| Taxidermy is the art of preparing and mounting the skins of animals
so they appear lifelike. A taxidermist is both a biologist and an artist.
When a dead animal is received (the museum receives many such animals from
zoos), measurements and photographs are taken. A mask is made of the head.
Next, the skin of the animal is removed and more measurements are taken
of the muscles. The bones of the skeleton are dried and assembled, with
metal supports, into a lifelike pose. The taxidermist studies live animals
and photographs to pose the animal in the correct position. The skeleton
is sculpted over with clay to give the shape of the muscles beneath the
skin to build the animal up to its actual size and shape. A plaster mold
is made from this clay model. From the plaster mold another mold of burlap
and plaster, paper, or fiberglass is made to complete the final mannequin.
The skin is fitted over the hollow mannequin and glass eyes are inserted
to complete the restoration.
The plants in the habitats are made of plastic. They have been
made from molds of real leaves and painted and prepared to resemble live
plants. The birds in the dioramas are made from real skin and feathers
fitted over an artificial skeleton of wire and fiber wrap.
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