thiss-too-shall-pass

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

Got an antique kudu skull for 20% off (yay!!!)

Raccoon might’ve been stolen from the trees (booo 👎)

So sad they sawed the horns off but he was a STEAL for the price

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

Elk skull moment :3

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

i love you green. i love you forests. i love you smell of damp earth. i love you feeling before the storm breaks. i love you moss. i love you rivers. i love you streams. i love you thunderstorms. i love you sunlight shining through leaves.

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

New antler rack! First whitetail set in my collection and of course, it has a slight abnormality

I assume this notch is caused by damage of some kind, but I have no clue what other than direct trauma to the antler?

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

Boners of tumblr I fear that beetles have gotten to one of my deer caps. Because otherwise it’s just shedding bone dust for fun? I guess?

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

Like??? This isn’t even all of them!! I have 2 more caps with antlers (one is substantially bigger, easily 4-5+ year old) AND 2 skulls

Vulture culture is all fun and games until you have to to move house

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

Vulture culture is all fun and games until you have to to move house

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

Antique split/double beam buck - mule deer

Sososo cool freaking out oh my god!!! I love atypical deer antlers!!! This guy was put out for sale today too!

The abnormal antler formation is caused by damage to the pedicles (bone that antlers grow from), causing the cells to move and make these splits in the main beam. It’s really interesting to see both sides as well, since it’s often seen only on one

Also the raccoon tail I got the other day :3

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

Vulture culture is finding a single deer femur 3 minutes into the hike and then getting lost in the wood for an hour

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

Today’s bird is this California Condor!

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

hmm

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

An amazing Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) skull was added to the site thanks to collaborator j.k_wunderkammer!

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

Guys holy fuck the people were right about ammonia for bone degreaser. This stuff works so fast. I’ve changed it twice in 3 1/2 days since it keeps seeping grease.

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

Second special post for the guys I just got today :3

Larger one is a river otter (mustelidae) while the smaller one is a striped skunk (Mephitidae)

All my mustelids so far have “locked jaws” where they don’t disconnect from the skull due to the way they’re situated in the bone, which is super cool and convenient for picking them up

Also look at that brain cavity on the otter. He is all brain and no thoughts. Head full of nothing

[thiss-too-shall-pass]

It’s time for the great Bone Recap of 2024!!

Rodents: Nutria, American Beaver, Rat, Grey Squirrel

Mustelids (and Mephitidae): River Otter, American Badger, Striped Skunk

- skunks were once considered mustelids, and are now their own classification of Mephitidae along with stink badgers :3

Feline: Bobcat

- The only feline I got this year, sooo fragile (bleached 👎) and oily but I still love him. Very cool difference in morphology between him and my other bobcat

Marsupials: Virginia Opossums

- the left grey one was only 4-5 months old, and the skull was in complete pieces. The other two were adults but the size difference is insane?!

I also have a fourth one degreasing that’s the same size as the middle one.

Canidae (and Vulpes): Arctic Fox, Red Fox, Coyotes

- don’t buy arctic foxes, they’re fur farm byproducts. I did not know this at the time I bought her. I feel the need to say this whenever I post her so I can make more people aware

- the coyote on the right is all the way from Florida! I named him Winston and I love the staining in his sutures

Cervidae: Mule deer

- the doe was the first full animal I processed, despite the entire leg that went missing due to scavengers. I had another young doe that scavengers stole this summer. It has been a bad year for the deer

Antlers: Mule deer, Whitetail deer, Maui deer

- whitetail antler to the far left, mule, mule, mule, and another mule and Maui deer in the case

The End!

And with that, the bone collecting recap has come to an end. I feel this has been a very successful year, and now I have to move them all!!