Skinning, Day Four

9/23/14

Today was the last day Kate and I skinned Semara. We fully removed the skin tissue around Semara’s trunk (body) by disconnecting the skin tissue from her posterior (back) side. This was incredibly easy because the connective tissue came off very easily. At times Kate and I could just peel the skin off without using a scalpel. The skin tissue around Semara’s neck was more difficult to remove because it was thicker than the rest of her skin on her back. The skin on Semara’s head and face was also thicker and quite difficult to remove. Kate and I removed the skin on top of Semara’s head and cut right through her pinnae (ears) but we did not cut off the skin covering her face. It was interesting to see inside Semara’s pinnae (ears) but also a little gross because there was wax inside her ears. After Kate and I finished removing the skin from Semara’s trunk, neck area and head, we went on to remove the skin from her bottom (butt and tail area). Kate and I had to cut around the tail, while being careful not to cut too close to her butt. The skin in this area was easier to remove than the skin around Semara’s neck and face. By the end of class, Kate and I had completed the skinning process, which was the main focus of today. The only skin remaining was the skin tissue covering the tori (paws), tail and face of the cat. Kate and I were also able to take a sample of the skin and look at it under the microcscope. Posted below is a picture of the completed skinning process and the skin sample under the microscope. There is also a close up of the skin removed around Semara’s neck and face.