Exhibits

Out of the Wild: The Art and Science of Taxidermy

The Friends of The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas donated these taxidermy mounts to add to the museum’s permanent gallery. Eventually, the animals will be placed within their appropriate biological environment, whether its upper elevations, wetlands, or the Mojave Desert.

Taxidermy is a technique originally used to preserve scientific specimens collected during the 1700-1800s. As the tanning of animal hides improved, so did the art of taxidermy. Mounts are made by stretching the hide of an animal over a body-shaped form.

Still popular today, mounts combine art and science techniques to create three-dimensional animals in life-like poses. These poses embody animal behavior providing learning opportunities about wildlife not normally encountered in one’s everyday life.