Pictured above is the completed mink skull. This is the very first piece
I've ever completed using dermestid beetles EXCLUSIVELY in terms of
macerating a specimen.They started a little slowly at first, but really took off as I figured out the proper feeding cycle. In order to achieve the rate of consumption I desired, I found that overfeeding the beetles was the key. In order to get them to eat faster, I gave them more and more to eat simultaneously. In addition to the mink, I added the skull of a Great Horned Owl (as a gift to the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center.) Below, is the finished product of that as well. It was incredibly interesting to find the absolutely massive bony rings (sclerotic rings) that keep the owl's eyes inside their head.
Notes for future bird specimens:
- Do NOT degrease the skull or the components thereof with any enzymatic washing cleaners. They are very effective at breaking down soft tissue and will obliterate the cartilage keeping the sclerotic rings together.
- Cover the beak sheaths and claws with clear nail polish or thin shellac to protect the color and integrity of the beak intact. As you can see from the owl, the hydrogen peroxide bath did a number on the beak sheaths; they are dull and flaky.
- Get a good (read: sharp) set of needle nosed forceps in order to easily handle small bones, like the small plates that make up the sclerotic rings, the hyoid bones, small mammal teeth, etc.
