baby skunks.

[grf68]

I found six babies in a skunk I was skinning. They are a little bigger than your average field mouse.they are cool have a little fuzz on them and already have the stripe down their backs,I want to see if I can get a skeleton or at least a skull from one. any thoughts on the best way to go about doing that? I don't have beetles as I normally macerate everything.I have six tries to get it right

[Damon]

Personally I would use beetles on something that small and that young. I have had great success with Dermesties cleaning small skulls of baby rabbits, baby mice, hatchling lizards and and so forth. During maceration these tiny skulls are to delicate to hold up and the thin bones can warp even if you can get them back together. and thats just the skulls. There will be a lot of very tiny epiphysis that will come off of every bone and they will get mixed up with your tarsals and carpals and all look the same.

That is if the tiny bones just don't disintegrate.
Good luck. I hope you get them cleaned. I really would like to see one done.

[grf68]

I was thinking that might be the way I'll have to go.Guess it might be about time for me to start a small beetle colony.

[Damon]

You wouldn't need very many beetle to clean those either. you could probably set them up in a small rubbermaid or 10 gallon aquarium.

When you get them done they will be coo to see.

[Guus]

X2 and handpick a large group of the smallest larvae you can find from your colony, let these young ones do the job. The larger larvae and beetles are simply too strong for this kind of material. They will eat the cartilage/bone and move the whole skeleton around way too much. Don't expect it to be done over night, rather take your time so you can keep an eye on the process. Rehydrate if necessary and replace larvae that have become too big for small ones. And good luck!