Lizard taxidermist turns hobby into full-time career as alternative for reptiles he uses is ‘mass cremation or the bin’

A taxidermist specialising in lizards who transformed his hobby into a full-time career said the alternative for the creatures he uses is being “thrown away or mass cremated”.

Todd Bass, 29, said he never had a particular passion for taxidermy but his father was a hunter and, living in Kenosha, Wisconsin, US, he was “exposed” to the art-form regularly over the years.

Having studied political science, Todd initially worked in political organising for the Democrats in his state on various election campaigns – but in 2020 he realised it was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

During the pandemic, Todd started collecting wet specimens and skulls but after finding the hobby to be expensive, he started to create his own taxidermy, primarily concentrating on lizards after spotting a gap in the oddities market.

Todd said he takes inspiration from his love of blues music to form his work, often depicting old fortune tellers where he visualises “hoodoo voodoo ladies down in Arkansas or Louisiana” – but he also creates mob wives, cowboys or even someone he has spotted in public who “reminds (him) of a lizard”.

Sharing his work on social media was the “catalyst” for his growth and Todd now gains millions of views on TikTok while turning his hobby into a full-time career, earning as much as 5,000 US dollars (£3,817) each month.

“It’s not like I’m stealing somebody’s dead animal or going to the pet store, buying an animal and killing it,” Todd told PA Real Life.

“The people who buy my creations often name them and they are proudly displayed in their homes, they show them to all their friends and family.

“I’m giving these basically unloved and under-cared-for reptiles the home they didn’t have in life, and an alternative to being thrown away or mass cremated.”

Growing up, Todd said his father was a hunter and he was regularly “exposed” to taxidermy over the years.

He said he never had a particular passion for the art-form, however, and he is “not particularly artistic”.

“I’ve grown up around it but it was only later where I felt like, ‘oh this is weird, I’m into that’,” he said.

Todd originally studied political science and said he worked on the 2020 election campaign in Wisconsin.

“I enjoyed it, but I think that was my wake-up call to know it’s not what I wanted to do all the time for the rest of my life,” Todd said.

Due to the seasonal nature of political organising, Todd said he did not have a job in November 2020 – during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“At that time, I feel we were all finding things out about ourselves that we didn’t really know before,” he said.

“I began collecting wet specimens (preserved biological specimens often displayed in jars) and skulls.”

Todd, enjoying the hobby, said he “quickly realised” it was too expensive and he began creating his own taxidermy instead.

Starting out was tough, however, as his creations “didn’t really pay the bills at first”.

“I did a lot of wet specimens myself and very ugly, mummified art,” he said.

“What you see today is not what I started doing, so it was more of a supplemental income at first.”

As a “huge reptile lover”, Todd then began to dabble with different creations.

He said: “I love mice, chipmunks and squirrels with little hats and little guns, but I thought ‘where are the lizards?’

“Nobody was really doing this with lizards, so I thought I could, and it evolved into that.”

Todd said his love for blues music forms most of the inspiration for his pieces.

“What I make the most is the fortune tellers, and that comes back to blues music,” he said.

“There’s a lot of old blues, and some new blues, with themes of hoodoo voodoo ladies down in Arkansas or Louisiana – I just love that theme.

“When I listen to the music, I can envision the women they’re talking about.”

Todd also creates mob wives, cowboys and people he comes across in public.

“Sometimes I see somebody and I’m like, that reminds me of a lizard … I’m always thinking about lizards,” he said.

Todd said he sources the already dead reptiles from rescue shelters, breeders and pet stores.

He then guts and dries the animals, before stuffing, cutting, gluing and styling them into the desired position.

He also aims to create “a story”, which he builds by adding clothing, accessories and miniature objects to his tiny sets.

“There’s a lot of detail, a lot of investment,” he said, adding he often spends between 80 and 140 dollars (£61 and £106) to make each piece.

“Some people don’t want to spend that much money but I grew up poor,” he said.

“I’m either going to make some money or I’m not, and I’m going to take the risk to make the piece how I really want it to look.”

Overall, Todd said it takes around two weeks to make each piece from start to finish.

After finding his feet with his creations, Todd launched his Etsy store, Toddities Animal Preservation, in May 2021.

He said it was initially “very difficult” to get any traction however.

To keep himself afloat, Todd said he ended up back in political organising in 2022, 2023 and 2024 – where he said he ran an assembly campaign during the last election cycle.

With his creations, Todd said some months he would make “virtually no money”, while in others, he would “make a ton”.

In January this year however, Todd posted a reel to his Instagram page, @toddities_animal_preservation, depicting a mob wife lizard in a fur coat – which he felt was a “catalyst” for his business’ growth after it went “viral”.

At the time, Todd said he had around 4,500 followers on Instagram, but this now boomed to 63,000.

He also launched a TikTok page in July 2024, which boasts 39,000 followers and 1.8 million likes – where several of his videos showing his creations have gone viral with more than one million views.

Following the boost in his popularity, Todd has been able to use his taxidermy to become “self-sustainable”.

“At first, I had a real lack of social media presence but this has been so much of the reason why I’ve been able to transition to this full-time now,” he said.

“For the first time in my life, I feel like I have something that I can own and feel good about.”

Todd said he is now watching his business grow year-on-year.

In 2024, he made between 70 and 80 pieces, and this year, he has already sold 137 orders.

“I’m expected to double what I did last year, at least,” he said.

“I’m taking home around 3,000 dollars (£2,290) a month – but there’s months where I make 5,000 dollars (£3,817) and there’s months where I make 2,000 dollars (£1,526).”

Todd now aims to keep taxidermy as his full-time career “for as long as (his) hands and eyes work”.

“I plan to hopefully do this for as long as I possibly can,” he said.

“I think it shows that anybody is capable, given the right circumstances, to do anything that they want.”

To find out more about Todd’s artwork follow @toddities_animal_preservation on Instagram.