By means of taxidermy you can properly research the build of a hedgehog and the pieces can then continue to be used for education, for example at fairs or in schools. At The Hedgehog Program we have a starting collection of stuffed hedgehogs, skeletons and skulls of different types of hedgehogs. Note: if you have a bad bone health, you better skip this page.
Skeletonizing an animal is cleaning the body until there is no flesh left. When you use bacon beetles for this, the skeleton remains intact, including all the cartilage. When macerated in water, only the hard bone remains. We mainly use the latter way at The Hedgehog Program, but we will also try to set up a collection of bacon beetles.
Mounting an animal is preparing skin and fur and gluing it back on a mold as natural as possible. The result is an almost living looking animal. We currently do not do this at The Hedgehog Program, but we can have it done by more experienced taxidermists. If you would like to have an animal set up, we would be happy to forward you!
In the case of mammals, putting animals into strong water is mainly done with loose organs or in very young animals. The deceased animals are then injected with Formalin and then placed in a jar with this chemical substance. As a result, the animal is completely preserved.
This skeletonized hedgehog has been our first project. The hedgehog used for this is a hedgehog that was born to a Danish breeder and came to live with us. Her name is Dælynn and she died of old age naturally.
Our second skeleton project is a big-eared rule called Kalea. She was also born in Denmark and came to live with us. Unfortunately she passed away suddenly at much too young age and we wanted to give her a nice place in the house.
This European hedgehog was donated to us by the local hedgehog shelter. He was estimated to be only 6 months old and died suddenly at the shelter. This skeleton is therefore used by the shelter to provide education in schools.
This Desert Hedgehog was donated to us by a breeder from The Hague and died suddenly. Unfortunately, this happens more often with wild-caught animals. The animal was set up by Janneke Vos Taxidermie and can now remain in our collection for education.
At The Hedgehog Program we currently only do skeletons on request. However, we are not a fully-fledged taxidermist and all committees therefore serve to build up experience. The hedgehog should be stored in the freezer as soon as possible after death to prevent rotting, which can affect the bone structure. After an appointment, you will bring the hedgehog and we will discuss how you want the hedgehog back: just the skull or the entire skeleton and in what position. The process from bringing to the end result can take several weeks for a complete hedgehog. When the skeleton or skull is ready, you will be sent a photo and it can be discussed to pick up the hedgehog. You only have to pay when you pick it up.
Due to our limited experience we do not do wild animals. If you would like to have another animal mounted or skeletonized, we are happy to point you in the right direction, because there are many good taxidermists in the Netherlands!
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