[Nhcoll-l] preserved snake skin

[Steve Sullivan]

The scales can't come off-reptile scales are folds in the skin, unlike fish
which have embedded scales that can come off.  However, the epidermis may
come off, just like when the live animal sheds.  This is ok or even
desirable since it shows the underlying color and texture better.  Old skins
can have all sort of problems but it was probably just air dried.  (If it
were tanned, the skin sloughing issue would have already been resolved.)
Unless it has some kind of data or other unique value, I would cut it off
the fabric and throw the fabric away.  Depending on your use, re-mount or
not.  

 

If you are considering fixing the holes, maybe you want to use it as an
educational specimen?  If so, you can use a silicone caulk (one that will
always be flexible) to adhere the skin to a new backing and at the same time
add strength.  Test the caulk for adhesion strength to the skin with a small
dot of it on one if the edges before you commit to gluing the whole thing.
This is definitely not a conservation technique but it may help you get use
out of an otherwise delicate skin.

 

If it is data-bearing, still cut it off of the fabric then store it as you
would a bird skin-support, acid-free, etc.  Many collections roll their
skins, which is ok and is definitely the most space conservative but often
results in a difficult to use specimen.  Wide rolls, like we do with
textiles are better than tight rolls.  Textile techniques work for flat
support too.  You can save the sloughed epidermal fragments in an envelope,
like an herbarium specimen, if you think it has future use.

 

Though it may be a big skin, note that snakes stretch considerably when
skinned and are often intentionally stretched even more.  What looks like a
record specimen once skinned was just average when live.

 

--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

 

A century of memories and lessons from the Passenger Pigeon at
<http://passengerpigeon.org/> passengerpigeon.org

 

 

 

From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu
[mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Gegick, Patricia,
DCA
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2014 10:25 AM
To: Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] preserved snake skin

 

Dear Listers:

We recently acquired a very large dried rattlesnake skin from 1955.  It is
currently thread-tacked to a piece of fabric which is quite soiled.  Does
anyone have any experience with first, how to keep the scales from coming
off, and second, what would be the best way to re-mount this?  The threads
could be easily cut, but I don't know if the holes in the skin are too
fragile to re-use. If so , is there another accepted method to attach it to
a supportive substrate?  The donor did not have any information on the
preservation technique.  I have not yet tested it for arsenic.  Thanks all.

Patricia J. Gegick 
Bioscience Collections Specialist
Department of Collections and Research 
New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science 
1801 Mountain Road, NW 
Albuquerque, NM  87104-1375 
Phone:  505.841.2867  Fax: 505.841.2808 
email:  patricia.gegick at state.nm.us 

"Every calculation based on experience elsewhere fails in New Mexico." Lew
Wallace, New Mexico Territorial Governor from 1878-1881. New Mexico: The
Land of Enchantment

 

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