[Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: Mold or fungal growth in herpetology collection

Fri Aug 22 10:16:57 EDT 2025

Hi Indah,

Dirk has raised some valid points but I have found that fungi will only infest alcohol jars if the percentage drops to c. 30% or below.  If fungal growth is suspected, then when you test the deposit/s in a Petri dish, tease some out and see whether there any hyphal structures or even spores present.  

Deposits showing on fluid-preserved material has always been an annoying anomaly as they’re often difficult to source or analyse. 

If you do succeed in finding out what these deposits are please let us know, thanks.

With all good wishes, Simon 

Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR
Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian.

www.natural-history-conservation.com

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> On 22 Aug 2025, at 14:59, Dirk Neumann <d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de> wrote:
> 
> Hi Indah,
> 
> the dots on the tail could be mould, even though it would be unusual, if the ethanol still has above 70% (because the tail would be soaked with 70% EtOH). The wet surfaces above the fluid level look like condensed water to me. It would be worth measuring the ethanol concentration. 
> 
> Same for the deposits on the fully submerged specimen; you should measure the concentration (a simple alcoholometer should do); if you don't have one at hand, try to add EOH at known 70%; if the concentration in the jar is 50 % or less you should see mixing anomalies (schlieren). If either works, you can extract a bit fluid into a petri dish or similar and go to a lab. 
> 
> Ethanol above 50% should burn and is a biocide.
> 
> You should carefully clean the tail under the lab and remove the mould with a soft brush or similar.
> 
> The deposit looks a bit like cholesterol to me (fatty, wax-like deposits from the specimen). Usually, cholesterol can be brushed off, it might be worth doing this under hand-warm water with a tiny drop of a mild, neutral soap or detergent.
> 
> Hope this helps
> Dirk 
> 
> 
> Am 22.08.2025 um 14:55 schrieb Carl Mehling:
>> 
>> 
>> I feel like I’ve seen this happen when certain types of metal are used for the specimen tags. That might be something else to consider.
>>  Carl Mehling
>> Senior Museum Specialist
>> Fossil Amphibian, Reptile, and Bird Collection
>> Fossil Plant Collection
>> Division of Paleontology
>> American Museum of Natural History
>> 200 Central Park West
>> New York, NY 10024
>> 212-769-5849
>>  From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Indah Huegele
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2025 3:35 PM
>> To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
>> Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Mold or fungal growth in herpetology collection
>>  EXTERNAL SENDER
>>  Hello everyone,
>>  I was wondering if I could get feedback on some scary-looking growths on a few herpetology specimens in our collection (photos attached here). Any thoughts on what these residues are and/or advice on how to treat them would be much appreciated!
>>  Orange-brown bumps. (images 143927 and 143900) There are small, orange-brown, round bumps on one specimen that has had its tail exposed from fluid levels that are too low. I completely replaced the ethanol for this specimen and tried to gently scrape off the growth, but most of it was quite dried on, so I left it soaking in fresh 70% ethanol for the time being. Is this definitely fungal? Should I try to scrape the rest of the growth off the specimen's tail or leave it alone?
>>  White layer of residue. (all other images) On a few salamander specimens, there is this opaque, white layer of residue. This is occurring on salamander specimens that are completely submerged in ethanol. (However, I am not sure what the concentration of this ethanol is or the last time that it was changed out; I worry it might have lost ethanol concentration over time.) Any thoughts on what this might be and how to treat it? 
>>  I took over this collection a few months ago, so I am still discovering issues with specimens. I appreciate any suggestions that you folks have to offer on how to help these poor specimens!
>>  Thanks,
>>  Indah
>>   Indah B. Huegele, PhD
>> Life Sciences Collection Manager | Idaho Museum of Natural History
>> Museum Bldg | Room 220
>> 921 S 8th Ave, Stop 8096 | Pocatello, Idaho 83209
>> (208) 282-2815 | indahhuegele at isu.edu<~WRD0000.jpg>
>> 
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> 
> -- 
> ****
>  Dirk Neumann
> Collection Manager, Hamburg
>  Postal address:
> Museum of Nature Hamburg
> Leibniz Institute for the Analysis
> of Biodiversity Change
> Dirk Neumann
> Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3
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> -- 
> Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
> Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany
> 
> Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
> Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
> Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
> Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst
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> _______________________________________________
> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
> Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.