<div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large">Hello,</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large"></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large">We recently obtained a deceased, unhatched western fence lizard hatchling with the eggshell cut open from our wildlife hospital. Our goal for this specimen is to utilize it for exhibit purposes, potentially for teaching opportunities, and I am working towards making our collection more accessible for research purposes as well. That being said, I would love any advice on potential ways to prepare this specimen.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large">I know generally wet preparation would be the ideal method to preserve a small specimen like this. That being said, we do not have the materials or the correct type of storage space to do this. I would like to use the freeze-drying method, but the Bay Area (California) seems not to have many taxidermists. Others I have asked have the same problem, where the taxidermists we have used in the past are either retiring or not responsive. I know it's not considered the proper way to freeze-dry, but there is a way to do it with a frost-free freezer, which I have on-site. I have never done the freezer method myself. I know this method can work, as I have some specimens in the frost-free freezer that were utilized for this purpose by a previous collector, though there are no notes as to who this was. I don't know if anyone has tried this before and could offer guidance, or could share other ways to potentially prep this specimen in-house.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:large">Thank you,</div><br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><table style="color:rgb(34,34,34);border:none;border-collapse:collapse"><colgroup><col width="148"><col width="336"></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height:115.255pt"><td style="border-width:1pt;border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(255,255,255);vertical-align:top;padding:5pt;overflow:hidden"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/XzmUiTf7LGIyutDBNZgCM2Q-dYzFZiv3lfIbK48pu9WMpAPb07RJk69__Jor7yuQP5eW6VuJfu6uhzB2la5w9Um1YH7omqbfaMCW1ZkNte348e86tvna8GEOVxHI6f5VFQ8TCpMV" style="text-align:justify;margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></td><td style="border-width:1pt;border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(255,255,255);vertical-align:top;padding:5pt;overflow:hidden"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000" face="Garamond, serif"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"><b>Sariah Rushing</b></span></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Pronouns: she/her/hers</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Natural History Collections Specialist  </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Garamond,serif;white-space:pre-wrap">Lindsay Wildlife Experience</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><i style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:garamond,"times new roman",serif"><b>Celebrating 70 Years Wild!</b></i><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Garamond,serif;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">925-627-2937</span><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></font><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">| </span><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="mailto:srushing@lindsaywildlife.org" target="_blank">srushing@lindsaywildlife.org</a></span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:Garamond,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=1931+First+Avenue,+Walnut+Creek+94597&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">193</span></a><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=1931+First+Avenue,+Walnut+Creek+94597&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">1 First Avenue, Walnut Creek 94597</span></a></p></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font size="1"><b>M</b></font></span><font size="1" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:georgia,serif"><b>y working hours are Sunday </b><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b><font size="2">- </font>Thursday </b></span><b>from 9 AM - 5 PM. I will get back to you as soon as possible, thank you.</b></font><br></div></div></div></div>