anybody tell me a fast/easy way to tan a rattlesnake skin?

Answer 1

It's best to skin a snake on waxed or freezer paper, because the reptile's body will emit a natural adhesive that can turn newspaper into a gooey mess. First of all, make sure that the trachea (windpipe) and esophagus aren't sticking to the interior of the hide (if they are, you'll have to work them free as you cut), then place the snake topside down, and—starting at the neck and working toward the tail—use its small belly vein as a centerline cutting guide.

In skinning a wide-bodied reptile, such as a rattler, I prefer to snip a few inches, peel back the hide, and snip again. (Bandage scissors are good for this task, since the blunt blade can be inserted under the skin without ripping the viscera.)

When you reach the vent (anus), you'll know your catch is a male if you encounter twin protruding, spiny sex organs (called hemipenes). Any female caught in the late spring may well contain oblong, yolk-like embryos in the rear portion of her body cavity.

Take special care in stripping off the thin skin of the tail until you reach the rattles. At that point, you'll have to cut through the remaining lower vertebrae and strip off as much of the adhering muscle as possible . . . to end up with a whole skin and attached rattles. (But don't discard the snake meat . . . save it to use in the recipe that follows! ) If some fleshy tissue sticks to the hide, scrape off the remains-gentlywith a table knife . . . working, again, from head to tail.

Once that task is completed, rinse the skin thoroughly in cold water and place it—flesh-side up—on a board, a strip of plywood, or a slab of styrofoam. In order to prevent the finished product from curling, grasp the hide by both ends and pull to straighten it . . . but don't try to stretch it (that's done when preparing furs for sale, but not when working with snakeskins).

Next, anchor the neck and tail to your drying board with small nails, tacks, or lightweight staples punched in perpendicularly to the hide's edge. By applying a little pressure at both ends, you'll cause two ridges to rise down the skin's length. Now, working with a 3-inch section of one side of the hide at a time, pull at right angles to the skin's length until the ridges in the section disappear, then place a tack or staple 3/8 inch in from the edge. Continue moving down, 3 inches at a time, until one side is completed. Follow the same routine on the opposite edge, then place a tack or staple between each pair already placed along the sides . . . so that the skin will be secured every 1-1/2 inches and won't curl excessively during curing.

You can simply sun-dry the viper's hide, but I've gotten much better results by covering the moist inner skin with salt . . . packing a little extra preservative into the pocket next to the rattles . . . and adding a bit of pepper to discourage flies. I then let the skin dry for a couple of days, remove it from the backing . . . and rinse off the seasonings.

Though the diamondback's epidermis will be preserved at that point, the thick ventrals (belly scales) will curl inward as they dry unless they're softened or trimmed off. Some folks finish hides by soaking them in a jar containing half glycerin and half alcohol, but I find it convenient to apply the same mixture with a paintbrush. Neat's-foot oil is also a good softener, and I've even got the job done by using Dermassage lotion!

You can make another good "tanning solution" from equal amounts of Prestone antifreeze (I can't attest to how well other brands would work) and methyl alcohol (it's sold at pharmacies). If you buy the ingredients in gallon quantities, a long-term supply of this mixture can be purchased for a total of less than $10, and can be used for many future tanning projects. Once the skin is tacked out, shake the solution thoroughly . . . apply it, liberally, with a pump-sprayer or a brush . . . and allow three hours to elapse between coats, after the formula is dry.

Trophy skins, those which will be used only for display, will need three to five treatments, depending on the flexibility required, but skins that are to be used in leatherwork should have only one or two coats, since more will cause them to retain too much glycerin, which can prevent glue from adhering to the surface.

Whatever method you use to cure your skins, always store them flat-preferably under a weight-in a dry place

Answer 2

Rattlesnake Skin

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
anybody tell me a fast/easy way to tan a rattlesnake skin?

Answer 4

50/50 mixture of rubbing alcohol and glycerin , submerg cleaned skin for about 2-3 days then pin it down to straighten it and dry it