Value of Museum preserved specimens “RESEARCH & EDUCATION”

•Collection management– (Nairobi Herpetology collection):- Over 30,000

mostly wet or spirit specimens

•Community ecology– Zoogeography & distribution, Conservation

status

•Taxonomy & systematics– New species description, Taxonomic updates

•Natural history• Breeding & feeding habits

•Reference collection – A specimen library for comparison with other

international collections.

Field collection

• Specimen acquisition• Planned field collection (search-and-seize)• Dead on road (DOR) or Road kills

• Field data• Vital

• 1) Locality (Lat, Long, Altitude) or distance/direction from a known place e.g. 15km NW of Malindi Town.

• 2) Collection date• 3) Collector(s)

• Helpful• -Time of the day, colour in life & unusual

morphology e.g. deformity etc.• - Field tag: attach it before fixing to avoid

future confusion.

Snakes & People: The perception

East African Garter snake: Sagalla, Taita Hills

Boomslang, Sagalla –Taita Hills

Rhinoceros Viper, Kobujoi-South Nandi forest

“A snake is a snake”! Kill it on sight first!

Zambezi Blind snake :- Shimba Hills

African Python:- Shimba Hills

Specimen preservation: Wet collection

• If not dead! Use a Killing agent (should be humane)• Amphibians: MS22 powder dissolved in water

then submerge the specimen.• Reptiles: Sodium pentobarbital: inject near

the heart• Fixing (preservation): Chemical (10% formalin =

4% formaldehyde): inject into the belly to prevent postmortem decomposition. For large specimens make slits on the belly.

• Storage: 70% industrial clear ethanol in transparent preferably glass jars.

Specimen fixing Goal: To preserve the original appearance of the

specimen gross external morphology, cellular structure & colour

Chemical:- Formalin has proven to be the most effective fixative for herps.

• Note:- Alcohol (ethyl alcohol or ethanol) can also be used as a fixative, though weak and not so effective:Commercially sold as 95% Industrial methylated spirit (I.M.S)

• Note: Can fix whole specimen or its part e.g. head + neck for large snakes

• NB: In the absence of all these use any available dry gin or strong spirit (preferably colourless). Or put in a freezer with a field tag

Suggested injection points and desired hardening positions for snakes + field tag

Chemicals dilution & Specimen storage• Fixation• Formaldehyde, HCOH is a gas

• Usually obtained in a 40% aqueous solution (known as Formalin) the commercial name

• Dilution

• Note:-40% formaldehyde=100% formalin –To make 4% formaldehyde=10% formalin:-1part formalin (40% formaldehyde)9 parts water10 parts of 10% formalin (4% formaldehyde)

• Note:- for storage of specimens already fixed use 1% formaldehyde=2.5% formalin

• Storage• Note: Before storage clear out the

formalin (fixative) on the specimen surface with water

• Chemicals:- Alcohol for long term storage. Formalin for egg masses

• Dilution:• Alcohol, Industrial Methylated

spirit sold at 95% must be diluted to 70%3 parts spirit: 1part water

• Why dilute? –to avoid dehydration of specimen (strong alcohol has high affinity for water hence cause dehydration of specimens especially amphibians).

• NB: Specimens fixed and stored in alcohol are not long-lasting but one can extract DNA in future.

Specimen accession & curation

• A specimen has scientific value if its stored in a known museum collection

• Forward specimen to a museum for curation & accession to have museums number

• Contact• Herpetology Section, Natural Science Building

• National Museums of Kenya,• Museum Hill Road

• P. O. Box 40658-00100, NAIROBI• E-mail: kmalonza@museums.or.ke