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That's exactly why any taxidermist mounting a skin (not fur) like a fish or snake has to be a good painter & get a good color match. A 10# Large Mouth Bass out of a lake & in a live well for a few hrs will start to stress & lose color. One that has been dead & frozen for a few months before the taxidermist gets to it will lose even more of its brilliant color. If the taxidermist doesn't get a good color match, does a poor job of painting, or goes old school with the urethane wet look, the skin will never look natural. And with exposure & without protection it will continue to lose color.In tanning rattler or cotton mouth skins, an outer layer of each scale sluffs off causing a reduction of the Hide’s brilliance. It’s inevitable.
However, they still look great, just not as colorful. And yes, they continue to fade with time, but not too much.