Pet Preservation Info

Wet Specimens: These can be small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, or insects. They are preserved in formalin and stored in 70% isopropyl alcohol indefinitely. Typically, a lot of the coloration of the animal is lost with this process. Oranges, reds, and yellows are almost always lost, while blues and greens keep fairly well. The process can take up to two months depending on the size of the animal. They can be stored in glass globes, mason jars, apothecary vials, etc. depending on the budget and looks.

Pricing depends on the size of the animal and the vessel it will end up in. I charge $55/hr of active work and that price includes formalin cost. The additional cost would be the vessel and possible stand or any additional decorations.

Diaphonization: This is the art of staining bones and clearing the tissues. I use a blue stain for cartilage and purple for bones. This is the most expensive form of preservation since the chemicals used in this process are difficult to come by and very expensive! I tend to charge by size of specimen and vessel size, since this is a multiple months long process and time is harder to calculate. Typically, this process costs $80+ plus the cost of the vessel and shipping.

Insect Preservation: This is the most common process I do with insects. It's essentially just hydrating the specimen, posing them, and letting them dry out and thus become preserved. I can do practically any insect, arachnid, etc. Time depends on the insect, tarantulas and large specimens take the longest to dry, but on average it takes three weeks. Color is kept beautifully with this process as long as the specimen was stored properly before coming to me.

Pricing depends on the size of the insect and the vessel. I charge $45/hr for gutting/stuffing and posing. The additional cost would be the vessel and any added decorations.