GLOSSARY

A

Acquisition: The process of obtaining animal specimens for taxidermy.

Antlers: Bony extensions on the skulls of certain animals, often displayed in taxidermy.

Articulation: The process of reassembling animal skeletons for display.

B

Boiling: A traditional method of skull-cleaning involving simmering in water.

C

Colony Health: Refers to the overall health and condition of a dermestid beetle colony.

Composting: An alternative method of skull preparation involving decomposition.

Conservation: Efforts to maintain and preserve wildlife, relevant in ethical sourcing for taxidermy.

Custom Taxidermy: Tailor-made taxidermy services to meet specific client requirements.

D

Degreasing: The process of removing fats and oils from animal skulls and bones.

Dermestarium: An environment specifically designed for housing dermestid beetles.

Dermestid Beetles: Specialized beetles used in taxidermy for cleaning animal skulls.

Display Case: A protective enclosure for displaying taxidermy specimens.

E

Ethical Sourcing: Ensuring that animal specimens are obtained in a humane and legal manner.

Ethical Taxidermy: Taxidermy practices that prioritize animal welfare and ethical sourcing.

European Mount: A type of mount where only the skull and sometimes antlers of an animal are

displayed.

F

Flesh-Eating Beetles: Another term for dermestid beetles.

Fly Larvae: Insect larvae that can infest and harm dermestid beetle colonies.

H

Habitat Recreation: Creating natural-looking settings for taxidermy displays.

Hide: The skin of an animal, used in taxidermy.

I

Insecticide: Chemicals used to control insect infestations in taxidermy.

M

Maceration: The process of cleaning bones by soaking in water.

Mites: Small pests that can negatively impact dermestid beetle colonies.

Mounting: The process of preparing and displaying taxidermy specimens.

Museum Quality: A standard of taxidermy suitable for educational and scientific displays.

N

Natural History: The study of animals and plants, often the focus of museum displays involving

Taxidermy.

O

Osteology: The study of bones, relevant in understanding animal skeletons.

P

Pest Control: Measures taken to protect dermestid beetle colonies from unwanted pests.

Preservation: Methods used to protect and maintain the condition of animal specimens.

Professional Taxidermist: An individual trained in the art of taxidermy.

Q

Quality Control: Standards and procedures to maintain the quality of taxidermy work.

R

Replica: An artificial reproduction of an animal part, often used when the original is unavailable.

Restoration: The process of repairing and restoring older taxidermy specimens.

S

Scoring: The process of evaluating the size and quality of animal antlers or horns.

Skull-Cleaning: The process of removing flesh and tissue from animal skulls for display.

Specimen Preparation: The process of preparing animal bodies for taxidermy.

T

Tanning: Process of treating animal skins to create leather or prepare them for mounting.

Taxidermy: The art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals for display.

Trophy Skull: A cleaned animal skull prepared for display as a hunting trophy.

V

Veterinary Pathology: The study of animal diseases, relevant in understanding causes of death

before taxidermy.

W

Whitening: The process of bleaching skulls to achieve a white color for display.