Short-Tailed Shrew Pelt

November 7, 2010, 2:25 pm

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The cute little pelt of my Northern short-tailed shrew which I believe to be female. I never realized how soft and luxurious shrew fur was before I had her. She's gorgeous and has the sweetest bitty little eyes.

Her skull on the other hand isn't nearly as soft and adorable and was actually the star of my Halloween post this year: [link]


Shrew killed by my dog and cleaned and preserved by me


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal! If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

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BlackBacked Jackal - Full Pelt

November 7, 2010, 2:31 pm

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My new African Black-backed jackal pelt which is also known as the Silver-backed jackal. He is a full pelt with his paws and claws.

Pelt from a taxidermist on eBay


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal! If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

Africa's Coyote - Jackal Pelt

November 7, 2010, 2:38 pm

≫ Next: Short-Tailed Shrew Skull

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A better picture of my jackal's face. I love the bold black 'V' on his back and how fine and soft his fur is. It's kind of like a cross between fox and coyote fur. Another thing I find interesting is just how much his face resembles that of a common American coyote.

Pelt from a taxidermist on eBay


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal! If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

Short-Tailed Shrew Skull

November 14, 2010, 7:05 pm

≫ Next: Taxidea Taxus - Badger Pelt

≪ Previous: Africa's Coyote - Jackal Pelt

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The skull of my Short-tailed shrew, all cleaned up and nice looking. The reddish, chestnut coloring on the teeth is natural. This is the picture before it was cleaned: [link] It is a little under 1 inch long making it one of the smallest skulls in my collection and my only Insectivore skull.


Shrew killed by my dog and cleaned and preserved by me


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal! If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

Taxidea Taxus - Badger Pelt

November 14, 2010, 7:23 pm

≫ Next: SUE - Merry Christmas 2010

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My new American badger pelt. I am in love with him. He's one of those pelts that are just so easy to fall in love with. He's 34 inches of thick, soft fur with heavily clawed paws and that ridiculously adorable stripey face. On his underside, he has two dark brown dots on his chin (kind of like the chin dots on Free Willy) and he has a pale colored streak running along his belly too.

I'll get some better pictures of him at some point since this one's not that great and it doesn't show any of his paws or sweet little, brushy tail.


Purchased on eBay from a seller in South Dakota


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal and disagree with the killing of animals for sport or fashion. If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

SUE - Merry Christmas 2010

December 24, 2010, 7:47 am

≫ Next: Sharp-Tailed Grouse Pelt

≪ Previous: Taxidea Taxus - Badger Pelt

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I'd really like to say that this gorgeous creature is a part of my natural history collection, but... that would be a lie.

I recently had a unique opportunity to photograph Sue, the Field Museum's Tyrannosaurus Rex after normal museum hours and with beautiful dramatic lighting. I have seen her many times before and have long wanted to get awesome pictures of her. Alas, normally when I am there, the place is teeming with children and other visitors and they always end up getting in the way when I try to take pictures. This time though, I had no other people to contend with and as an added bonus, the lights!

I had to compile a little collage because I couldn't pick just one photo. So, I hope you enjoy this and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas this year.


SUE is the largest, most complete, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex ever discovered and was unveiled in May 2000. Her skeleton (the real one not the cast) is currently residing at The Chicago Field Museum.

Sharp-Tailed Grouse Pelt

January 26, 2011, 6:06 pm

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Pelt of a female Sharp-Tailed Grouse, also known as the "fire bird" or "fire grouse" by the Native American Indians because of this species' reliance on brush fires to keep their prairie habitat open.


Purchased on eBay from a seller in South Dakota


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal and disagree with the killing of animals for sport or fashion. If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

Tree Wolf

November 22, 2009, 12:34 pm

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A picture of my white wolf pelt posed in a tree.

Wolf from a taxidermist


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal and disagree with the killing of animals for sport or fashion. If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

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Cuddle Wolf - Pelt

November 22, 2009, 12:36 pm

≫ Next: Hind Paws And Tail - Wolf

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My white wolf pelt curled into a cozy ball.

Wolf from a taxidermist


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal and disagree with the killing of animals for sport or fashion. If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

Hind Paws And Tail - Wolf

November 22, 2009, 12:38 pm

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The hind paws and tail of my white wolf pelt.

Wolf from a taxidermist


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal and disagree with the killing of animals for sport or fashion. If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

FossilFeather's Den Of Natural History

November 29, 2009, 10:07 am

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My Natural Collection List

November 29, 2009, 11:27 am

≫ Next: Coyote Mohawk

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Coyote Mohawk

November 30, 2009, 3:52 pm

≫ Next: Three Yotes

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This is my new coyote pelt. She was found as roadkill and brought home, skinned, and tanned by me.

She has the thickest fur I've seen on a coyote yet and there's this glorious ridge of fur that starts about the back of her head and runs all the way down to the base of her tail.


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal! It was found already dead on the side of the road where it would have simply rotted away to nothing. If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

Three Yotes

November 30, 2009, 4:06 pm

≫ Next: New Coyote - Tanned

≪ Previous: Coyote Mohawk

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My three coyote pelts. From left to right: Kestrel, my new coyote, and Kyoht.

Kestrel's guard hairs are thin and flexible which makes her coat very soft. My new coyote has lots of nice, stiff guard hairs covering a thick layer of underfur and has a rather flashy tail too. Specimen-wise, she's my best coyote.

Kyoht was my first coyote as well as my first pelt. He's been all over the place and has gone through so much with me. His fur and tail never were particularly striking but the wear from all the lovings that he's received over the six years I've had him does show.


Kyoht and Kestrel from a taxidermist
New coyote found as roadkill and skinned and tanned by me


Disclaimer: I did not kill these animals! If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

New Coyote - Tanned

November 30, 2009, 4:09 pm

≫ Next: Vole Skull

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My new female coyote pelt. She was found as roadkill and I skinned her and took her through the tanning process so her skin is now a nice soft leather made to last for years to come.

She's quite the looker and I compliment her almost every time I come into the room or walk past her.


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal! It was found already dead on the side of the road where it would have simply rotted away to nothing. If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

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Vole Skull

December 1, 2009, 5:05 pm

≫ Next: Baby Rabbit Skull

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A vole skull, possibly a meadow vole. The skull measures about three-quarters of an inch long.

Vole found already dead and the skull was cleaned and preserved by me


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal! If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

Baby Rabbit Skull

December 1, 2009, 7:29 pm

≫ Next: Kit Fox - Anatomy Study

≪ Previous: Vole Skull

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Baby rabbit skull. Victim of one of my dog's "hunts" in the backyard. We've since discouraged him from chasing the rabbits he sees and he'll only chase them now if he knows we aren't looking.

Skull cleaned and preserved by me


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal! If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

Kit Fox - Anatomy Study

December 5, 2009, 9:54 pm

≫ Next: Mallard Duckling - Close Up

≪ Previous: Baby Rabbit Skull

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This is the body of a Kit Fox after it was skinned. I had put the body outside under a large flowerpot to return the flesh to the earth before going after the bones this coming spring, but I had a commission with a difficult pose and I needed some help.

My mind instantly jumped to the body of the little fox as potential reference and, since canines are all fairly similar in anatomy with just minor alterations, it seemed like a really great idea. After all, the great artists like Da Vinci learned their extensive anatomy knowledge from studying real cadavers, why couldn't I use that method too?

He had only been out there for a couple days and it's been pretty cold here so he was still very well preserved though during his time he'd been out there, he did pick up a fair amount of dirt and some leaves.

His help proved invaluable and now I wish I had a little canine anatomy figure that is as amazingly detailed, poseable, and perfect as this guy was, only you know... minus the decomposing thing.



Kit Fox from a trapper (this is not one of the endangered San Joaquin Kit Foxes from California)


Disclaimer: I did not kill this animal and disagree with the killing of animals for sport or fashion. If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

Mallard Duckling - Close Up

December 7, 2009, 1:52 pm

≫ Next: Groundhog Pelt - Murphy

≪ Previous: Kit Fox - Anatomy Study

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A close up of my new baby Mallard, Jefferey. He's so soft and cute, I expect him to start peeping at any moment.

I will be buying a glass dome and base for him to protect him from dust and bugs.


He died of natural causes back in 2006 and has been freeze dried for preservation.

Duckling from *Zhon


Disclaimer: If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.

Groundhog Pelt - Murphy

April 18, 2010, 8:07 am

≫ Next: Virginia Opossum Pelt

≪ Previous: Mallard Duckling - Close Up

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My new groundhog (or woodchuck) pelt, Murphy. He was picked up a few weeks ago and skinned and tanned by me. This species of pelts seems to be pretty rare and I'm guessing it might be that the fur, though handsome, isn't particularly luxurious. Another guess at why this might be is that, while I was softening the leather at the end of the tanning process, the ridiculously thick skin around his head and face make it super hard to get it properly softened like the rest of his pelt. Though I really don't think this should really stand in the way of anybody with a commercial tanning drum. Just us novices who have to do it all by hand.

Anyway, this guy probably has the coarsest fur out of all the pelts that I have but he's still a unique little pelt and I'm happy to have him.


Groundhog found as roadkill and skinned and tanned by me
Alpaca found on eBay from a seller who bought it in Lima, Peru


Disclaimer: I did not kill either of these animals! It was found already dead. If you do not like what you see, don't look at it! Also, don't bother wasting your time leaving rude or pointless comments here, they will be ignored.