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Skinning turtle

Preparing and mount a small hard shelled turtle

For the purpose of skinning a hard shelled turtle (soft shelled species are best unattempted) the belly plate is sawed open as shown
in Fig. 26.

A piece of hacksaw blade may be shaped and set into a firm handle with cross pegs of metal, for this purpose, or the small saw found in a hollow handle tool kit may serve. Four corner holes must be bored by which to start the sawing, which, for ease in accomplishing, may be thus done upon straight lines.

Through the sawed opening remove the viscera. With scissors and bone snips, free the legs at their joints with the back shell, cut the
neck and tail vertebrae free and pull all these members inside out through the opened shell. Skin the head to well down behind the eye
sockets, uncovering most of the jaw muscles and stopping where the skin and skull are joined directly on the crown.

Cut the neck off. Clean out jaw meat, tongue, and brain. Turn head right side out and with a stiff wire hook pull out the eyeballs.

Skin legs clear to toes and remove flesh cleanly from bones.

Skin tail out carefully. In many species this has to be split on under side to remove bone. Dry the shell out with a bit of rag.

Poison well with solution and let stand over one night, covered with a damp cloth.