Dry a Snakeskin
After Skin-a-Snake, the skin must be preserved in some way to keep it from rotting. The simplest way to preserve a skin is to dry it. While the product is not as durable or supple as a tanned snakeskin, this method is sufficient to preserve the hide until it can be tanned, or the skin can simply be tacked to a wall in its dried state as a decoration.
Steps
- Remove any excess meaty tissue or membrane from the skin with a knife. A small amount of membrane is acceptable, especially if the skin is only being dried until it can be tanned. Don't cut holes in the skin to get that last little bit of membrane. It will dry just like the skin, and can be scraped off after drying if necessary.
- Lay the skin out on the board, flesh side up, as flat as possible. This is easiest if the skin is still very moist; as it dries, it will have a tendency to curl at the edges. This is another reason not to piddle with getting every little piece of flesh removed from the skin. If small holes near the edges of the skin not objectionable, it may help to staple the skin to the board in a few places now. Concentrate on getting the edges of the skin as naturally straight as possible and the skin in the position you will want it to be in once dry.
At the end of the skin where the rattle is attached, if there is one, the skin can be particularly troublesome. A staple in the very corner on each side of the tail can save a lot of trouble. - Salt the remaining bit of rattle muscle and bone heavily and rub the salt in. This is to cause the muscle to dry rapidly, preventing spoilage. If the subject is not a rattlesnake, skip this step.
- Lay out the screen over the entire skin, leaving only the rattle (if present) sticking out.
- Staple down the screen stretched tightly over the skin, beginning at the head end, keeping the skin as straight as possible and the edges even. Keep in mind that anywhere the skin can curl, especially around the edges, it will curl. Don't hesitate to pull staples in order to get the screen absolutely as flat and tight as possible. It sometimes helps to take a narrow, flat board and use it to flatten out the bumps in the screen toward the edges of the skin. Of particular concern is the thin tail skin, which can curl in a very narrow space.
- Dry the skin in a cool, dry place with good air circulation and out of direct sunlight. This usually takes 1-3 days for most skins in a dry climate. High humidity may increase this drying time.
- Remove the screen from the hide and carefully take the skin off of the board. It should be stiff and fully dry. Remember that a merely dried skin can be as easy to tear as paper. If the skin is stuck to the board, carefully slide something thin (such as a long knife blade) under it to free it.
Tips
- When drying a rattlesnake skin, it may be better to remove the rattle and reattach it with CA glue after the skin is dry or after the skin is tanned.
- If the skin is to be tanned later anyway, the measures taken to ensure absolute straightness and flatness can be relaxed a great deal. In this case, you can even do without the screen if you don't mind some staple holes in the edge of the skin. Just staple it down securely to the board and allow it to dry. One of the purposes of the screen, however, is to keep rats and other pests from gnawing on the hide.
- In the case of a very large skin, it can help to put a few staples through the center of the skin to help keep it and the screen flat. Of course, if you don't want holes in the skin, you'll just have to work harder at stretching the screen.
Warnings
- Be careful with the knife!
Things You'll Need
- A fresh or frozen snakeskin
- A knife
- A smooth, flat, straight board that is longer and wider than the skin
- A piece of aluminum or other metal window screen large enough to cover the entire skin
- A heavy-duty stapler and staples
- Salt (for rattlesnakes with the rattle attached)
