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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Thought I'd open up with a question about bat specimens (here in BC we have none larger than a Hoary or Spotted Bat). Since they are fiddley and time consuming to prepare, I am wondering whether it makes sense to depart
from the traditional study skin to help speed prep when we get large samples from researchers (as will happen with today's surveys for Whitenose).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">What if prep was like this:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">1) take measurements as usual, or as possible given the state of the carcass<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">2) remove a large swatch of skin and fur off the belly (and back?) (a big postage stamp sized swatch) rather than doing a traditional skin. The swatch(es) are then scraped of any fat and connective tissue, washed, pinned
out flat and dried - then into a ziplock bag for long term storage. The swatch could be sampled for skin clips or fur samples just like a traditional skin. However, with a skin swatch, we would not have the stress of trying to take a sample and keep the skin
looking perfect.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">3) skull and entire post-cranial skeleton could then be left to dermestid beetles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">4) without worry about the perfect wing (i.e., part 3), we could save multiple wing punches, as well as muscle, and/or liver from the body.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">In the end, we have a tiny ziplock bag with skin swatches, muscle or liver and wing punches in cryovials, and skeleton in a small plastic box. It also would cut down on the dermestid threat to the collection since the
skin swatches are bagged. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Obviously it would be good to preserve traditional skins for the first few of a species in a given area, or those with unusual colouration. And we are used to seeing bat-looking objects in the trays of specimens - but
is there really a need to prepare traditional study skins all the time for museum specimens?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Same could be said for pelts of Moose, Elk, Grizzly, Bison, etc. Is a 20 cm by 20 cm swatch of fur enough for scientific research? It'd save costs and time if we don't have to get a pelt tanned. The swatch could be housed
in a ziplock bag in a Durphy box with the skeleton (or skull) from the same animal, saving lots of space in a collection.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I've never seen anyone in BC study entire pelts of larger mammals - but skin clips and hair samples obviously are popular research items (gut and/or scat analysis, road-kill ID). Once the "research swatch" is secured,
multiple swatches from a large animal also could be taken for educators - hands-on samples of fur with replacements.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Thanks in advance for your thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Gavin (Royal BC Museum)</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">______________________________________________________________________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Dr. Gavin Hanke
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Curator, Vertebrate Zoology | Collections, Knowledge and Engagement</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><img width="155" height="30" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D33853.58C6A210"></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC Canada V8W 9W2</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">T 250 952-0479 | F 250 387-0534</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><br>
<a href="mailto:ghanke@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:blue">ghanke@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca</span></a></span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"> |
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Question what “family” really means at the provocative new feature exhibition</span><i><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__royalbcmuseum.bc.ca_visit_exhibitions_family&d=DwMFAg&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=R2TQbkt6a2hNnimPME1IDwZ-6h2XEgLsrHEFFNxg04I&s=vw1woMTLO1HQev4hBwwNwLvTWhs4IKpIcKJtQmypuAE&e="><span style="color:blue">
Family: Bonds and Belonging</span></a>,</span></u></i><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">at the Royal BC Museum until Oct. 31, 2017</span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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