[Nhcoll-l] Advice on removing specimens from glass tubes

[Simon Moore]

Hi Luisa 

You will need a blade to cut away the tape and an old fashioned type corkscrew to remove the bungs. 
To test the fluid get some Schiff reagent to test for presence of formaldehyde. Extract a few drops of fluid in a beaker add a drop or two of Schiff and if it goes pink or magenta then it’s formalin if not then it’s likely alcohol 
However the snakes look well preserved and unfaded, so I would question the need to rehouse them. 

With all good wishes, Simon Moore. 
Sent from my iPhone


> On 28 Feb 2022, at 19:06, Luisa Zamora Chavez <lzamorac at asu.edu> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hello all,
> 
> I have a few liquid-preserved snakes in glass tubes that were donated to our collections sometime ago. The tubes are sealed shut using what appears to be plastic corks, tape, and sealant. We're not sure if the liquid they're in is formalin or something other than ethanol. 
> 
> I am wondering if anyone has had any experience with this sort of preservation and any advice on how to transfer the specimens to a more stable mode? We'd like to keep some of them but fear the tubes might break. We are unsure of what liquid is typically used for this type of preservation and would like to be as prepared as possible so we can safely remove them from the tubes (if that is at all possible). I have included some pictures of the specimens for reference. Any help is greatly appreciated!  
> 
> Kind regards,
> Luisa
> 
> 
> -- 
> Luisa Zamora Chavez 
> Pronouns: she/they
> Research Technician
> Arizona State University Biocollections
> Lzamorac at asu.edu
> 602-737-8357
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