Wet Specimen Care
Caring for your own wet specimen makes sure it lasts forever.
After a wet specimen is created and then makes its way to your home, that's not really the end of it. Proper care ensures you get a brilliant-looking specimen that isn't going to deteriorate. This article includes how to care for a wet specimen, how best to care for the specimen we sell in particular, how a specimen changes over time, and what to expect.
I'll include affiliated links where necessary to other articles.
If you're a beginner to collecting wet specimens or just weren't aware they did need a bit of TLC at home, then don't worry; you're not alone. We all start somewhere, and there have been horror stories involving wet specimen jars breaking and blobs of tissue smeared all over the floor, but they could be just stories or they could be ill-prepared specimens from one of those rushed YouTube tutorials that tell you to dump a whole load of hand sanitizer onto a dead bird you've just picked up, and it's done!
Hmm, not quite.
To best know how to care for your wet specimen, you need to know how it was preserved. If you've purchased or are thinking of purchasing a wet specimen, it's well within your right to ask the seller, "How has this been preserved?" and while some sellers say they don't want to disclose their secrets, I'd maybe think twice about handing over a lot of money. You could be purchasing something that is only held together in a jar because it's not been moved. If a specimen has not been preserved from the inside out, the insides could have already broken down, and too much handling or the stress of transit if it is being shipped could cause the skin to tear, which can expose the liquified insides.
There are a lot of different methods for preserving wet specimens, but the most common practice is using a chemical called formalin. Formalin is a 40–37% saturated solution of formaldehyde.
It is a cross-linking fixative, meaning it binds proteins, which makes them less flexible and therefore much harder to digest. After death, the body begins to breakdown. Death allows different bacteria to thrive, and this is when decomposition starts. By cross-linking these molecules with formalin, we're not allowing the bacteria to digest and breakdown the soft tissue. It's probably the closest we'll ever come to stopping time for another being.
This is how we [The Curiosity Shop] and most store holders, long-time oddity collectors, and museums will all preserve their specimens.
Formalin is only temporary, depending on the size of your specimen, and once your specimen has been injected with and soaked in enough formalin for the correct amount of time, it's ready to be [leeched] of formalin and transferred to another solution, and this solution is what it's going to remain in, or another term used is what it's going to be suspended in.
So, how do you choose what to suspend your specimen in or get a specimen suspended in, what are the benefits of each solution, and also what are the potential risks of each solution? I'll try to explain the ones I know from personal use, what type of specimen benefits them and what some of the cons of that solution are as best I can. Remember, it doesn't matter what I prefer; you choose what is best for you, and I always encourage everyone to do more research independently when using or storing chemicals. Each household is different, from health factors and allergies to climate [hot or cold locations], which really helps us make up our own personal preferences.
Solutions are not in any particular order of preference; I've numbered them for article reference only.
1. Isopropyl alcohol (70%)- Isopropyl alcohol is a popular choice as it's easy to obtain and a lot of households use it for disinfectant. It's great for keeping small specimens, such as those smaller than huntsman spiders, shrimp, or little fish.
Cons: In larger specimens, e.g., baby mice, rats, chicks, and anything larger, you need to change the solution at least every 6 months as part of proper specimen care. Being an alcohol-based solution, over time the alcohol content will slowly evaporate, leaving your specimen sitting in water. The specimen solution will have a yellow or brown tint to it, indicating the need for change. Heat and other climate factors can speed up the changing process, but ideally, you should be changing your specimen's solution if you're choosing an alcohol base.
Fact: Isopropyl alcohol at 70% is more likely to draw out colour from your specimen, leading to fading hair or feather pigment, but will darken the skin over time, turning it pale grey-dark grey. Specimens can appear darker or lighter over time, especially in a sunlight-filled room. This process cannot be helped; remember, you're working with something organic and unique. Isopropyl alcohol 70%+ is more likely to draw out lipids from the nose, syringe needle entry sites, and anus. While it does sound confronting, it is so important to remember that this is an organic subject doing what happens naturally to its body under certain stresses. None of this is a cause for alarm; it's all very natural.
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2. Ethonal Alcohol 70%- Another popular choice and sometimes preferred by museums and seasoned wet specimen creators and collectors. Ethanol doesn't drain or leech out the colour of your specimen and can be ideal for getting a crisp, bright finish.
Like isopropyl alcohol, it will need to be changed every so often as the alcohol levels drop through gradual evaporation.
Ethonal is extremely flammable; isopropyl alcohol is still flammable, but ethanol can act more unstablely, therefore it is classified as more flammable than isopropyl alcohol. It's not ideal for shipping or keeping in the household next to fireplaces, gas-fueled heaters, or storing in large quantities. In the event a house fire does break out, there is concern that lots of stored ethanol will provide quick fuel, leading to excess damage. Although in the home we do most likely store many flammable substances, usually the substance is stored in its rightful containers and not usually in glass domes, jars, or canisters not particularly designed for ethanol. This is just a precaution, but people do consider it, and the Australian Museum has had to consider it since they store over 1.3 million wet specimens. Read more about that here.
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3. Glycerin- Vegetable glycerin, to be exact is what we use here at The Curiosity Shop. Although vegetable glycerin alone isn't enough to keep a specimen forever, It needs a component that is antibacterial or antifungal. We choose Thymol. Thymol is plant-derived and comes in pure crystal form. It has a distinct herbal smell, and a little goes a long way. It's used to soak into the specimen to prevent mould from developing. Once a specimen has successfully absorbed the thymol into the skin and body, there is no need to replace the thymol. If you ever need to change your glycerin, the thymol should be in your specimen.
Glycerine does not draw out oils and fats like alcohol solutions do; it gives a gorgeous, crystal-clear appearance and allows the specimen to move slowly inside the dome or jar. It's great at showing small details such as colour and bones inside the feet and tails of smaller specimens, and it gives diaphonized specimens a really clear appearance that seems almost magnified.
This solution, with proper care, does not need changing, ideally.
Cons: When glycerine is warmer [in warmer weather, close to a heating element or sunroom, or especially during transit], it becomes thinner itself. Glycerine is quite a thick substance in cooler temperatures, but if the specimen does get warmer, some of the glycerine may seep out of the dome seal. Pros: It's a non-toxic solution and completely water-soluble. A quick wipe or rinse can fix any excess seepage, but it's a miniscule amount.
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4. Kaiserling Fluid- This solution needs to be made and is not readily available unless from a specialty store or science supplier at request [sometimes]. There are about 4 types of Kaiserling fluid, and the one you'll want to use in your home is Kaiserling II. It consists of specific measurements of H2O, glycerol (an alcohol substance), and potassium acetate.
This fluid is great for holding specimen colour and is less likely to need changing under proper care [away from UV light, heat, and minimal handling].
Cons: It needs to be made with and using specific measurements of your specimen's vessel, or however much you'll be using. There are a few methods for making this solution on the internet.
Always wear appropriate PPE and use a chemical-grade respirator filter.
So, why don't we use the other Kaiserling solutions? There are circumstances where other fluids are used, e.g., museums, older antique specimens, and laboratories. The reason why it is not recommended for collection in the home is that the other solutions are made up of a strong formalin solution. A lot of people don't want to work or use formalin, and I completely understand this. It is a carcinogen, and there have been many reports of the health impact of those working with it years before this was a known fact.
Solutions I cannot recommend you because I've never tried.
Mentholated Spirits
Hand sanitizer
Vodka
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What you choose to use for yourself and your own practices is completely your choice; however, if you are thinking of selling your wet specimen, it is paramount that you disclose how you've preserved your specimen, what you use, and what it is going to be suspended in. This isn't so people can steal your craft; wet specimens have been around for centuries. This is in the event of an emergency, the vessel your specimen is smashing, or your customer wants to change the specimen vessel. People can have allergies, respiratory problems, and other existing health problems, and they have a right to know, and you have a duty of care through transparency.
If you're a collector and a buyer, especially a new one, if the seller is refusing disclosure, claiming they don't need to disclose what chemicals they have used and what they're suspended in, I would think twice before spending a lot of money with that seller.
