Offered to me in a trade, this little guy was found in this collector's neighbor's yard and lovingly preserved.  I surprised Glenn with it as a gift (March 2010)

8-1/2" long x 7" wide x 3-1/2" tall, head-skeleton-carapace (top shell) 6" x 3" on one side, plastron (underside) 4" x 2-3/4"on the other

 

#W-301-B  $110  SOLD

Species: Agkistrodon halys (Pallas pit viper)

     

#W-302

Linear measurement of snake itself is 11" long x 2-1/2" wide; plexiglass top, wood base, tied with red ribbon; box measures 13" long x 3-3/4" wide x 2-1/4" tall.  (1 available, as you see in photos)

$99  SOLD

#W-304.  This is a young Royal Python, (Python Regius), having his first meal, a southern short-tailed shrew (Blarina carolinensis).  The python has already constricted and killed the shrew and is in the process of consuming it head-first.  I know these two species do not overlap in their native environments (i.e. sympatric species), but royal pythons are so common in the herp trade that I'm sure there are a few loose ones breeding in the Everglades and you can bet the babies are eating shrews.  The snake measures 15" long and the shrew is 3.5" long.  Together they are 8.5" long x 3.5" wide x .75" tall, fixed in this life-like pose.  Lots of long, sharp teeth in the python, and beautiful chestnut-colored teeth in the shrew.  Every bone is intact.

$295.00  SOLD

Pick your Poison!

Black "Scorpion under Glass", Average 6 to 6-1/2" long, one of the largest species in the world.  It's an Asian Forest Scorpion, Heterometrus Spinifer.   These stocky, black scorpions rival Emperors (Pandinus imperator) as being the largest
scorpions in the world. Adults are capable of exceeding 7 inches! They are hardy, Rain Forest scorpions and are aggressive. Their sting is painful, but not considered medically significant.  Well, this big guy's not going to sting anyone.  Not anymore!  Frame is 9 x 7 x 1-1/4". 

#W305-B  $49  SOLD OUT

 

#W-307.  Display case is 5-1/4" long x 3-1/2" wide x 4" tall.  Frog measures 3-1/4" long x 2-1/4" wide x 1-1/2" tall.

$80.00   SOLD

#W-307-A.  Display case is 10" long x 2" wide x 5" tall.  Skeleton itself is 14" long (following curvature of tail) x 3" tall.

$110.00   SOLD

FOR THE PERSON WHO SAYS THEY HAVE IT ALL!!!

Yes, these lovely items are made by the residents of Maine during those long winters...makes you just want to move there, doesn't it?

Link to the Poop Fossils page 1 to view the incredible inventory of DEER & MOOSE POOP jewelry we have in stock

  

#W-302.  He had a shell infection which caused his death (due to human generated pollution).  This is a rare articulation (difficult in turtles, as they fall apart during the prepping stage).  7" long x 6" wide x 1 1/2" high.  Skeleton articulated by Steve Huskey. The shell retained its color and has the hyoid bones and orbit bones intact.    Skeleton articulations and photography by Steve Husky

$175.00   SOLD

It's 40" tip to tip; 20" tall, 21" deep, 14" wide (Display only, photo credits and skeleton articulation: Steve Huskey)

Often they gape repeatedly, exposing the "cotton" colored interior of their mouths.  Highly toxic.  47" long, 5" in circumference, fangs are 3/8" long and needle sharp!  DISPLAY ONLY; Skeleton articulation and photography by Steve Huskey  SOLD

Extremely long and slender arboreal snake from South America.  Unlike most venomous snakes, it is rear-fanged, fixed in position as the last set of teeth in the jaws, which is believed to help it swallow whole bird eggs while still maintaining deadly venom for defense.  45" long.    Display only; Skeleton articulation and photography by Steve Huskey  SOLD

   

Crotalus atrox, the 2nd largest species of rattlesnake in the world, they reach up to six feet.  This is a four foot rattler that was kept as a pet for 10 years in Florida, and died of old age.  They eat small mammals, birds, reptiles and have been known to eat juvenile Gila monsters.  Their venom is a hemotoxic, necrotic type which destroys blood tissue and kills tissue cells.  It is poised in a strike posture with the head 3" off the ground and the mouth fully agape.  Fangs are 1/2" long and the rattle (11 buds) does rattle when shaken.  We even have the entire skin (photo below)  which is included.  Skeleton articulation and photography above by Steve Huskey

$425.00  SOLD to Catherine 4/13/05

   

Varanus albigularis, native to central and southern Africa.  They are both terrestrial and arboreal and have extremely sharp claws for climbing and digging. Powerful jaws crush small mammals, birds, eggs and some carrion.  A favorite food is land snails, hence the large molariform teeth.  Every bone is intact, including the fragile hyoid bones and orbital bones.  It measures 47 x 16 x 3".  Display only; skeleton articulation and photography by Steve Huskey  SOLD

Weasel and mole skeletons.  Long-tailed Weasel (11.5" long) is attacking the Eastern Mole (7.5" long)!  Weasels attack their prey from the rear, applying a skull and vertebrae crushing bite to the back of the head to immobilize it, then commonly eat the brain first.  The Eastern Mole spends nearly all its life underground tunneling through yards and golf courses.  They tunnel by "swimming" with their adept front legs, pulling dirt to the rear and pushing it back with their rear legs.  They eat grubs and earthworms.  This one unfortunately ventured too long on the surface and was caught by the weasel!  Skeleton articulation and photography by Steve Huskey

Called Mamushi in Japan and Korea, it is a member of the cottonmouth/moccasin snake family, an aquatic creature.

Agkistrodon Halys

 

#W-306.  Viper poisonous snake, "Agkistrodon Halys", from Asia, is about 20" long x 1" wide, though posed as if in movement that is 10 1/4" long.  Comes in a nice wooden display case 13 3/4 long  x 4 1/4 wide with plastic dust cover.   

$98.00  SOLD

Body:    

Skull:    

Four horned ram skull (gator hunter's den, central Florida)

Here's the prettiest of them all.  This is a crocodile monitor, Varanus salvadori, endemic only to Papua New Guinea.  It measures 57" long from nose tip to tail tip.  In its current pose it measures 37" long X 11" wide X 2.25" tall.  The skull is almost 4" long and some of those vicious teeth are 1/4" long!   Every bone is intact including the hyoid apparatus and the delicate orbital bones.  This species is recognized at the longest of all lizards with a maximum length of 12'.  They eat carrion, small reptiles and mammals, and the occasional bird caught while stalking through trees.   Their sharp claws and powerful legs make them capable climbers.  This is the longest monitor I've ever articulated and by far the most impressive - those teeth are amazing! (Skeleton articulation and photography by Steve Huskey, display only.  SOLD

 

The weird thing about this gar fish is that anyone CHOSE to taxidermy it, it's a nuisance fish just about anywhere, but then we were weird enough to purchase it!  Anyone else? $70.00  SOLD  Yup, guess so!

This is NOT a crab - it is an ILLUSION....it is the shed SHELL of a spider crab you're seeing...pretty weird!  Donated by our friends Bob & Laura who own the real creature, he's actually loaded with personality and loves to "adorn" himself with shells and bits of fern on his head as decoration.

One of the weirdest things we've heard lately:

This is an exquisite form of painting on hands I received by email, they take 4-10 hours to complete.  Awesome!

This is a shark wall hanging made ENTIRELY out of PERFECT fossil dusky shark teeth (and bull shark teeth for the TEETH).  Made by a friend as a gift, we hope you enjoy it with us.

Here's Heidi with one of the largest shells available (20" long) - she finally decided to start a collection after a year of living on the beach, and Glenn presented her with a WHOPPER to start her collection!

So are grandparents...

Dear Abby,

I recently read your column advising grandparents on "tough love" for grandparents to give misbehaving grandchildren, whose own parents let them run wild.  I have followed your advice, and enclose a picture demonstrating my technique when my grandson just won't behave while I'm baby-sitting for his parents.  They have told me not to spank him, so I just take him for a ride, and he usually calms down afterward.

 Sign me,
 Tough Love Grandma

This is a 5' Hog Island Boa constrictor imperator that has constricted and killed a rat and is in the process of swallowing the rat head-first.  This is truly nature in action, only at a skeletal level.  The Boa has slightly relaxed the two coils it used to kill the rat and has started the process of swallowing its prey.  The rat lies limp in the snakes grip having had the life squeezed out of it.  It is believed that this subspecies of snake no longer exists in the wild because they can not be found on Hog Island anymore.  However, they are successfully bred in captivity and this was an adult, captive male.

Articulation & photography by Steve Huskey

This is the largest green iguana, Iguana iguana, skeleton you'll ever see.  This one measures 42" long X 18" wide X 6" tall.  From snout tip to tail tip he's just shy of 5 feet!  Every bone is intact, including the hyoid apparatus and the fragile orbital bones.  He's poised with mouth agape and tail ready to slap the hell out of you, as they look when ready to defend themselves.

Articulation & photography by Steve Huskey

Bitis gabonica is a venomous snake species from Africa. They are one of the deepest bodied snakes on the planet and have the longest fangs of all the venomous snakes. Their venom is highly toxic, easily killing an adult human.
This specimen came from a venom extraction facility.
SOLD

Articulation & photography by Steve Huskey

Pterois volitans is a lionfish from the Indo-Pacific. They are reef predators that eat whatever fits in their mouths. They have numerous venomous spines in
their dorsal fins capable of inflicting serious pain. As such, they move about the reef freely, rarely threatened by other predators. This specimen came from
the aquarium trade.   SOLD

Articulation & photography by Steve Huskey

This is a 30" rock python, Python sebae, that has constricted and killed a 7" uromastyx lizard,
Uromastyx acanthinura.  The snake is coiled twice around the lizard and the lizard's head is inside the snakes mouth being ingested via expansive jaws,
needle-sharp teeth, and gape manipulation.  Together they measure 11" X 3.5" X 1.75" in this life-like pose.  The range of these two species overlaps in northern and central Africa, so this is certainly a possible interaction in
the wild.  In this case the python won the battle - a great example of survival of the fittest.

SOLD

Articulation & photography by Steve Huskey

MONSTER PYTHON CAUGHT IN ELECTRIC FENCE IN AFRICA (Confirmed on Snopes.com )

 

Additional pictures appear on the Silent Valley Ranch's web site, which describes them as picturing an African rock python:

We were thrilled to not only find and collect face pottery from North Carolina, but also to present to you a virtual tour of how it is made, and a bit of history.  We sold out our inventory and have kept a collection for ourselves.  Enjoy!

Selection of face pots from the North Carolina Pottery Center, Seagrove, NC (museum pieces - display only!)

Kit Vanderwal's pottery (artist near Seagrove, NC)

First made for African-American rituals to place on graves to scare evil spirits away so the soul could go to heaven, they have become a folk art collectible for those that enjoy the unusual.  Some were made in moonshine times, when Grandpa would store his moonshine in such a jug to keep the children away from the "devil jug".

Some face jugs we've seen are pleasant, some expressions look surprised.  Ours are OUTRAGEOUSLY UGLY and some so distorted by PURE RAGE and GRUMPINESS  that you just let off steam looking at them and laughing in spite of yourself, from their "Billy Bob teeth" to their bulging eyes, and sarcastic expressions.

Traditionally called tobacco spit jugs, they all have a back handle unless marked otherwise.

All are SIGNED by the artist Kit Vanderwal from Seagrove, NC.  Photos below of his kiln and property.  Side measurements do not include the ears

at LANTERN HILL POTTERY

  

Glenn and Kit

  

The official pottery building