Today's Hike

Today's hike not only gave us some good exercise and was fun, but we turned up another skull, a deer skull to be exact. So of course we'll have to clean it and the kids will be taking it in to school as usual. (Cleaned it might look as nice as this). Two hikes ago, we picked up a cat skull, cleaned it and they took it in. Their science teacher loves that they do this. Who knows, it could be the start of a career for one of them.

To clean them:

I have seven children who've all taken in bone specimens for their teachers, and this is the process I've used for years. Never use bleach if you plan to keep the bones intact and want them to last a long time, bleach damages the bones. Since bone is porous it will stain easily and absorb oils from our skin. Bones should always be handled with very clean hands, preferably with latex gloves or a utensil (tongs).If it is picked clean (animals already snacked on it) and there is no skin or hair evident, it can first be cleaned with warm soapy water using a soft bristled brush (toothbrush works good). Wet the bone’s surface and scrub carefully. You can sterilize it by putting it in hydrogen peroxide until it reaches the whiteness you’re looking for.

If there is tissue or hide left, I would clean it using the maceration method.

http://www.boneroom.com/faqs/maceration.pdf

Maceration - uses bacterial action in the water to clean the bone.

If you aren't in a hurry and enjoy watching nature, you can use Museum Beetles. They work great for those delicate pieces that our human hands might otherwise break unintentionally.

We also found a fossilized bone.
More pics of our hike.