The stately male of the Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), who died in January 2016, had lived for many decades in a lake in the middle of the capital Hanoi. With a total length of about 2 meters and a weight of about 170 kilograms, it is the largest known specimen of its nearly extinct species.     Nobody had ever prepared such a huge...

The highest award an entry can receive is Judges’ Choice Best of Show. Breakthrough honors this top achievement with the Breakthrough Award for Judges’ Choice Best of Show. Each winner receives a handsome plaque and a gift certificate from Breakthrough worth $50 in subscription renewals and merchandise. This is our way of thanking and perhaps giving additional...

Having started in taxidermy with my grandfather in 1954, I still enjoy looking at the old mounts. I love redoing old fish mounts to allow them to once again hang proudly on the wall rather than find their way to a Dumpster. A few products that I use are Zip-Strip for stripping, 3006 White Lightening Caulk for hide glue, Zinsser Clear Spray Shellac for sealing, and Ultra...

Gadwalls (Mareca strepera) are common and widespread dabbling ducks in the family Anatidae. Gadwalls were first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. DNA studies have shown that it is a sister species with falcated ducks; the two are closely related to the three species of wigeons, and all of them have been assigned to the genus...