What to do with a Snake Skin?

[Penny_Plinker]

Today when i was weed whacking i killed a snake... a big one 5'5" , maybe a rat snake or similar. So i skinned it and tacked it out on a board. I want to perserve the skin and hoping the flies don't blow the skin because i want to use it for something. Don't know what, though. What can you do with a snake skin?

The only thing i can say about skinning a snake is the skin quit pulling when i was almost done. I didn't know why, but then i realized it was at the vent or butt hole. So i had to use my knife and i cut into some greasy white stuff that smelled worse than anything i've ever smelled. I could have vomited if i'd let myself go, but i held it in. Anyway if you ever skin a snake it is something to watch out for that stinky greasy secretion around it's butt.. Next time, i'm going to cut a wide circle around the anus, YUCK!

Should i just let the skin dry, or what?

Penny

[Penny_Plinker]

I forgot to explain why i killed the snake. I wouldn't have killed it except for i raise martins and so i do kill snakes when i run across them so it is one less predator about the place. I used to let snakes go peacefully but not any more with my martins to think of.

Penny

[fishinhunter]

did you scrape all the flesh off of it ? if not do it or it will rot .salt it and let it dry. or freeze it .go to taxidermy supply houses and they have snake tan kits and get one.then after its tanned you can do with it what you want.

[Penny_Plinker]

There wasn't much flesh but there was a little bit. I better do some more work on it. I wanted to do something nice with the skin instead of waste it. Maybe the taxidermy place has a kit, or something that would be easy.

Penny

[remington]

That greasy white stuff is the musk gland. A defense system. Smells awfull, yeah. Snakes make a nice hatband, atleast rattlers do. Nice conversation piece whatever you do with it. Nice little practical joke with those who are squeemish about snakes too ;D! While we're on the topic of snakes, I gotta tell this story. My brother was keeping a 9' boa and it shed and he had the skin. My dad gave it to a guy whose wife was scared to death of snakes. The guy walks into his house carrying the skin and commenting on what a mild mouse and rat problem they were going to have that year! His wife about fainted. ;D

[jim]

Tack them on a board, flesh, then paint with a 50/50 mixture of glycern and alcohol for a few days. Cheaper than the kit I bet.

jim

[Penny_Plinker]

:-[

Here it is at least a month later. I didn't do the skin right and it got ruined which is stupid since i went to the trouble of skinning it. I tacked it to the board and it was real dry and so i skipped the salt and just put it in water with some lime to get the scales off. Then i was busy and kept procastinating taking it out of the water and so the water got yucky and so after awhile i dumped the whole thing out.

For you all that offered ideas, thanks very much. Anybody reading this will at least find out what to do with a snake skin and what not to do, as in my case when you snooze you lose.

Penny

[Penny_Plinker]

That greasy white stuff is the musk gland. *A defense system. *Smells awfull, yeah. *Snakes make a nice hatband, atleast rattlers do. *Nice conversation piece whatever you do with it. *Nice little practical joke with those who are squeemish about snakes too ;D! *While we're on the topic of snakes, I gotta tell this story. *My brother was keeping a 9' boa and it shed and he had the skin. *My dad gave it to a guy whose wife was scared to death of snakes. *The guy walks into his house carrying the skin and commenting on what a mild mouse and rat problem they were going to have that year! *His wife about fainted. * ;D

LOL, while she was coming out of that near faint i bet he put some distance between the two of them....if he knew whart was good for him.

Penny

[Mac_Muz]

too bad. If you had added borax to the water and then stored it in a ball jar in the fridge it would have keep years..

OR like me in SD I found a dead rattler fresh killed with a missing fang, I was hurt and down a while, and so had no way to get anyplace, but I had foot powder.

I used old fence wire a hunk of cardboard, and streched the snake fleshy side out, and used foot powder and the sun to get the lies off.

From skinning to dry was less than 1 hour. I rilled it up and placed it in a empty toliet paper card board and it sets waitng for what ever.

This wasn't over 3 feet long.. I wish it had been longer, as then I would have case skinned it as a long tube, and use it as a bow covering for a sinew backed bow.

I may sew this to brain tan deer hide and make that a powder horn strap. I don't wear hats much, and when i do I wear a Scottish Balmora circa 1750, which is my BOB kit as well.

If you come by a rattler with a missing fang take care...