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Preserving Snake Skin

DENWADENWA Member Posts: 390 ✭✭✭
edited September 2001 in General Discussion
Is there a way to preserve these without making them all dry and nasty looking?My friends all use salt but later the skins look dry and flaky.thanks
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Comments

  • PelicanPelican Member Posts: 1,061 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Did a very large rattler many years ago. Tacked it to a board and salt cured it and then worked it with neatsfoot oil. Would re-oil about once a year. Stayed pliable enough to roll up.
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  • metzmetz Member Posts: 121 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Glycol aka antifreeze. Best I have come up with and have been doing it for over 15 years and the first one I did still looks great.Andy
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  • bsebastbsebast Member Posts: 190 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The following is a post I made several months ago...in case you are interested. It is how a professional tanner would treat a snake skin.
    The other day, as we were packing to move, I came across a recipe that had been misplaced for many years. It is for preserving snake skins. A dear friend, who has long since passed away, gave it to me. My son and I have used it with much success. -BillPreserving Snake SkinsIngredients:- Table salt- Boric acid (crystals)- Glycerin- WaterIn the field:- Kill the snake without damaging any more of its skin than necessary. If possible, shoot it in the head.- Cut the head off. If it's a poisonous snake, make sure the head is properly disposed of since that is where the poison is located. It wouldn't be good if your favorite hunting dog found the head and made it a snack.- Cut down the middle of the belly (center of the crawlers) to as close to the end of the tail as possible. If it's a rattlesnake, cut close to the rattles. - Carefully remove the skin from the snake being careful not to cut a hole in it.- Generously spread salt over the tissue side of the skin, roll it up and place in a container. (I use a plastic bag.) Add another handful of salt in the container with the rolled up skin. This will "keep" the skin for several hours until you get home. If you are going to be in the field for several days, take the skin out of the container daily, brush off the old and reapply fresh salt.When you get home:- Dissolve approximately 2 teaspoons of boric acid crystals in a quart jar of water. Add a bit more boric acid until the water quits dissolving it.- Place skin in solution for 10-14 days. - Remove skin from solution and spread out on a board, scale side down. Carefully scrape off any fatty tissue.- Stretch out the hide on a board, scale side next to the board, and tack around the edges. Space tacks about 3/4 inches apart. - Let dry slowly (not in direct sunshine). When dry, skin will be hard. Untack from board and gently apply a minimum of 2 coats of glycerin with your finger tips or a soft cotton rag. The skin will then be soft and supple, ready to be made into a belt, hatband, or display for your trophy room.
    Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 bsebast@airmail.net
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  • 218Beekeep218Beekeep Member Posts: 3,033
    edited November -1
    Well,my father and older brothers killed and skinned a lot of gators and rolled the hides in salt for the ilegal market ,that`s just the way that it was done ,and it was only temporary,to dry up left on meat,and to keep it from rotting till the taxidermists could get it.I would think they would rinse the salt out before doin` their thang.I would think a snake hide would be done the same.
    Will the last reb to leave flarda,please bring the flag?
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  • 218Beekeep218Beekeep Member Posts: 3,033
    edited November -1
    bsebast,ya got there `afore me.And ya kinda explained rinsin` the salt out while you was at it.
    Will the last reb to leave flarda,please bring the flag?
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