Godzuki was a foot-long salamander, light green with dark green stripes. Katherine Simmons and her children found him on an asphalt parking lot in Nebraska, and immediately rescued him from the traffic and birds, taking his scaly hide into the family bosom.
As a pet, Godzuki entertained young Jennifer and Joe for 16 years, running through wrapping paper tubes, balancing on the end of his tail. The Simmonses never even knew if he was a boy. But it didn't matter. He was their cherished reptile.
Now that he's gone, the Simmons family of Durham is seeking a biologist of some sort who can reduce 'Zuki to a skeleton, perhaps to display on a shelf.
"I just think that having Godzuki's skeleton would be an interesting way to still have him around," writes Katherine. "I find myself looking at the terrarium to check on him."
Is there a reptile taxidermist in the house?
Josh Shaffer feels drawn to life's smaller stories – the tiny triumphs of ordinary people, the curiosities you see out the window of your car. He plays the trombone. He can juggle a little. His hero is this guy from Baltimore who lost his paycheck when it blew off his dashboard, and who responded by stopping his car to do a little dance on the shoulder and say, "Oh, well. I'll get another one next week."
Comments
Taxidermist
Sun, 11/07/2010 - 17:50 — Hoss_TaxidermyI am able to preserve the bones of your dear pet, if you still interested you can email me at
Hoss.taxidermy@gmail.com
thank you,
David