World Taxidermy Championships Competitor Certification

Setting the front corner of the eye too deep artificially pushes the nictitating membrane outward, creating an unnatural bulge that judges heavily penalize. Epoxy buildup affects the caruncle shape but doesn’t cause membrane bulging, while gland depth and eye size primarily affect eyelid drape rather than membrane protrusion.

A pickle solution must be maintained at a pH between 1.5 and 2.5 to halt bacterial action; if it rises higher, bacteria cause epidermal slip. Fleshing too thinly cuts roots but doesn’t cause slip in the pickle, neutralizing happens after the pickle, and non-iodized salt is actually preferred over iodized salt.

Apterylae are the naturally featherless areas (bare tracts) on a bird’s body, which allow the feathered tracts (pterylae) to lay smoothly. Incorrect answers confuse apterylae with primary flight feathers, down, or tail coverts, which are entirely different anatomical structures.

WTC judges look for natural thinness and durability in fins, best achieved by using ultra-thin flexible backing and proper carding while drying. Thick epoxy ruins the natural transparency and thinness, urethane injection is impossible for delicate fin rays, and synthetic replacements often incur point deductions in skin mount categories.

Visual and mechanical balance requires the mount’s center of gravity to be visually supported by the base’s footprint; extending beyond it creates unsettling visual tension. Artificial snow is not prohibited, the rule of thirds is actually a recommended compositional technique, and complementary colors generally enhance rather than detract from a piece.

The tragus is the specific prominence of cartilage located in front of and slightly above the ear canal, a critical detail judges check in open-eared mounts. The antihelix is a different ridge, the auricular cartilage refers to the whole ear structure, and the scutiform is a small boot-shaped cartilage at the ear base.

WTC rules dictate that any reference materials used to justify unique or atypical anatomical/coloration features must be physically attached to the piece for judges to review during their rounds. Digital pre-submissions and oral defenses are not standard WTC protocols, and reference materials are highly encouraged, not forbidden.

Major structural alterations require a rigid internal armature (rod/wire) and urethane foam backfill to restore structural integrity and prevent future cracking. T-pins/papier-mâché and hot glue/tape lack the structural strength for a permanent competition mount, and using only epoxy sculpt would make the neck excessively heavy and prone to cracking.

Injecting fleshy parts (like feet and ceres) with a specialized fluid or caulk replaces the moisture that evaporates, perfectly preserving the natural volume and texture. Salt brines exacerbate shrinkage by drawing out moisture, acrylic gloss only seals the surface without preventing internal shrinkage, and high-temperature freeze-drying causes severe tissue distortion.

Competition judges look for depth and translucency in fish mounts, which is only achieved through painstaking application of transparent layers and pearl essences. Opaque paints, single-step automotive paints, or dry-brushing result in a flat, artificial, or ‘painted’ look that loses heavy points.

Cutting too deep during fleshing severs the hair roots (follicles); without the roots anchored in the dermis, the hair will inevitably slip or fall out, creating bald spots. It does not cause excessive stretching, chemical color changes, or violent shrinkage.

Applying a sizing agent or specific adhesive helps bond the scales down and prevents the natural curling that occurs as reptilian skin dries. Heavy oil baths cause grease bleed, removing the epidermis destroys the natural texture judges look for, and over-stretching distorts the scale pattern and causes unnatural gaps.

The WTC and NTA strictly prohibit the use of illegal wildlife parts (such as protected migratory bird feathers without proper permits), resulting in immediate disqualification. Habitat is judged, point deductions are insufficient for legal violations, and judges cannot physically alter a competitor’s entry.

Master-level judges inspect the interior of the nostrils with flashlights; they expect to see the septum and the beginnings of the nasal turbinates accurately sculpted and painted. Smooth voids or solid walls are heavily penalized as ‘commercial’ or lazy taxidermy, and the Jacobson’s organ is located in the roof of the mouth, not protruding from the lip.

Scoring the foam creates a textured surface (mechanical tooth) that allows the hide paste to form a strong bond, preventing ‘drumming’ (where the skin pulls away from the form and creates a hollow spot). It does not release gasses, alter the size for shrinkage, or interact with tanning chemicals.

Creating a mechanical lock (such as a loop, ‘U’, or ‘Z’ bend) and embedding it in epoxy ensures the head cannot rotate once cured. Thread, superglue, or intersecting nails are prone to failure, slipping, or damaging the delicate artificial skull.

While foxes can have vertically slit pupils in bright light, their pupils (and the general axis of the eye) remain horizontally oriented relative to the ground to maximize their field of view, a critical detail judges verify. Vertical orientation or 45-degree angles are anatomically incorrect, and fox pupils are not perfectly round in standard lighting.

Neutralization uses a mild base (like baking soda) to raise the pH of the acidic pickled skin; this halts acid degradation and creates the correct pH environment for tanning oils/agents to bind to the collagen. It does not lower pH, bleach the hair, or dissolve fat (which is done mechanically during fleshing).

The branchiostegal rays are a series of long, curved bones supporting the branchiostegal (gill) membrane beneath the operculum. High-level competitors must accurately sculpt and paint these if the gill area is exposed. They are not fin filaments, dorsal spines, or lateral line scales.

Micro-bubbles are introduced during the mixing phase; to achieve optical clarity for artificial water, the resin must be mixed slowly and degassed (via vacuum or a heat gun/torch to pop surface bubbles). Boiling from heat creates large bubbles, insufficient hardener causes it not to cure at all, and two-part epoxy is never thinned with water.