mounted fifty years ago.... no need to add moisture if they also have other sources of moisture.
 

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