<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Californian FB";
panose-1:2 7 4 3 6 8 11 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
h1
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
margin-top:24.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#365F91;}
h2
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:13.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#4F81BD;}
h3
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#4F81BD;}
h4
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 4 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#4F81BD;
font-style:italic;}
h5
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 5 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#243F60;
font-weight:normal;}
h6
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 6 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#243F60;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:italic;}
p.MsoHeading7, li.MsoHeading7, div.MsoHeading7
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 7 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#404040;
font-style:italic;}
p.MsoHeading8, li.MsoHeading8, div.MsoHeading8
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 8 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#4F81BD;}
p.MsoHeading9, li.MsoHeading9, div.MsoHeading9
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 9 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#404040;
font-style:italic;}
p.MsoCaption, li.MsoCaption, div.MsoCaption
{mso-style-priority:35;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#4F81BD;
font-weight:bold;}
p.MsoTitle, li.MsoTitle, div.MsoTitle
{mso-style-priority:10;
mso-style-link:"Title Char";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:15.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
border:none;
padding:0in;
font-size:26.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#17365D;
letter-spacing:.25pt;}
p.MsoTitleCxSpFirst, li.MsoTitleCxSpFirst, div.MsoTitleCxSpFirst
{mso-style-priority:10;
mso-style-link:"Title Char";
mso-style-type:export-only;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
border:none;
padding:0in;
font-size:26.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#17365D;
letter-spacing:.25pt;}
p.MsoTitleCxSpMiddle, li.MsoTitleCxSpMiddle, div.MsoTitleCxSpMiddle
{mso-style-priority:10;
mso-style-link:"Title Char";
mso-style-type:export-only;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
border:none;
padding:0in;
font-size:26.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#17365D;
letter-spacing:.25pt;}
p.MsoTitleCxSpLast, li.MsoTitleCxSpLast, div.MsoTitleCxSpLast
{mso-style-priority:10;
mso-style-link:"Title Char";
mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:15.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
border:none;
padding:0in;
font-size:26.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#17365D;
letter-spacing:.25pt;}
p.MsoSubtitle, li.MsoSubtitle, div.MsoSubtitle
{mso-style-priority:11;
mso-style-link:"Subtitle Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#4F81BD;
letter-spacing:.75pt;
font-style:italic;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing
{mso-style-priority:1;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
p.MsoListParagraph, li.MsoListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph
{mso-style-priority:34;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
p.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst
{mso-style-priority:34;
mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
p.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle
{mso-style-priority:34;
mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
p.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast
{mso-style-priority:34;
mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
p.MsoQuote, li.MsoQuote, div.MsoQuote
{mso-style-priority:29;
mso-style-link:"Quote Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black;
font-style:italic;}
p.MsoIntenseQuote, li.MsoIntenseQuote, div.MsoIntenseQuote
{mso-style-priority:30;
mso-style-link:"Intense Quote Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:.65in;
margin-bottom:14.0pt;
margin-left:.65in;
border:none;
padding:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#4F81BD;
font-weight:bold;
font-style:italic;}
span.MsoSubtleEmphasis
{mso-style-priority:19;
color:gray;
font-style:italic;}
span.MsoIntenseEmphasis
{mso-style-priority:21;
color:#4F81BD;
font-weight:bold;
font-style:italic;}
span.MsoSubtleReference
{mso-style-priority:31;
font-variant:small-caps;
color:#C0504D;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.MsoIntenseReference
{mso-style-priority:32;
font-variant:small-caps;
color:#C0504D;
letter-spacing:.25pt;
font-weight:bold;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.MsoBookTitle
{mso-style-priority:33;
font-variant:small-caps;
letter-spacing:.25pt;
font-weight:bold;}
p.MsoTocHeading, li.MsoTocHeading, div.MsoTocHeading
{mso-style-priority:39;
margin-top:24.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#365F91;
font-weight:bold;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#365F91;
font-weight:bold;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#4F81BD;
font-weight:bold;}
span.Heading3Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 3 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3";
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#4F81BD;
font-weight:bold;}
span.Heading4Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 4 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 4";
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#4F81BD;
font-weight:bold;
font-style:italic;}
span.Heading5Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 5 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 5";
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#243F60;}
span.Heading6Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 6 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 6";
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#243F60;
font-style:italic;}
span.Heading7Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 7 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 7";
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#404040;
font-style:italic;}
span.Heading8Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 8 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 8";
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#4F81BD;}
span.Heading9Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 9 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 9";
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#404040;
font-style:italic;}
span.TitleChar
{mso-style-name:"Title Char";
mso-style-priority:10;
mso-style-link:Title;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#17365D;
letter-spacing:.25pt;}
span.SubtitleChar
{mso-style-name:"Subtitle Char";
mso-style-priority:11;
mso-style-link:Subtitle;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#4F81BD;
letter-spacing:.75pt;
font-style:italic;}
span.QuoteChar
{mso-style-name:"Quote Char";
mso-style-priority:29;
mso-style-link:Quote;
color:black;
font-style:italic;}
span.IntenseQuoteChar
{mso-style-name:"Intense Quote Char";
mso-style-priority:30;
mso-style-link:"Intense Quote";
color:#4F81BD;
font-weight:bold;
font-style:italic;}
span.EmailStyle45
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle46
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>The scales can’t come off—reptile scales are folds in the skin, unlike fish which have embedded scales that can come off. However, the epidermis may come off, just like when the live animal sheds. This is ok or even desirable since it shows the underlying color and texture better. Old skins can have all sort of problems but it was probably just air dried. (If it were tanned, the skin sloughing issue would have already been resolved.) Unless it has some kind of data or other unique value, I would cut it off the fabric and throw the fabric away. Depending on your use, re-mount or not. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>If you are considering fixing the holes, maybe you want to use it as an educational specimen? If so, you can use a silicone caulk (one that will always be flexible) to adhere the skin to a new backing and at the same time add strength. Test the caulk for adhesion strength to the skin with a small dot of it on one if the edges before you commit to gluing the whole thing. This is definitely not a conservation technique but it may help you get use out of an otherwise delicate skin.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>If it is data-bearing, still cut it off of the fabric then store it as you would a bird skin—support, acid-free, etc. Many collections roll their skins, which is ok and is definitely the most space conservative but often results in a difficult to use specimen. Wide rolls, like we do with textiles are better than tight rolls. Textile techniques work for flat support too. You can save the sloughed epidermal fragments in an envelope, like an herbarium specimen, if you think it has future use.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Though it may be a big skin, note that snakes stretch considerably when skinned and are often intentionally stretched even more. What looks like a record specimen once skinned was just average when live.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>--Steve<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Steven M. Sullivan | Senior Curator of Urban Ecology<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>The Chicago Academy of Sciences and its Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum</span></font><font size=1 color="#1f497d"><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:3.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Museum|2430 North Cannon Drive|Chicago Illinois 60614|<a href="http://www.naturemuseum.org/"><font color=blue><span style='color:blue'>naturemuseum.org</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Collections|4001 North Ravenswood Ave.|Chicago Illinois 60613|<a href="http://projectsquirrel.org/"><font color=blue><span style='color:blue'>projectsquirrel.org</span></font></a></span></font><font size=1 color="#1f497d"><span style='font-size:3.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>P 708-937-6253 | F 773-755-5199 | <a href="ssullivan@naturemuseum.org"><font color=blue><span style='color:blue'>ssullivan@naturemuseum.org</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:3.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D;font-style:italic'>A century of memories and lessons from the Passenger Pigeon at <a href="http://passengerpigeon.org/"><font color=blue><span style='color:blue'>passengerpigeon.org</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D;font-style:italic'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Gegick, Patricia, DCA<br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Monday, November 17, 2014 10:25 AM<br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu<br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Nhcoll-l] preserved snake skin<o:p></o:p></span></font></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Dear Listers:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>We recently acquired a very large dried rattlesnake skin from 1955. It is currently thread-tacked to a piece of fabric which is quite soiled. Does anyone have any experience with first, how to keep the scales from coming off, and second, what would be the best way to re-mount this? The threads could be easily cut, but I don’t know if the holes in the skin are too fragile to re-use. If so , is there another accepted method to attach it to a supportive substrate? The donor did not have any information on the preservation technique. I have not yet tested it for arsenic. Thanks all.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font size=1 color="#2c6822" face="Californian FB"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Californian FB","serif";color:#2C6822;font-weight:bold'>Patricia J. Gegick <br>Bioscience Collections Specialist<br>Department of Collections and Research <br>New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science <br>1801 Mountain Road, NW <br>Albuquerque, NM 87104-1375 <br>Phone: 505.841.2867 Fax: 505.841.2808 <br>email: <a href="mailto:patricia.gegick@state.nm.us">patricia.gegick@state.nm.us</a><u> </u><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=1 color="#2c6822" face="Californian FB"><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Californian FB","serif";color:#2C6822'>“Every calculation based on experience elsewhere fails in New Mexico</span></font><font color="#2c6822" face="Californian FB"><span style='font-family:"Californian FB","serif";color:#2C6822'>.</span></font><font size=1 color="#2c6822" face="Californian FB"><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Californian FB","serif";color:#2C6822'>”</span></font><font color="#2c6822" face="Californian FB"><span style='font-family:"Californian FB","serif";color:#2C6822'> </span></font><font size=1 color="#2c6822" face="Californian FB"><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Californian FB","serif";color:#2C6822'>Lew Wallace, New Mexico Territorial Governor from 1878-1881.</span></font><font color="#2c6822" face="Californian FB"><span style='font-family:"Californian FB","serif";color:#2C6822'> </span></font><font size=1 color="#2c6822" face="Californian FB"><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Californian FB","serif";color:#2C6822'>New Mexico: The Land of Enchantment<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p></div></body></html>