Taxidermy

Taxidermy has been used in natural history museums to preserve and display mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian and fish specimens for many hundreds of years. One of the earliest reported examples of taxidermy is a rhinoceros specimen in the Royal Museum of Vertebrates in Florence, Italy, from 1500. Today, museums generally use taxidermy to preserve only birds and mammals.

The derivation of the word taxidermy comes from the Greek taxis meaning to arrange and derma, skin, literally meaning arranging the skin.

In natural history museums today, two forms of taxidermy are generally performed. The first is a simple form, often called study skin taxidermy, and is used for preserving the skins of mammal and bird specimens for scientific study. The other form of taxidermy that most people are familiar with is display taxidermy which strives for a realistic and natural appearance. The black rhino specimen you see on display is such an example.

First, the black rhino specimen was fully skinned. This hide was then tanned in the same way leather is preserved (although the skin surface and fur remains intact). The skin is then fitted to an artificial body made from modern materials like polyurethane foam, plaster or, as in this case, paper mâché. Glass eyes are used to bring the mount to life along with a natural pose and an artistic composition that conveys the essence of the creature.

The importance of taxidermy in a natural history museum is to preserve a unique specimen which should last hundreds of years. We strive to provide the necessary conditions to indefinitely conserve specimens for research and education. In some instances, they are the only remaining examples of extinct species. Scientists studying taxonomy and museum science will often refer to these specimens for their biological and, more recently, genetic importance.