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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Dear Kelly, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">It may be possible that your garter snake was preserved in a 1% solution of propylene phenoxetol at some point in its history. From my current research it appears that propylene phenoxetol is good
at preserving melanin, and also retains a degree of softness in specimens in the long term – even after they have been moved into other preservation fluids. We have specimens of a similar age (although not herps) that were preserved in this way which have
retained a degree of flexibility. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Best wishes, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Claire <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">*******<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Claire Smith </span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">(she/her), AFHEA
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">PhD Candidate: Colour retention in fluid-preserved museum specimens</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Graduate Teaching Assistant, Cole Museum of Zoology</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none"> (Wednesdays)<br>
<a href="mailto:c.e.smith@pgr.reading.ac.uk">c.e.smith@pgr.reading.ac.uk</a><span style="color:#0070C0">
<br>
</span><a href="mailto:claire.smith@reading.ac.uk">claire.smith@reading.ac.uk</a><span style="color:#0070C0">
<br>
</span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/wetconservatrix">www.twitter.com/wetconservatrix</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ligatures:none">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ligatures:none"> Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Cassidy, Kelly Michela<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, November 6, 2023 8:04 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Nhcoll-l] Speculation on color retention and color loss in preserved herps?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Curious about herp preservation techniques that affect color retention and loss.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We have a garter snake that was once used as a display and/or teaching specimens. It was in a straight glass tube, sealed at the ends with a black tarry substance. About 10 or 15 years ago, I removed the snake from its
glass tube because the fluid and glass had become too discolored for it to be a suitable display specimen. I rinsed it and transferred it to a jar in 70% ethanol, but I am not sure what the fluid in the original tube was. The snake was collected in 1938.
For a specimen approaching 90 years old, its color pattern was unusually sharp, but it is also much more flaccid than a typical snake fixed in formalin and preserved in ethanol. (Picture attached.) Any idea what fixative or storage chemicals might have caused
better color retention but might have been less good at preservation, leading to more flaccidness?
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">On the other end of spectrum, we have a number of specimens, most from the mid-20<sup>th</sup> century (1950s to 1970s) that are now almost entirely bleached of color. These nearly white specimens came to Conner Museum
as part of an “orphaned” collection (from Walla Walla College). Not all of the specimens from Walla Walla are bleached out. I am guessing there was a period when their fixative or storage solution contained or lacked something that caused unusual bleaching.
We have no records from the collection about fixative or storage methods. What is the most likely cause of such extreme bleaching? Lack of buffering or chemicals used for buffering? Storage in denatured ethanol?
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ligatures:none">Dr. Kelly M. Cassidy, Curator, Conner Museum<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ligatures:none">School of Biological Sciences<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ligatures:none">Box 644236<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ligatures:none">Washington State University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ligatures:none">Pullman, WA 99164-4236<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ligatures:none">509-335-3515<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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