Library - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery

Taxidermy, the practice of creating lifelike representations of animals, most commonly birds and mammals, by the use of their prepared skins and various supporting structures. Taxidermy may be traced to the ancient custom of preserving trophies of the hunt, but the principal motive for its development into an art was the growth of interest, especially from the time of the Enlightenment, in natural history and the consequent appearance of both private collections and exhibits in public museums of birds, beasts, and curiosities.