Two Heads are Better than One

Recently, Skulls Unlimited was commissioned to articulate a truly unique specimen...a two-headed calf. The skeleton arrived last month, to our dismay, as a box of jumbled bones. Skeletons are much easier to assemble when they are prepared properly. However, this specimen had been previously rotted and cleaned elsewhere. The task of articulating this specimen fell on Clark Griffith, Skulls Unlimited’s Master Articulator. Clark quickly noticed that since the specimen was a newborn, only a few of its bones had fully formed...making this task even more daunting. "Each vertebra was divided into three or four pieces. As I began to figure out the structure of the skeleton, I realized that it wasn’t only two-headed, it also had two vertebral columns." says Clark. With Clark’s experience however, the skeleton quickly took shape. In the end, the specimen proved to be more deformed than first thought. This specimen will be made available for sale on the Skulls Unlimited website in the near future.

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Clark Griffith with Articulated Skeleton	Calf Sleleton Profile 1	Calf Sleleton Profile 2	Calf Sleleton Profile 3

Skulls Unlimited in the News

This time of year always brings local, and national, interest to Skulls Unlimited. During the month of October, Skulls Unlimited is being featured by two local news organizations. Be sure to check out the article, and accompanying video (requires Real Player), at the NONzine website, www.nonzine.com. NONzine is a bi-weekly art, music and entertainment publication, distributed throughout the Oklahoma City Metro area. In addition, Inside Moore, a monthly television program featuring local events and businesses, has produced a short segment on Skulls Unlimited and the upcoming Museum of Osteology. You can watch the October edition of Inside Moore at www.ci.moore.ok.us/Video/insidemoore-watch.html

Change is Good

Skull Unlimited International, Inc. has recently made a few changes to our policy concerning the shipment of raw specimens to our facility. These changes stem from on-going problems with United Parcel Service (UPS). As of now, UPS is refusing delivery of all parcels to Skulls Unlimited, regardless of their condition, claiming that any parcel containing raw animal products could potentially leak and create a hazard. Therefore, Skulls Unlimited is asking all our custom cleaning clients not to ship any parcels through UPS. Instead, please ship all parcels via FedEx or U.S. Express Mail. Below is a summary of our shipping instructions.

Skulls Unlimited International Shipping Instructions

1.  Raw heads need to be drained of excess moisture.

2.  Freeze heads prior to shipping.

3.  Wrap heads in newspapers to absorb excess moisture.

4.  Tie heads in multiple plastic bags to prevent excess moisture seeping out and ruining shipping box.

5.  Ship specimens in either a Styrofoam or hard-sided cooler. You may also use a sturdy box and fill box with cedar woodchips to absorb excess moisture and control odor. Hard-sided coolers will be returned upon request.

6.  Parcels should weigh no more than 70 lbs.; heavier parcels may tear open during shipping resulting in lost or damaged specimens.

7.  Secure each item with adequate packing material to prevent damage during shipping. Placing skulls in a weak box with little or no packing could result in your specimen being lost or damaged.

8.  We prefer parcels to be shipped Fedex air on a Monday to ensure their arrival by Friday. If you chose to ship Fedex ground, do so only on a Monday. Ground parcels shipped on days other than a Monday may result in sitting over a weekend, and may spoil, and could be thrown away by the shipping company. U.S. Mail can also be used, but please use their delivery confirmation option.

9.  We suggest that you ship only with FedEx as they have shown to provide the best service for our customers.

10. DO NOT SHIP WITH UPS as they have proven to be unreliable and have refused delivery of customer parcels even though parcels are completely deliverable. Shipping with FedEx is the same cost as UPS. You can call 1800-Go-FedEx to schedule a pickup from your location.

11. A packing list of the enclosed items must accompany your shipment. This will ensure no items are overlooked and discarded. Please place your packing list in a zip-lock bag, taped to the outside of your box.

12. Federal law requires that all packages must be clearly marked as containing wildlife parts. This can be easily done by marking packages "Taxidermy Items."

All of the above procedures are very important. Leaky, foul smelling packages cause a great deal of problems and can lead to your parcel being discarded by the shipping company. Additionally, poorly packaged specimens can arrive damaged. Skulls Unlimited International accepts no responsibility for specimens that arrive damaged. With proper packing and shipping, you can avoid problems in transit and ensure your trophy arrives in good condition.

Please address all packages to: Skulls Unlimited International, Inc. Atten: Processing 10313 S Sunnylane Oklahoma City, OK 73160