BIOLOGY

Laboratory Exercise # 5
Collection and Preservation of Animals
Specimen preservation is defined as the long term preservation of animals or plants in optimal

conditions so that it can be assessed in the future. Specimen preservation is utilized for

taxonomic studies, detailed examination, morphological studies and zoological museums.

Animal collection and presentation is important just like plant collection and preservation for

identification purposes. Secondly, information recorded about the animal specimen collected

such as time of collection, the name of the collector, where based on the global positioning

system (GPS) shows proof of the presence of the animal species at the time. Also, considering

that animals may change in terms of their features overtime, for example colour, animal

collection and preservation enables us to observe that change. You can compare what the animal

looked like a century ago to what it looks like now. Thirdly, animal collection and preservation

allows for scientific studies to be conducted. For example, researchers may come up with new

ways to study diseases and may have a cure. One way to test the validity and reliability of that

cure would be on animals.

Materials

The insect the researcher chose to collect and preserve is the Cheliomyrmex andicola, locally

known as a marabunta. The materials used to collect and preserve the Cheliomyrmex andicola

are:

 Jar

 Permanent Black Marker

 Pin

 Pinning Board (Card board)

  2 Sheets of Paper

 Pen

 Clear Tape

Methodology

Below are the steps taken by the researcher to collect the Cheliomyrmex andicola in

chronological order:

1. The marabunta was found on a sheet that was spread on a bed on December 2, 2021.

2. The researcher went for a jar and placed the marabunta in it carefully. This jar was

labelled with the common name on paper using permanent marker.

3. The lid of the jar was closed, insect was allowed to die and the jar was placed on the top

of the refrigerator.

4. The cardboard for display was papered using paper and tape.

5. On December 6, 2021, the marabunta was taken out of the jar and was pinned.

6. The respective labels were also placed on the pin then onto a piece of cardboard for

display.
Results

Discussion

After the collection of the specimen, finding suitable ways to store and preserve it is important.

There are two ways in which a specimen can be stored:

1. Wet storage

2. Dry storage

In the cases of wet storage, specimens are placed in a solution and kept there all the time. The

advantages to the utilization of this method of storage are:

1. Living and moving- Depending on the liquid the specimen is placed in, it may not die but

continue to thrive as if it was out in open space. As such, one can make observations
 about the specimen from day to day. An example of this occurring is if the specimen is a

fish and is placed in a jar of water.

2. Colour of the specimen remains the same all the time- Specimens are able to retain their

original colours throughout the storage period of the specimen.

3. Easy and quick to carry out- The specimen storage process is done easily and fast since

the main materials are the suitable jar/bottle and liquid.

On the hand lies disadvantages to this method of storage of specimens. This is:

1. Careful and great care must be taken for the specimens stored using the wet Method-

Specimens cannot be kept in a warm area. They must always be kept away from

direct sunlight, smoke or a fireplace because they are flammable.

Additionally, the storage of specimens using the dry method also has its advantages and

disadvantages. The advantages include:

1. Requires little material and easy especially for plant specimens

Moreover, the disadvantages of this storage method are:

1. Colour of the specimen fades over time- Both animals and plants experience this.

Overtime, the colour of the specimen changes either lighter or darker.

2. Specimen parts are easily broken- Both animals and plants experience this disadvantage

of using the dry method for storage because of how hard the body/parts become overtime.

In conclusion, it is vital to ensure that animal collection and preservation is done accurately for

the specific animals. It aids in the identification of animal species, adds to the knowledge of the

researcher and studies can be done on them.

References
Alice, M. (2015, September 11). WET SPECIMENS - A GENERAL GUIDE. Retrieved from Mickey Alice
Kwapis: https://mickeyalicekwapis.com/blog/2015/9/10/wet-specimens-a-general-guide

Sajjad, N. (2013). Methods to preserve specimens [PowerPoint slides]. Slideshare.

https://www.slideshare.net/nidasnangiana/methods-to-preserve-specimens

User, W. (2015). What are the advantages and disadvantages of wet mount? Retrieved from Answers:
https://www.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_wet_mount