[NHCOLL-L:5978] RE: Preserving velvet-worms for display

[Steve Sullivan]

Having never worked on velvet worms, I'll give $.02.  I have done taxidermy
on a range of odd things though.   I suspect you'll need to paint them in
the end regardless of preservation technique.  Even if they keep their color
you'll want to restore that depth and vibrancy of color by applying some
kind of clear coat or highlight color.  More likely you'll need to restore
the majority of color using your artist's favorite solvent-based paints.

 

For euthanasia, I might experiment with the kinds of techniques developed
for anesthetizing anemones.   I used an Epsom salt solution once that
resulted in a fully extended specimen was then killed and erosion cast.  In
your case, anesthetize then freeze, maybe with a partial thaw to reposition
slightly, finished with a freeze dry.  

 

On the other hand you could just take a fresh-dead specimen, insert wires
strategically into the body to act as an armature then mold, cast, and
paint.  If you cast in pigmented silicone (maybe pigmented with concrete
dies for a more "velvety" color and depth) you have infinite positioning
possibilities and multiple mounts from one specimen.

 

As I say, this is only two cents worth-though I've looked, I have yet to
find a velvet worm in the wild so I may be missing some important aspect of
mounting.

 

Good luck, 

Steve

 

Steven M. Sullivan  |  Senior Curator of Urban Ecology

The Chicago Academy of Sciences and its Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

 

Museum|2430 North Cannon Drive|Chicago Illinois 60614|
<http://www.naturemuseum.org/> naturemuseum.org

Collections|4001 North Ravenswood Ave.|Chicago Illinois 60613|
<http://projectsquirrel.org/> projectsquirrel.org

P 708-937-6253 | F 773-755-5199 | ssullivan at naturemuseum.org

 

The Urban Gateway to Nature and Science

 

 

 

From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu [mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu]
On Behalf Of Simon Grove
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2012 9:26 PM
To: nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:5976] Preserving velvet-worms for display

 

Colleagues

 

I'm wondering if anyone can offer us some advice on how best to dry-preserve
velvet-worms so that we can include them in a new museum display on
Tasmanian natural history.  Velvet-worms (Onychophora, sometimes known as
peripatus) are softer-bodied than most arthropods, but harder-bodied than
earthworms.  They have retractile antennae and semi-retractile 'legs'.  The
Tasmanian species in question (the giant velvet-worm, Tasmanipatus barretti)
is a delicate pink colour.  In life they're rather cute-looking (despite
their predatory nature) and we'd like them to stay that way in death.

 

I suspect that ultimately they will need to be freeze-dried to be made
suitable for putting on display, but I am concerned that if I put them
straight in the freeze-drier they will retract their appendages and curl up,
and won't look very impressive at all (let alone cute).  On the other hand,
if I relax them first (e.g. by drowning in water with menthol, then pickle
them in ethanol) they may go too limp and lose their colour, even if they
would stiffen up nicely on subsequent freeze-drying.  Either way, we may
still face the problem of them 'deflating' in the freeze-drier.  Can anyone
suggest fixes to these problems, or alternative means of preparation?
Perhaps there are standard techniques for preparing caterpillars that could
equally apply to velvet-worms?  Any advice will be much appreciated.

 

And to think that I got into biology because I love animals!

 

Regards

 

Simon Grove

 

Dr Simon Grove

Senior Curator, Invertebrate Zoology

Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery

5 Winkleigh Place 

Rosny 7018

Tasmania

Australia

Phone 61 3 6211 4124

http://www.tmag.tas.gov.au/visitor_information/about_us/locations/collection
s_and_research_facility_rosny

 

Please note that I only work Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in this
position

 

 

 

  _____  


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