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WHY REPLICAS?
Naturalists occasionally come across skeletons in the field, and it is not unusual to find bones and other "bits of nature" on a naturalist’s shelf or in museum and nature center displays. This is quite different from the purchase of real body parts, such as skulls, claws, and pelts, a practice that can fuel, among other things, problematic (and difficult to regulate) "varmit control" operations.
We also feel that replicas offer a superior product for teaching purposes. Replicas offer strength and durability, and do not have any special storage, handling, or permit requirements. Toward this end, we are pleased to offer a wide selection of museum-quality, locally hand-crafted replicas.
In this section you will also find Acorn Naturalists trademark scat replicas, along with other track, fish, leaf, life cycle and animal replicas. We appreciate your continued support of our replica concept. Your order allows us to continue to develop high quality resources that are both educationally and ethically sound.
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References, Activities and Tools
This section includes skull identification manuals, activity guides, and related educational resources and tools for studying animal anatomy.
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Display Cases for Replicas
Acorn Naturalists offers display cases that offer protection for anything you want to preserve. We have museum quality clear rectangular displays as well as glass and plastic-topped Riker-style display cases. Protect and display skull replicas, talon, claw or tooth replicas or dried flowers, seeds, owl pellet bones, gemstones, fossils or any other collectables that you want to display and protect.
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ScatCast© Replicas (flexible scat positives).
Acorn Naturalists' trademark ScatCast© replicas are custom arranged and cast from scat samples collected in the field by Acorn Naturalists. Our ScatCast© replicas show every detail found in the original specimen: each is custom cast using tough, natural-looking, non-toxic, flexible vinyl polymers that last for years. Our smaller ScatCast© replicas are arranged and mounted on flexible pads. Larger ones are custom arranged for a realistic look when placed on trails (many naturalists use these replicas to "seed" trails and then discuss "who was here," predator/prey relationships, or food preferences). To keep ScatCast© replicas looking fresh, clean occasionally with any liquid soap.
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Scat Displays and Reference Materials
Scat samples provide valuable clues both to the presence of an animal as well as diet preferences. These unique collections of sterilized real scat feature a mix of both invertebrate and vertebrate scats. Each specimen has been carefully freeze-dried and sealed within a 16" X 12" glass-topped exhibit case. Silhouettes of each animal appear alongside the scat sample. Also included in this section are reference materials for identifying scat samples in the field.
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Alphabetical Listing of all Skull Replicas
This section contains hundreds of high quality fish, amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal skull replicas.
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Fish Skull Replicas
Included in this section are museum quality fish skull replicas.
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Fish Replicas and Kits for Fish Printing (Gyotaku)
Fish printing, or Gyotaku, incorporates science (fish diversity, anatomy, ecology), art (create colorful paintings, note cards, displays), math (measure and count fins, proportions, count fin rays), reading (use with stories about aquatic environments) and creative writing (write fact or fiction about the fish prints). All ages and abilities can enjoy creating beautiful, unique, artistic prints. We offer a wide selection of both fresh and saltwater species.
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Amphibian Skull Replicas
In this section you will find museum quality amphibian skull replicas.
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Reptile Skull Replicas
In this section you will find museum quality reptile skull replicas.
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Bird Skull Replicas
This section includes a wide selection of museum quality bird skull replicas.
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Bird Talon Replicas
These realistic bird talon replicas show how raptors are able to grasp their prey securely using their talons as hooks.
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Bird Egg Replicas, References, Magnets
Each of these life-size replicas is individually handcrafted to resemble eggs as they would be found in nature. Since they are hand-created one at a time, there is some variation, just as occurs in eggs from different regions. These exquisite replicas are used in museum displays and are also perfect for the classroom, nature center, or home. All eggs come with a display stand. For additional data on the bird egg replicas we offer simply click here.
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Owl Pellet Replicas, Owl Study Resources
This section includes activity guides, DVDs, references, owl pellet kits, natural owl pellets and perfect pellets. Also offered are stainless steel forceps for owl pellet dissection as well as bone sorting and identification charts for use with owl pellet studies. Several species of owl skull replicas also available along with educational displays and posters depicting owl pellet contents.
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Mammal Skull Replicas
In this section you will find a wide selection of museum quality mammal skull replicas.
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Animal Claw Replicas
Collection of life-size animal claw replicas, perfect for demonstrating specialized animal adaptations.
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Tooth Replicas, Activities and References
This section includes a wide range of animal tooth replicas, activities and references.
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Mammal Track Casts (mounted on plaques)
These life-size, three-dimensional mammal track casts are mounted on plaques and cast to give give the tracks a realistic appearance. Each is individually cast and detailed local artisans - perfect for classroom teaching or museum quality displays.
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Mammal Track Panels
Acorn Naturalists offers two educational mammal track panels, including a large 36" square panel that provides a perfect tracking teaching tool for classrooms and nature centers.
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Animal Track Replicas (flexible positives).
These life-size animal track replicas are individually cast using flexible phthalate-free vinyl. Use for sand tracking games (glue replicas to blocks of wood using vinyl glue and stamp tracks into sand boxes) or bring into the field to compare tracks or make prints. These accurate casts from museum specimens show every skin fold, claw or scale. These are wonderful hands-on tools for teaching anatomy, adaptations, behavior, ecology or tracking skills. Use soapy cleansers to clean occasionally. Turtle and mammal replicas are offered in sets featuring one back and one front foot unless noted as ea, in which case only one foot is included (all birds, some mammals).
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Animal Track Replicas (hard positives).
This collection of 25 hard resin, life-size track replicas are rock hard, making them perfect for making imprints in sand tracking boxes or for making animal tracks in wet cement or the PerfectCast® replica compound we offer. By comparison, flexible track replicas we also offer have the "feel" of a real paw and often show more detail (skin folds, pads) than the hard resin replicas. Each of these two track replica types have their own unique uses as hands-on teaching tools. Note: all of the hard track replicas are single replicas; on the mammals mostly hind feet unless otherwise noted.
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Track Molds (flexible vinyl negatives).
Made from flexible phthalate-free vinyl polymers, these life-size animal track molds can be filled with plaster, clay or PerfectCast, also available from Acorn Naturalists. Use the positive track casts you make as instructional aids, pressing them into moist sand or dirt to create a story (such as coyote tracks chasing rabbit tracks), for ink prints, or to compare with field specimens. Everyone can have fun making tracks—students or campers can take them home or make displays. Clean with occasionally with soapy cleansers. Each mold also features the name of the track and hind (H) or front (F) paw reversed out so that it appears correctly on the positive. Each of the species listed below includes a hind and a front track mold (set), unless designated as ea (birds, some mammals). For additional information on using these replicas, simply click here.
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Track Casting Kits and Casting Compounds
Casting tracks in the field can be great fun, all the while improving observational skills. Acorn Naturalists offers an ideal casting compound (Perfect Cast)in convenient easy to use and store plastic tubs for field and classroom use. In this section you will also find Mold-it replica kits, professional mold-making and casting kits.
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Small Skull Replica Sets
Use these collections of skull replicas for comparing skull form, function and structure. These detailed skull replicas range in size from 2" to 3" in length. Each skull set comes packaged in its own storage container. For children ages 5-11.
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Animal Models
Acorn Naturalists offers high quality, realistic hard-plastic models that are perfect for hands-on classroom learning or nature center use. These handpainted replicas are both accurate and reasonable. All are phthalate-free and comply with toy safety standards.
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Leaf Replicas (flexible positives)
Actual imprints of leaves that have been cast in flexible vinyl for use in art projects or as a tool for plant identification. Press with various colors of stamp pads or roll on different colors of block inks to make leaf prints using a brayer. (Note: we also offer a full range of colorful block inks and brayers - simply type "block ink" or "brayer" in the search area at the top of each page). Leaf replicas range in size from 5-9”.
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