Large mammals, such as elephants, antelopes and giraffes, offer extreme engineering challenges, due to their size. Meanwhile, very small animals test a taxidermist's ability to sculpt on a miniature scale, "like modeling an eyelid that's the size of a hair," she added.

Apparently, arsenic in different forms (important in terms of measuring toxicity and pathways of entry into humans) was used as late as the second half of the 20th century ("was used on birds at the Smithsonian until the early 1970s"), although the impression is that 19th and early 20th century is the more likely time ...

Bones are often the focus of taxidermy. You can't do much with bones; they are what's left after the fur, skin, organs, and meat have been removed.

The earliest known mount in existence today is a crocodile hanging from the ceiling of a cathedral in Ponte Nossa, Italy. A document from 1534 references it specifically, so we know it's at least that old.