Herpetological Museum Specimen Collection by Patrick Malonza
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Transcript of Herpetological Museum Specimen Collection by Patrick Malonza
Value of Museum preserved specimens “RESEARCH & EDUCATION”
•Collection management– (Nairobi Herpetology collection):- Over 30,000
mostly wet or spirit specimens
•Community ecology– Zoogeography & distribution, Conservation
status
•Taxonomy & systematics– New species description, Taxonomic updates
•Natural history• Breeding & feeding habits
•Reference collection – A specimen library for comparison with other
international collections.
Field collection
• Specimen acquisition• Planned field collection (search-and-seize)• Dead on road (DOR) or Road kills
• Field data• Vital
• 1) Locality (Lat, Long, Altitude) or distance/direction from a known place e.g. 15km NW of Malindi Town.
• 2) Collection date• 3) Collector(s)
• Helpful• -Time of the day, colour in life & unusual
morphology e.g. deformity etc.• - Field tag: attach it before fixing to avoid
future confusion.
Snakes & People: The perception
East African Garter snake: Sagalla, Taita Hills
Boomslang, Sagalla –Taita Hills
Rhinoceros Viper, Kobujoi-South Nandi forest
“A snake is a snake”! Kill it on sight first!
Zambezi Blind snake :- Shimba Hills
African Python:- Shimba Hills
Specimen preservation: Wet collection
• If not dead! Use a Killing agent (should be humane)• Amphibians: MS22 powder dissolved in water
then submerge the specimen.• Reptiles: Sodium pentobarbital: inject near
the heart• Fixing (preservation): Chemical (10% formalin =
4% formaldehyde): inject into the belly to prevent postmortem decomposition. For large specimens make slits on the belly.
• Storage: 70% industrial clear ethanol in transparent preferably glass jars.
Specimen fixing Goal: To preserve the original appearance of the
specimen gross external morphology, cellular structure & colour
Chemical:- Formalin has proven to be the most effective fixative for herps.
• Note:- Alcohol (ethyl alcohol or ethanol) can also be used as a fixative, though weak and not so effective:Commercially sold as 95% Industrial methylated spirit (I.M.S)
• Note: Can fix whole specimen or its part e.g. head + neck for large snakes
• NB: In the absence of all these use any available dry gin or strong spirit (preferably colourless). Or put in a freezer with a field tag
Suggested injection points and desired hardening positions for snakes + field tag
Chemicals dilution & Specimen storage• Fixation• Formaldehyde, HCOH is a gas
• Usually obtained in a 40% aqueous solution (known as Formalin) the commercial name
• Dilution
• Note:-40% formaldehyde=100% formalin –To make 4% formaldehyde=10% formalin:-1part formalin (40% formaldehyde)9 parts water10 parts of 10% formalin (4% formaldehyde)
• Note:- for storage of specimens already fixed use 1% formaldehyde=2.5% formalin
• Storage• Note: Before storage clear out the
formalin (fixative) on the specimen surface with water
• Chemicals:- Alcohol for long term storage. Formalin for egg masses
• Dilution:• Alcohol, Industrial Methylated
spirit sold at 95% must be diluted to 70%3 parts spirit: 1part water
• Why dilute? –to avoid dehydration of specimen (strong alcohol has high affinity for water hence cause dehydration of specimens especially amphibians).
• NB: Specimens fixed and stored in alcohol are not long-lasting but one can extract DNA in future.
Specimen accession & curation
• A specimen has scientific value if its stored in a known museum collection
• Forward specimen to a museum for curation & accession to have museums number
• Contact• Herpetology Section, Natural Science Building
• National Museums of Kenya,• Museum Hill Road
• P. O. Box 40658-00100, NAIROBI• E-mail: [email protected]