ROUND SKIN AND SKELETAL PREPARATION OF STREPTOPELIAROSEOGRISEASUNDEVALL (AFRICAN COLLARED PIGEON) FOR MUSEUM DISPLAY

ABSTRACT The study’s main objective was to prepare and display the StreptopeliaroseogriseaSundevall (African collared dove) taxidermy and skeleton using a practical and effective approach. Two matured African collared dove were purchased from local market, Dan Magaji, Zaria. This exper-iment was carried out in the department of SLT, Biology and Microbiology, NuhuBamalli Polytechnic, Zaria. The birds were first sacrificed by being suffocated with chloroform. After dead, they were peeled using a knife. The whole process of taxidermy took 11 hours. For skeletal extraction, 3% soda water solution was used to boil peeled animals for two hours. Having cooling, the bony samples were cleaned and dipped into 10% solution of bleaching water for 1 hour to avoid further growth of microorganism following washed by tap water. After drying in the sun for eight hours, the skeletal pieces were fully articulated for the skeletal frame. The whole processes were taken 2 days (33 hours). Students should be properly trained in the area of taxidermy and skeleton extraction in order for the to produce good specimen that can be kept for several years