How do I clean an animal down to bones to mount as a skeleton

Question

Thinking of using a rat first but a cat would be interesting. How to clean the bones and how to put them together in the right order? Small rat bones could be difficult

Answer 1

I agree with the other people who've answered.  Insects will do the job in a few days in most climates.  Be sure to put the bones in a cage so a larger animal does not carry them off.  Both a rat and a cat are very bad ideas as they will chew the bones up.  

Answer 2

It depends on the animal, but the majority can be done in this way:

1.-Carefully remove the guts.  Cut into the abdomen, but do not damage the ribs, etc.

2.-Boil the carcass in a large pot until most of the flesh has fallen away.  Be very careful if it's a small creature like a rat or mouse, because you can actually dissolve the tiny bones away.

3.-Remove the body from the water.  Do not "scrape" off any meat that is still clinging to the bones, or try and remove the brain or clean the nasal cavity.  If you do, you WILL damage the skull.  If some bones are still attached, leave them that way.

4.-Dry out the bones in the sun or in a heated room.  If you put them out in the sun, set up a wire cage "over" the bones, so cats, dogs, or other predators cannot get to them.

5.-Now, this step is difficult for some people, but you'll get the best results if you can do it.  Put the bones inside a "deep" container with smooth sides.  A plastic bin-type container can be bought from K-Mart.  Get as many Dermestid Beetles as you can.  You may be able to buy these from a local pet store, or collect them yourself from any dead carcass.  Do NOT use fly maggots.  The larvae of this beetle feed on dried animal flesh, and they will literally strip all remaining flesh from the bones and from inside the skull.  It may take a long time though, 2-4 months, or longer depending on the size of the animal.

This is the technique used by all natural history museums.  If you cannot buy or collect the beetles, it is not the end of the world and you can still clean off your skeleton.

6.-If you are not able to use the Dermestid Beetles, then clean off whatever meat you can, being careful not to damage the bones.

7.-Take the cleaned-off bones (done by you or beetles) and place them in a "plastic" container filled with a strong solution of Peroxide and water.  Watch them carefully and remove any bones as the remaining meat on them dissolves away.  Even clean bones should spend a little time in the Peroxide.  After removing them soak them in plain water for at least 2 days.  Be very, very careful you do NOT leave the bones in the Peroxide too long, because it will literally "burn" the bones and dissolve them away if you do.

8.-Check out a book from the library on the anatomy of your animal, and put the skeleton together by gluing the bones together or wiring them, depending on the size of the animal.

It's lots of fun, so enjoy it.  And, the end result will be something to really be proud of.  Need anymore info, just email me.

Answer 3

It's a long time since I had to clean animal bones to mount them as a skeleton but I think we used hydrogen peroxide.

Answer 4

First, skin and eviscerate the animal. Rough out the skeleton by cutting away some of the meat. Do not get too close to any bones. At this point, you may want to dry the carcass. Depending on where you are, you have a choice of animals to clean the meat away. If you live at the seashore, put the carcass in a mesh container and stake it out a bit above the low tide line. Wait about 12 hours and come back to remove the cleaned skeleton. I've never tried this route myself. Dermestid (museum) beetles are traditional. Ants are faster but do a rougher job. I have even used maggots. Some people have used mealworms. Once the critters have eaten away all the meat they will eat, remove anything left with a scalpel. Work slowly and carefully. Carbon tetrachloride will remove grease stains. Use it outside; you don't want to breathe it in. You may or may not want to bleach the bones. If you have done everything correctly and are lucky, the bones should be held together by ligaments. You may want to soak the skeleton in water (or your bleach solution) to soften the ligaments so you can position the skeleton. Use heavy wire supports to keep the skeleton in a natural position. Loose bones may be wired in place with fine wire through holes drilled in the adjoining bones or glued in place.

Answer 5

Most professionals clean skeletons with the aid of Dermestid beetle larva.  They will strip the bones clean.

http://www.dappercadaver.com/blog/2008/0...

There are places online where you can order them, just do a search.

Answer 6

The fastest and most effective way to turn an animal corpse into a pile of clean bones is carpet beetles...  

Answer 7

Put it on an anthill, the ants will carry off all the flesh and leave the bones for you to collect.