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Captured on video: a duck-footed mouse, created through the wonders of taxidermy. This is an advanced project; see mouse taxidermy for the basics and Conjoined Twin Mice and LED Throwie Rat for other advanced projects.
Warning: this Instructable contains taxidermy, chimeras, and humor. View at your own risk.
We've come up with two edits of the Duck Mouse video: first, a short guts-free trailer to pique your interest, then a more complete view of all the taxidermy action.
Duck Mouse Trailer
The shorter guts-free version:
Duck Mouse Full Release
The longer version, including a bit of dissection:
Warning: this Instructable contains taxidermy, chimeras, and humor. View at your own risk.
We've come up with two edits of the Duck Mouse video: first, a short guts-free trailer to pique your interest, then a more complete view of all the taxidermy action.
Duck Mouse Trailer
The shorter guts-free version:
Duck Mouse Full Release
The longer version, including a bit of dissection:
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Signing UpStep 1Obtain and dry duck feet
Find yourself some fresh duck feet.
If you or your friends hunt or raise ducks, you're all set. Otherwise you could visit your local asian grocery, butcher shop, or live poultry source and ask for the leftovers. These feet came from a green-winged teal I shot myself. I ate the rest of the bird (VERY good) and saved the wings in my chest freezer for a future project.
Cut the feet off just at the bottom of the feathers, and wash them in nice soapy water. The webbed feet will fold up if you let them, so spread out the webbing and pin them on a piece of cardboard to dry. You'll need two pins to keep the toes spread, and a couple of pins to prop the leg in an upright position. Try to make as few holes in the feet as possible.
I left mine on the mantel to dry, and just forgot about them for a couple of days. If you're in an excessively humid area, it may be necessary to put them in an oven set to "keep warm" to dry them out. They'll be stiff and a bit crispy when dry, so handle gently.
If you or your friends hunt or raise ducks, you're all set. Otherwise you could visit your local asian grocery, butcher shop, or live poultry source and ask for the leftovers. These feet came from a green-winged teal I shot myself. I ate the rest of the bird (VERY good) and saved the wings in my chest freezer for a future project.
Cut the feet off just at the bottom of the feathers, and wash them in nice soapy water. The webbed feet will fold up if you let them, so spread out the webbing and pin them on a piece of cardboard to dry. You'll need two pins to keep the toes spread, and a couple of pins to prop the leg in an upright position. Try to make as few holes in the feet as possible.
I left mine on the mantel to dry, and just forgot about them for a couple of days. If you're in an excessively humid area, it may be necessary to put them in an oven set to "keep warm" to dry them out. They'll be stiff and a bit crispy when dry, so handle gently.
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its hillarious
ARE you kiwi it seems sicuh a kiwi thing to do
If there's food (perhaps the communion wafers?), warmth and a dry hideout, mice would live there as well as any other home, I'd guess. As for them going to Heaven: far as I know there's never been a mouse Jesus, and I assume that like humans, mice can't get to Heaven just by being good.
Personally I'd rather be cremated (I'm a bit concerned about that coming-to-in-the-coffin-underground thing) and scattered over my vege garden; that way the guests at my first deathday anniversary party catered for by my wife could all say "there's a little of him in each of us"...
I love the gimpy expression the mouse has, intentional or just luck?
I bet the mouse's last though as it fell in you pool was "I wish i had duck feet"
Needs a shield, helmet and sword.
Creepy but cool!