I was recently given a very old, dried out skull to strip the flesh with my small dermestid colony. I am unsure the best way to proceed because this skull is dried to the point of mummification. Should I rehydrate it in water with some ammonia (as explained in the archives here) or just let the beetles work on it as it is? There are a few dermestid skin cases on it so it appears a few wild beetle larvae had been on it. Is there any danger of mites hitchhiking into my colony?
Thank you in advance for advice and opinions.
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You did not specify the species of skull though. If it is something with canines or tusks, if they are removable before you soak in ammonia to make it palatable, then by all means remove them. I recently ran an older walrus though my colony and did not soak up the tusks. Canines or tusks are susceptable to cracking - not so much when absorbing moisture but in the drying unevenly or drying too fast because of composition of the teeth.
This is a wolf skull and I am aware of the issue of cracking teeth.
As to the issue of mites, I expect they will all be killed in the rehydration so I will give it a go.
Thank you.