[NHCOLL-L:1707] specimen rehydration

[Greg Schneider]

I have had good success rehydrating dried amphibian and reptile specimens
initially stored in ethanol by submerging them in a graded series of
ethanol solutions (10% ethanol, 20%, 30%, etc.) with a little glycerin
added to soften the skin and enhance absorbtion.  The process must proceed
slowly, a couple of days in each solution.

Simmons' message is garbled with formatting punctuation and is difficult to
read.  So, I don't see a negative long term effect of rehydration.  It
seems that rehydration can make a dried (destroyed) specimen useful again.

Alternatively, dried specimens can be prepared as skeletons using dermestid
beetles if the skin and viscera are removed and the carcass is soaked in a
little bullion.


Greg Schneider
Division of Reptiles & Amphibians
Museum of Zoology
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1079

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