Do you count seeing a taxidermied animal as seeing the actual animal?

OkapiFan

OkapiFan

Well-Known Member
For those of you who are species hunters, do you count seeing a taxidermied version of an animal as seeing that animal. I never have, but I was wondering if I'm wrong in this thinking.
 
No - some people keep separate lists for that kind of thing, but as far as I know it's unheard of to merge the two lists, especially given a quick visit into the London/Paris Natural History Museum storerooms would likely get you the vast majority of described mammal/bird species. Plus there's the added nuance of preserved vs. taxidermy vs. skeleton.
 
dillotest0 said:
Perhaps I will answer by asking a similar question:
If you see a wax figure of Elvis Presley at Madame-Tussauds, can you say that you have seen Elvis in person?
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No but if I saw Elvis Presley himself "stuffed" that would count as seeing Elvis (with a "dead" caveat).

Joking aside, whilst I might consider making a list of taxidermy species I wouldn't conflate it with those I'd seen "live".
 
My take: no one is giving you a prize depending on how many species you’ve seen. A list is entirely for your own satisfaction. Count whatever you want. If someone how you managed to see a thylacine or a passenger pigeon, then you can explain
 
The only only genuine part of a Taxidermy mount is the pelt, you might as well include fur coats on your species list.
 
Aardwolf said:
My take: no one is giving you a prize depending on how many species you’ve seen. A list is entirely for your own satisfaction. Count whatever you want. If someone how you managed to see a thylacine or a passenger pigeon, then you can explain
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That is a very reasonable take and I agree entirely. However the question OkapiFan was asking was what you do not what they should do. For me it is no, because of the reasons above but also I have a list to encourage me to get out into the bush and enjoy the environment.
 
Shorts said:
No but if I saw Elvis Presley himself "stuffed" that would count as seeing Elvis (with a "dead" caveat).

Joking aside, whilst I might consider making a list of taxidermy species I wouldn't conflate it with those I'd seen "live".
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He was pretty stuffed when he was alive aswell:p
 
I do not count taxidermies, however I do ''count'' findings of animal remains in the field that I can confidently idea. Last year I saw practically a whole hare, just missing the head and the limbs where a bit scattered around.
It wasn't the first time seeing one but it was a new way to observe the species.
Call it morbid, but on my lifelist I did add a notation to have seen this preyanimal dead.
To me death is part of nature, and therefore is worth remembering and noting. But to me this also is limited to natural death in the field like predation or a starved animal, not a preserved animal.

So I don't count them, I simply add a note of having seen it dead.
But if I was to say go to a museum, see the skeletal of a Diplodocus I wouldn't add it, neither would I add a taxidermied quagga, or a pinned butterfly, or any other kinds of dead stock.
 
This.
I see ivory billed woodpecker and passenger pigeon quiet frequently: at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, that is.
I think it should count for some famous or rare animals, too, like Ipuh.
 

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Ursus said:
I do not count taxidermies, however I do ''count'' findings of animal remains in the field that I can confidently idea. Last year I saw practically a whole hare, just missing the head and the limbs where a bit scattered around.
It wasn't the first time seeing one but it was a new way to observe the species.
Call it morbid, but on my lifelist I did add a notation to have seen this preyanimal dead.
To me death is part of nature, and therefore is worth remembering and noting. But to me this also is limited to natural death in the field like predation or a starved animal, not a preserved animal.

So I don't count them, I simply add a note of having seen it dead.
But if I was to say go to a museum, see the skeletal of a Diplodocus I wouldn't add it, neither would I add a taxidermied quagga, or a pinned butterfly, or any other kinds of dead stock.
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Interesting take on dead specimens in the wild. This summer I saw a roadkilled striped hyena in Kenya. It was easy to identify and unfortunately was my only striped hyena sighting. However, I do not say I have seen one. The same goes for seeing a roadkilled mountain lion. I have not seen one in the wild.
 
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