✨ACAB✨

So Ill start by saying that this is just a rough guide to skull that are a little on the risky side. You are free to make your own judgements, that and just cause something may match criteria it doesn't necessarily mean that its dodgy.

For starters is the Mink. The condition of these skulls is enough to put most people off purchasing, but a seriously low price tag is a draw for some. These skulls are often boiled and bleached, it leaves them still greasey and prone to degrading. To top it off sometimes they dont even have the correct jaws!

Essentially they come from the fur farming industry. The issue most folk will have with this is the lack of regulations and cruelty that goes on within them, other its the fur farming itself.

So if you dont want a skull thats gonna stink and possibly crumble aswell as funding the industry I'd avoid if I were you.

Next up Bats! Most that appear in bulk tend to be imported from Indonesia. Whilst the Bats are cool thier sourcing is not so great.

I will say however that the clear stapled packaging theyre often found in isnt always suspect. Insect breeders and small scale Bat access will also use this same methods for protection.

Frankly most Bats sourced from this background will most likely be poached. Its unlikely that they were already found dead and even suggested as being farmed is somewhat unrealistic. Its suggested that some come from pest control in protecting fruits. But who can really prove it was legal.

Buying these items can give a market for poachers and other wildlife trafficers and noone wants that.

Moving on from murky waters we land back in China, to fur farms.

Foxes from China can be so hard to navigate sometimes, theyre listed as Red or Grey Foxes, Coyotes sometimes too but most of the time the species ID is a lie. Often skulls are listed as Dogs and Tanukis and vice versa. Imagine buying a Fox and getting a Dog instead.

So not only are you being lied to but once again you're getting an awful quality skull and paying into the fur industry and potential dog napping.

It's seriously worth checking your species ID, looking at comparisons and that counts for all the skulls you buy. You just never know when you could be breaking the law other wise. Infact our next species has caused some bother recently.

There are around 10 species of Crocodile on the Red List. The Siamese Crocodile is one of them. Its status is critical and its still in decline. Poaching from the leather and meat industry are one of the many causes of Crocodile number decline.

Some of the Siamese Crocodiles are being captured for Crocodile farms in places like Cambodia and Thailand but there are smaller farm operations in China. However they are Appendix I CITES listed which means trade is only permitted in exceptional circumstances.

This has lead to several cases of police raids within the UK over the purchase of such skulls from the likes of eBay. The excuses there are simply lack of knowledge, cause theyre on eBay people think its okay.

Not only is it a CITES listed species but its also covered by COTES (Control of Trade in Endangered species) under Annex A, meaning no trade is permitted at all in the UK.

So this is the exception, these skulls and other species of Crocodile are protected and it is illegal to sell and purchase them. If in doubt check out the Species+ website for any protections they might have.