"KnifeKnut" (KnifeKnut)
02/17/2014 at 17:39 • Filed to: snake
1
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"KnifeKnut" (KnifeKnut)
02/17/2014 at 17:39 • Filed to: snake | 1
| 7 |
Well I killed a rattlesnake out in the woods by a walking trail today (would have left him alone if he wasn't right next to the trail), and I want to hatband the skin.
I field dressed out the skin, bagged it in the nitrile gloves I used and a baggie, and it is sitting in the freezer now, pending purchase of supplies.
After looking at some internet discussions on how to preserve it, I have decided on the following procedure:
(de)Flesh the skin by scraping with at piece of wood.
Immerse at least 48 hrs in 50/50 mix of glycerin and high purity alcohol, with a little bit of borax to help preserve it. (I haven't decided on denatured, everclear, or Isopropyl yet.)
Stretch on board to dry.
For the piece of skin attached to the Rattles (I messed up and tore it off at the cloaca), I will brush on the solution.
It seems to me that the procedure of salting is obsolete. It was partly to preserve the hide before tanning, before refrigeration was widely available, and also pull water out of the skin. The Alcohol and glycerin mixture should displace the water quite easily.
Am I missing anything? Do you have any Input?
Afterwords I will sew or glue it to a thin piece of leather, and sew the rattles back on the end.
As an aside, I did a little dissection (or is it vivisection if the heart is still beating?) after skinning. The Trachea was quite visible, but I accidentally cut it just above the liver, and did not see where it continued to the lung, which seemed to be just a long air sac, rather than the spongy tissue I expected. (I guess I need to look up serpentine anatomy, never have studied it). Below the unexpectedly large liver was what I think was greeinsh round thing, which I think was the gallbladder. the the Intestines were squiggly, just like in other critters, and the there were two white squigglies along side it, I think were male reproductive glands, but I forgot to check for the pair of penises. I think a #10 (curved like a scalpel) blade would have worked better than the regular #11 that was in my multipurpose kit, will have to add one.
Sorry for the lack of pictures, It did not occur to me to get out the phone and take some. Hopefully I was descriptive enough to paint pictures in your head.
Leadbull
> KnifeKnut
02/17/2014 at 17:46 |
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The white things may have been kidneys.
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KnifeKnut
> Leadbull
02/17/2014 at 17:51 |
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That actually makes a lot more sense. Like I said, I need to look up serpentine anatomy.
andthelike
> KnifeKnut
02/17/2014 at 18:40 |
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how did you casually kill a rattle snake? I have no problem with it, just wondering
Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder
> KnifeKnut
02/17/2014 at 18:47 |
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Why kill it?
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KnifeKnut
> Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder
02/17/2014 at 19:05 |
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Like I said, It was next to a walking trail. I don't want an unwary woodlands newbie to be ruined, and prevented becoming a full fledged outdoorsman.
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KnifeKnut
> andthelike
02/17/2014 at 19:15 |
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By being well equipped for an outdoors outing of nonspecific length (though ending before nightfall), and a small snake, 2.5 to 3 ft long. If it were twice as large, I might not have messed with it.
Pin neck with walking staff, cut off head with 13.5 inch blade machete in wooden scabbard that was on my hip. Was pretty easy since the snake was still cold from the cold weather that finally warmed up in the past few days. It looks like it had just come up from the hole it's tail was still in.
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andthelike
> KnifeKnut
02/17/2014 at 20:13 |
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ah. you are barver than I. and better equiped. Can't wait to see the results of your hatband!