Legality of preserving (taxidermy & cremation, etc.) licenced species?

[Jen]

I would like to see some specimens in lucite or similar, tho I am not sure if the lucite would actually go into the cells of the specimen, or just sit on the outside, causing the skin to be preserved while it rotten from the inside?
At my TAFE chem course we were shown examples of (I think) formaldehyde preserved animals, but the formaldehyde was so old it had crystallised and was now really dangerous, a fire hazard. (Also, if you have a TAFE nearby that does bio courses, they will have 100% ethanol on hand, and if the head tech is cool, he/she may let you buy/have some....)

 

[kawasakirider]

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I put a snake in a bottle of metho years ago. It still looks fine today.

 

[Waterrat]

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I put a snake in a bottle of metho years ago. It still looks fine today.

It may look fine but try to pull it out and band it. .... then again, rather don't, it will break up.
I have also seen spectacular "explosions" when the specimen wasn't fixed and put straight into a jar with metho with a poorly secured lid.

 

[kawasakirider]

Strange. I've shaken it up to see if it breaks apart and it's all good.

 

[Waterrat]

I would like to see some specimens in lucite or similar,

That method is much more involving. The specimen must be completely dehydrates by several fixing stages, followed by ethanol step up baths (70%-85%-100% with several changes) then soaked in ........ (for the life of me I can't remember the chemical). The imbeding is done in layers because as the material cures it gives off heat.

 

[omg_a_gecko]

has anyone had their snakes preserved like this....... Personally I just like living pets

.View attachment 219497View attachment 219498

I prefer living snakes too, though this is very tidy. Part of a museum? c:

 

[Jen]

That method is much more involving. The specimen must be completely dehydrates by several fixing stages, followed by ethanol step up baths (70%-85%-100% with several changes) then soaked in ........ (for the life of me I can't remember the chemical). The imbeding is done in layers because as the material cures it gives off heat.

Was it DPX? We used that to do permanent slides, and that sounds very similar to the method - dehydrating etc.

 

[Waterrat]

The preparation is the same for any imbedding, DPX, resin, fibreglass, etc.

I wonder how good ethylene glycol would be for preserving smaller specimens, we used it in insect traps where even soft-bodied invertebrates such as spiders remained intact for several months. And that was a diluted glycol.
Ethylene glycol is used as a coolant in car radiators, which is green or red but you can buy clear one too. Propylene glycol should be alright too.
Can anyone comment on that?

 

[Elapidae1]

I can't say from personal experience but I'm fairly sure a lot of small skinks etc caught in glycol as bycatch during invert surveying is transfered to ethanol as it keeps better and maybe even has a detrimerntal effect on the specimen.

 

[Waterrat]

Yes, the specimens are transferred to alcohol. I was just thinking if glycol could be used as a substitute in Gordo's school.

 

[Bel03]

All this talk about metho etc & all of a sudden......im thirsty......:? LOL It really is actually sad the lengths some people will go to 'knock themselves out'. Like only 2wks ago, a young girl who would have been all of maybe 12yrs old was sitting at the shopping centre with a ring of silver paint around her lips, she honestly looked as though she were about to drop dead where she sat! Before leaving the shops i went back past to check she was ok, the police had beat me to it. It makes me sad to see kids like this, adults are adults, they know better, but when its kids, i just feel so sad for them!

 

[Waterrat]

Some of the adults should be send to the taxidermist, they are fixed already, some even partially preserved.
it is sad, I agree.

 

[GeckPhotographer]

I prefer just keeping the animals preserved in 70% ethanol. The whole next step of taxidermy an animal really seems pointless to me. Formaldehyde is terrible for preserving specimens in my opinion as I see at least half the reason to do it the DNA of the animal and formaldehyde breaks that down very fast compared to 70% ethanol. I have a bat (thanks for reminding me to get it id'd) and a Common Death Adder in 70% ethanol, haven't had them that long but I assume they should last a fair while.