Mouse Taxidermy

intro
 

introMouse Taxidermy

How to stuff a mouse. Warning: an extremely graphic tutorial involving dead mice.
See LED Throwie Rodents, Conjoined Twin Mice, and Duck Mouse for more advanced projects..

Mouse Taxidermy
p8170056.jpgmouse.jpgp8170068.jpgmouse3.jpgmouse2.jpg

step 1Procure mice


step 2Assemble tools


step 3Cut wires


step 4Make voodoo doll- cotton balls


step 5Make voodoo doll- wrap thread


step 6Make the voodoo doll- eyes


step 7Initial incision


step 8Peel skin


step 9Hind legs


step 10Tail


step 11Forelegs to head


step 12Ears


step 13Eyes


step 14Nose


step 15Clean the pelt


step 16Invert and moisten


step 17Wire the legs


step 18Insert voodoo doll: head


step 19Attach forelegs


step 20Insert the tail


step 21Attach the tail


step 22Attach hind legs


step 23Sew closed


step 24Pose your mouse


step 25Pin feet and mouth


step 26Let them dry


step 27Remove pins and display


202 comments
1-50 of 202
Nov 30, 2008. 10:16 PMwalkerpediasays:
nice instructable! Why such unnatural poses though?
Nov 6, 2008. 4:04 PMsinxkittensays:
Hi!
i've recently gotten into the cool kind of taxidermy (like this and this ), not the creepy "this was my pet dog growing up, and now i keep it in my bedroom because i loved him" kind. Heh. I'd love t try this, this tutorial is awesome! I was pretty good at dissecting animals in my biology class, so i might be good at this.
Now to convince my mom to let me taxidermy a mouse....
Oct 31, 2008. 6:52 AMCRYROLFEsays:
Well....I've always wondered how they stuff those animals in the museum so uhm....now I know. Kinda gross though, and those mice really, really smell don't they? I've had to feed dead mice to a snake before and they still stunk even when they weren't alive.
It probably is pretty difficult though....being so tiny.
Mar 25, 2008. 12:19 AMShawnDBsays:
Awwwwww. :(
My mouse turned out terrible! lol.

My roomate was very concerned about me because I kept gagging...he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of what I was doing though. Everything went GREAT until I had to take the skin off the tail. I got it about 1/4th the way off when it started to rip. It ended up ripping all the way off...I thought no big deal...i can skip the tail on my first...well his little butthole got stuck on my finger and I had a hard time getting it off. haha. I had a hard time getting the arms and legs set up too. At the very end I finally got it all good to go..but my mouse has a permanent expression on his face that says 'DURRRRRRR' with an untangible crooked head and a lazy eye. He has a thick hump with a ridge on the top of his back where I messed up, and no tail or butthole. Oh and his left arm is deformed and stuck in a curled posistion with every bone in it broken....To top it all off I found that his butthole was STILL stuck to the bottom of my finger.
Oct 17, 2008. 11:23 PMwolfy_9005says:
LOL
Feb 29, 2008. 6:41 AMPotroastsays:
Sweet! I usually just flush them, but this seems much more environmentally friend. Re-use and re-cycle etc.
Apr 12, 2008. 7:15 PMfilthyfurysays:
burying it would be more enviromentally friendly
Oct 15, 2008. 11:04 AMlgcalexsays:
most animals dont bury dead things. If anything eating the bits that it's safe too would seem the most enviromentally friendly thing to do. I'm afraid i'll have to get a carnivorous friend to eat mine..

Haha, but really, mouse vr murcry laden CFL bulbes? I think the murcury does more harm to a landfill than some uncooked meat
May 25, 2008. 7:44 PMcanidasays:
The insides went into the city's industrial compost.
Oct 14, 2008. 9:12 PMnibbler125says:
finger puppits !!
Mar 18, 2008. 5:05 PMCameraBoy9says:
you have to find a way to use the meat as well. im thinking mouse porjuto
Sep 24, 2008. 8:44 PMgabethegeeksays:
It's quite good actually!
Just don't tell the people who you serve it to what it is!
Mar 18, 2008. 5:06 PMCameraBoy9says:
joking
Sep 22, 2008. 9:48 PMjoeflagstaffsays:
It can't be that hard to gut a mouse... There are plenty of smart, crafty old guys that create miniature machines, and I imagine you could find someone to make you a teeny little meat grinder. Clean out the intestines well and you could be on your way to the smallest natural casing sausage anyone has ever seen!
Nov 20, 2007. 7:40 PMespboysays:
Please dont do this, if you think about this it is just plain wrong, they are cute fuzzy animals and you just kill them so you can take a look at them every 30 minutes while you are sitting on your couch watching tv. This is just sick.
Sep 22, 2008. 9:40 PMjoeflagstaffsays:
I had two of these "cute fuzzy animals" making a nest in my house last month, and I had no problem setting out traps for them, and also no problem disposing of their crushed, lifeless bodies in the trash (I don't put meat in the compost.) If I'd seen this Instructable, I would not have had to waste two mice worth of fur. (I thought of collecting enough pelts to make a pair of slippers, or perhaps a muffler, but thought it would take too long.)
I think that this is a fine Instructable, but I certainly wouldn't pay for the mice from some industrial mouse farm when there are plenty of perfectly good mouse and rat specimens running around any human habitation...
Apr 29, 2008. 5:16 PMHerrozerrosays:
Whilst I love animals, I don't think (as in *really*) people should anthropomorphise them; to my mind that devalues the concept of humanity. At the end of the day, this mouse is dead and as an animal it has no concept of shame or humiliation.

-ReeT0ric (Youtube)

A good quote
Apr 20, 2008. 5:27 PMsuperridleysays:
Their pests, and would it be any better if they were ugly?
Feb 26, 2008. 6:10 AMnaruto 777says:
stupid animal rites activists yau people are the same way with hunter "ohhhhhhh you killed an animal ohhhhhhhh" *sob*sob seriously they should be able to do whatever they want
Jan 5, 2008. 6:47 PMSlangan1117says:
i agree, they are cute and fuzzy and shouldnt treated like this, even if they are dead.
Mar 31, 2008. 6:39 PMGamernotnerdsays:
Right. The only thing little creatures should have to endure after death is being eaten
Feb 10, 2007. 5:15 PMThe BeastSpawnsays:
(removed by community request)
Sep 20, 2008. 11:33 PMLftndbtsays:
You sir, make me sick.

Take a look around you. There are many people in this world whom do nasty nasty things.

This I'ble doesn't even rate on the "sick" scale.

By the way, don't tell people to "Rot in hell" you immature child.
If you don't like it don't read it, your the one that clicked the link. No one forced you in here....
Jun 17, 2008. 8:38 PMMolly Malevolentsays:
I have rats too and I can't think of a cooler way to preserve their memory... hehe
Plus for someone who's name is The BeastSpawn you are pretty soft... maybe your name should be Greenpeace Spawn. hehehe I kid I kid... but seriously Grow up a little.
plus I think your Rot in Hell comment is a little against the Be nice Policy.
:)
Jun 12, 2008. 9:23 AMtrooperricksays:
Heres what I think, you can do it, but just don't play with them like their toys.... Thats what makes me squirm.
Jun 12, 2008. 8:58 AMHerrozerrosays:
Whilst I love animals, I don't think (as in *really*) people should anthropomorphise them; to my mind that devalues the concept of humanity. At the end of the day, this mouse is dead and as an animal it has no concept of shame or humiliation.

Reet0ric on the Duck Feet Video on Youtube

A good quote.
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