REPTILES 43 



Small lizards and snakes are not difficult to preserve, requiring 

 only a preserving solution made of 3 parts of full-strength alcohol 

 to 1 of water, or of 4 or 5 percent formalin. With small specimens 

 proceed as instructed for amphibians. Cut quarter- to half-inch 

 slits at 1- to 2-inch intervals on the belly of snakes, with one or 

 two under the tail, to insure preservation. Lizards over 5 inches 

 long need one or two slits in the abdomen for the same reason. 

 With large lizards make incisions along the under side of the 

 legs also. 



CORD ORWIREv 

 STlCK-x FA5TEN TO STICK HERE . \ 



■ EYE OR STAPLE 



LOOSE END OF WIRE TO 



BE PULLED BY OPERATOR. 



Fig. 36. — Stick for capturing or handling poisonous snakes. 



Larger snakes present a more difficult problem. It is often 

 advisable to skin out the body of a large snake by cutting along 

 the midventral region from chin to anus, take that part of the 

 body out entire, and leave the head with 2 or 3 inches of neck, 

 and the entire tail, attached to the skin. This may be kept in 

 preservative and will occupy much less space. Dried snake skins 

 are not very desirable as museum specimens. 



Turtles are hard to preserve. With a large hypodermic syringe 

 inject pure alcohol or formalin at the base of each leg. If a 

 hypodermic syringe is not available, jab a knife deep into the 

 body between the foreleg and neck, and between the hind leg 

 and the shell, to make fair-sized holes for the preservative to 



