You might well think that it's a bit icky, and it is! But kids love icky things and finding something like an animal skull can really spark a passion for learning.
The picture shows a fox skull I found in the woods.
Animal Skull And Bone Hunting Tips
- The best time to go hunting for skulls and bones is in late autumn, winter, and early spring... This is because a lot of the undergrowth will not be there at these times of the year. You can see much, much, more, and explore many more places that way.
- A good place to look is around the edges of woodland, especially in places that are normally covered in thick undergrowth. Bramble thickets are a good place to find skulls, so check out any areas where brambles have grown.
- River banks are another good place, look along the banks before the plants get to high in the spring. I have found many bits of skulls and bones alongside river banks.
- Look for old bottles, chances are a poor mouse has crawled inside and got trapped, you can often find mouse bones inside old bottles. Some of the bottles will also contain mud, so they need to be washed out, and the bones sorted from the muck.
- Owl pellets are full of bones, and also interesting things like beetle cases, and even bits of fur. They look quite distinctive, like small dogs turds, which are mostly a grey color. If you look close you probably be able to see bits of hair and insects sticking out of the dropping. - Use a stick to break it open and you will be able to see a mass of bones and other interesting things that the owl has been eating.
- Moorland is a good place to find skulls and bones. The lack of shelter from the elements also means that most bones found there will have been bleached white by the sun.
- Fish skulls and bones can be found on the beach. The key is to get there as the tide recedes and walk along the tide line where all the trash and seaweed gets left.
Bone Hunting Precautions
- Take some antiseptic hand sanitizer with you, and clear plastic or thin latex gloves might be a good idea too.
- Be careful of spiders, they seem to like living inside skulls.
- Take plenty of bags or tubs to place finds in.
Cleaning Animal Skulls And Bones
This is the icky part for me, I don't like touching the skulls, though I am fascinated enough by them to bring them home.... Anyway, bletch... to get them nice and clean I suggest a gentle scrub with a toothbrush and some washing up liquid,to get rid of any soil and dirt. Then rinse and place into a lidded container full of bleach and water.
I use a good squirt of bleach in a med size coffee jar. But anything with a lid is good. Then I just leave it there for a few weeks until I can face touching it. It may need another scrub, or it may need another bleaching with a stronger mixture.
Now What Do I Do With Them?
It can be tricky thinking of ways to display animal skulls, esp if you are a bit squeamish like I am. Kids might like to have them in a display case in their rooms, or even just placed on a shelf.
They could make 'specimen jars' to keep their skulls in, out of larger glass jars. These could be lined up on a shelf or bookcase, and will keep the skulls from getting damaged or dusty. See if they can identify their skull on the internet with a google image search. And then have them make a label for each specimen jar.
The way I display my skulls is in terrariums. I have a one particular terrarium that I am working on, and it contains them all. That terrarium is sealed so I don't feel yucky having them around. They look really good being shown in their natural environment too. - I will write a proper post on how to make a skull terrarium soon.
Another thing could be to paint the skulls, use decoupage, or a metal foil to cover them. Acrylic paints would work and they would look cool, but I'm not sure I could bring myself to paint one personally.
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