- February 19, 2025 - Biodôme : Secrets of the Biodôme
The Biodôme’s new permanent exhibition, A Close-knit Nature, presents an impressive variety of naturalized specimens. It’s a unique opportunity to discover biodiversity in all its splendor!
The evolution of taxidermy techniques
Naturalization, or taxidermy, is the art of preparing dead animals in order to preserve them while keeping their natural appearance, as though they were alive. This ancient practice evolved at the turn of the 18th century to become a discipline both scientific and artistic.
In earlier times, techniques were rudimentary, and made for often unrealistic results. Straw was used (whence the term “stuffed,” now obsolete) or else sawdust to “stuff” specimens, resulting in a rigid, deformed appearance. Today, thanks to a better understanding of animal anatomy, taxidermists create specimens of impressive accuracy and realism. Body structures are perfectly proportioned. Soft parts like the nose, ears and mouth are often reconstituted with synthetic materials that imitate the original to perfection.
Discover all the aspects of the taxidermist's profession in this video, also featured in the exhibition A Close-knit Nature.
The importance of naturalized animals
The specimens in a naturalized collection can have one or more values: educational, heritage or scientific.
The educational value promotes the transmission of knowledge to a broad audience. The Biodôme’s exhibition is an excellent example. It’s the ideal opportunity to observe these animals up close and to raise public awareness about biodiversity and species conservation. One showcase, for example, features 40 hummingbird species, emphasizing their role as pollinators.
Heritage specimens having a historical value testify to naturalization techniques from the past. The oldest specimen in the exhibit is a dovekie, a seabird naturalized in 1921.
Some specimens have a scientific value. They can be used for research or for the conservation of genetic heritage, in the case of an extinct or endangered species. The passenger pigeon is the only extinct specimen in the exhibit. The last individual of that species died in 1914 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Learn more about its disappearance in our article The sad fate of the passenger pigeon.
Where does the collection for this exhibit come from?
The 975 specimens in the exhibition come from various sources. The great majority, 86 percent of them, were obtained through private donations, including a heritage batch from the Priests of Saint-Sulpice consisting of 79 specimens, several of them over a hundred years old. About nine percent of the specimens were purchased for educational needs. A small fraction comes from the Biodôme’s ecosystems or is here on loan.
Taxidermy, halfway between art and science, offers a unique window on the natural world. It allows us to preserve and celebrate biodiversity while educating the public about the importance of conservation.
