<div dir="ltr">Perhaps a bit off the topic, but I'll share a story regarding dry Hymenoptera specimens. Being allergic to bee/wasp venom, I'm usually careful when handling live or fresh specimens. Some years ago, while working with old pinned wasps, I accidentally dropped a specimen and reflexively reached out and caught it in the palm of my hand (everted sting down). I had a distinct (non-life threatening) allergic reaction causing my hand to swell up. So I learned that old, dry wasp venom is still active.<div>All the best! - Barry</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Apr 30, 2018 at 10:28 AM, Bentley, Andrew Charles <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:abentley@ku.edu" target="_blank">abentley@ku.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">The same is true for fishes venom.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Andy<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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Andy Bentley<br>
Ichthyology Collection Manager<br>
University of Kansas<br>
Biodiversity Institute<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Dyche Hall<br>
<a><span style="color:#0563c1">1345 Jayhawk Boulevard</span></a><br>
<a><span style="color:#0563c1">Lawrence, KS, 66045-7561</span></a><br>
<a><span style="color:#0563c1">USA</span></a><br>
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Tel: <a href="tel:%28785%29%20864-3863" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563c1">(785) 864-3863</span></a><br>
Fax: <a href="tel:%28785%29%20864-5335" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563c1">(785) 864-5335</span></a> <br>
Email: <a href="mailto:abentley@ku.edu" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563c1">abentley@ku.edu</span></a> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu_&d=DwMGaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=xxr2cXJH2faypHDn_uD8xapZGq7jQ2HFu3eIL6WB4tI&s=huw26lbjnxDujWJRpnZxlGUvl4U23NUUvkyvxB41sJc&e=" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563c1">http://ichthyology.<wbr>biodiversity.ku.edu</span></a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Nhcoll-l <<a href="mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank">nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.<wbr>yale.edu</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>John E Simmons<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, April 30, 2018 9:20 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Esther Dondorp <<a href="mailto:esther.dondorp@naturalis.nl" target="_blank">esther.dondorp@naturalis.nl</a>><br>
<b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank">nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Nhcoll-l] Poisonous specimens in collection<u></u><u></u></span></p><div><div class="h5">
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">I can't answer for stonefish or mollusks, but snake venom is effectively neutralized with preservation in formaldehyde or alcohol. Snake venoms are complex
proteins which break down fairly rapidly unless they are dried, and and are denatured in fluid preservatives. Other than the possibility of being scratched by the teeth or fangs, preserved venomous snakes do not present a hazard. The fangs of dry skulls may
contain a bit of dry venom and should be handled carefully. The toxins in amphibian skins are also effectively neutralized in preservatives.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">As a general rule, I strongly recommend wearing nitrile or neoprene gloves when handling any fluid-preserved specimen, not because of the animal's toxins
but because of trace amounts of formaldehyde and other chemicals that may be in the alcohol.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">--John<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">John E. Simmons<br>
Museologica<br>
128 E. Burnside Street<br>
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010<br>
<a href="mailto:simmons.johne@gmail.com" target="_blank">simmons.johne@gmail.com</a><br>
303-681-5708<br>
<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.museologica.com&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=JWokvFOW6L_YotfSapr1WXxZG7N2aoZOcjBF_wiQYGE&s=S615PE6OxAjDJkFI8zLRfrRTbyhaK4FOlSlVfTJuQLM&e=" target="_blank">www.museologica.com</a><br>
and<br>
Adjunct Curator of Collections<br>
Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery<br>
Penn State University<br>
University Park, Pennsylvania<br>
and<br>
Instructor, Museum Studies<br>
School of Library and Information Science<br>
Kent State University<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">On Mon, Apr 30, 2018 at 10:09 AM, Esther Dondorp <<a href="mailto:esther.dondorp@naturalis.nl" target="_blank">esther.dondorp@naturalis.nl</a>> wrote:<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222;background:white">For new health and safety procedures we are tying to find out if specimens in collections that are intrinsically poisonous can still be a hazard to work with. Think
about venomous snakes in ethanol or formalin, stone fish, mollusks. Does anyone has experience with this? Do you have special safety procedures for working with these type of specimens or is there really nothing to worry about after fixation/preservation. </span> <br clear="all">
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<p class="MsoNormal">Many thanks!<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Esther Dondorp<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR, Leiden, The Netherlands</span><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:estherdondorp@naturalis.nl" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;text-decoration:none">E estherdondorp@naturalis.nl</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">,
<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.naturalis.nl&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=8dWh4XH9sXsq0jpP3x0OPRXxCWHKNU5xtE2cZ-WBh-w&s=WEqJZwADm_b0Z-HAjiiZ102nJHUumGPMSperdYApJxk&e=" target="_blank">
I </a></span><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.naturalis.nl_&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=8dWh4XH9sXsq0jpP3x0OPRXxCWHKNU5xtE2cZ-WBh-w&s=JyKhdpI_1md8D5QDxflW33VXlUf9JglXTfz9fAXSOY0&e=" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1155cc">www.naturalis.n</span></b></a><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red">Due to the construction of new public museum facilities, depots, labs and offices, the zoological, geological and paleontological collections
of Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden will be closed to all visitors</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red"> </span><u><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red">till at least December 2018</span></u><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red">.</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:9.5pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:red">We apologize for this inconvenience.</span></b><span style="font-size:9.5pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:15px"><font size="4" color="#000000"><span style="font-size:14px">-So many mites, so little time!</span><span style="font-size:14px"><br></span><span style="font-size:14px"><br></span><span style="font-size:14px">Barry M. OConnor </span><span style="font-size:14px"><br></span><span style="font-size:14px">Professor & Curator </span><span style="font-size:14px"><br></span><span style="font-size:14px">Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology</span></font></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:14px;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Research Museums Center </span><div><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial"><font><span style="font-size:14px">University of Michigan </span></font></span><span style="font-family:Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:14px">phone: 734-763-4354</span><span style="font-family:Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:15px"><font size="4"><span style="font-size:14px"> <br>3600 Varsity Drive </span></font></span><span style="font-family:Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:14px">fax: 734-763-4080</span><span style="font-family:Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:15px"><font size="4"><span style="font-size:14px"><br>Ann Arbor, MI 48108-2228 </span></font></span><span style="font-family:Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:15px"><font size="4"><span style="font-size:14px">e-mail: </span></font><a><font size="4"><span style="font-size:14px">bmoc@umich.edu</span></font></a></span></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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