Question: This is a bit morbid but....

[snootyfox]

If i had enough preservative left,i'd add my axolotls to my "preserved caud jar",which will be where any newts go as they'll A) fit in the jar and B)there's enough juice in to cover them.Sadly the axolotls will be going with the hamster in my parents garden,unless i go with cremation like i have planned for the dog and have little urns made for them all......
I know a good taxidermist but would rather have a slightly traditional "send off" for my animals!

Kia - just out of interest, do you think you could 'stuff' a dead axolotl, like people do with owls and foxes and... crocodiles and things? It would be interesting to know if your taxidermist friend could do that.

xC

 

[Dr0gr1n]

I think it would be a good idea to contact a local school either high school, middle school, or even elementary, maybe even a local university and see if they would like the now dead axolotl as a reference material or even for a disection lab. Lets face it, they are so cool and why not use the body that once held the soul of the creature you loved as a learning tool. You could also put it in alcohol and keep it yourself.

I too think the taxidermy approach would be kinda cool, morbid only cause it was a pet at one time, but still cool.

There are directions online for what to store them in for preservation.

 

[GazerOfStars]

If i had enough preservative left,i'd add my axolotls to my "preserved caud jar",which will be where any newts go as they'll A) fit in the jar and B)there's enough juice in to cover them.Sadly the axolotls will be going with the hamster in my parents garden,unless i go with cremation like i have planned for the dog and have little urns made for them all......
I know a good taxidermist but would rather have a slightly traditional "send off" for my animals!

God forbid it happen, but If one of my Axies kick the bucket I've thought about preserving them. My old Biology teacher has a pretty good collection of exotic creatures preserved, I think he'd be interested in an Axolotl.

I know Jake mentioned formaldehyde, are these types of preservatives available to the public?

 

[kiathepooch]

Kia - just out of interest, do you think you could 'stuff' a dead axolotl, like people do with owls and foxes and... crocodiles and things? It would be interesting to know if your taxidermist friend could do that.

xC

I wish they could!she only works with dead furries though
Personally I would love an axolotl skeleton!


Sent,using the power of my mind.....

 

[Dr0gr1n]

Formeldahide is toxic so if you choose to use it be careful. Use gloves and eye protection. I would use alcohol. I did a quick google search and found where you can get ethyl alcohol.

Ethyl alcohol
The better solution for long term storage of invertebrate specimens is in an 80% solution of ethyl alcohol. Ethyl alcohol can be found in the painting supplies, though it may not be specifically labeled as ethyl alcohol. It may be labeled “denatured alcohol” and should list ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, or methanol in the contents. This product can also be used for thinning shellac, cleaning glass and metal and as a clean burning fuel for marine stoves. You should also buffer the solution with the glycerin/antacid tablets.

 

[hacelepues]

This is an interesting thread! I'm curious too, mainly because adults are way too big to flush.

I had a juvenile die for unknown reasons (probably genetic) over the summer, but he was only about 3 inches so I flushed him. My other two have made it into adulthood now and one of them is over 7"! I don't like thinking about them dying but I definitely wouldn't know what to do with them if they did.

 

[GazerOfStars]

Formeldahide is toxic so if you choose to use it be careful. Use gloves and eye protection. I would use alcohol. I did a quick google search and found where you can get ethyl alcohol.

Ethyl alcohol
The better solution for long term storage of invertebrate specimens is in an 80% solution of ethyl alcohol. Ethyl alcohol can be found in the painting supplies, though it may not be specifically labeled as ethyl alcohol. It may be labeled “denatured alcohol” and should list ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, or methanol in the contents. This product can also be used for thinning shellac, cleaning glass and metal and as a clean burning fuel for marine stoves. You should also buffer the solution with the glycerin/antacid tablets.

Very informative, thanks.

Although the bit about glycerin/antacid tablets I didn't understand.

 

[Dr0gr1n]

The glycerin and the antacid tablets are not needed but are added to aid in slowing the evaporation of the fluid as well as acting as a buffer to reduce shrinking of the specimen.

You could use isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol but I have always used ethyl alcohol. The ethyl alcohol you buy at the drug store is just grain alcohol (ethanol) with additives to make it un drinkable. So a strong clear vodka would ultimately work as well.

ethyl alcohol (=ethanol, =drinking alcohol)
uses, short- to long-term preservative [at 70%-80%, the primary permanent preservative used in most institutional insect collections; at 100%, a common field preservative for specimens collected for molecular studies])

http://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/11-03.pdf

Preserving specimens

 

[Dominick]

My axolotls are still alive and kicking' but this situation did cross my mind a couple of times. And i do want to have a plan for when one of them dies.

• Stuff the specimen. This is probably very expensive if a taxidermist has to do it...
• Cast it in resin.
• Put it in a jar filled with preservative. Colours tend to fade

So i'm guessing that i'll probably go for the resin.

 

[ashleigheperry]

Formaldehyde is not typically available to the public. It's extremely toxic and hard to come by without a medical license of some kind.

I've preserved amphibians/salamanders/axolotls for friends in the past. I use isopropyl alcohol (90% or higher). With larger animals such as axolotls, I do inject them with the alcohol in addition to placing them in a jar filled with alcohol. Then a few alcohol changes are typically needed before the specimen is ready for long-term preservation. Colors do tend to fade though.

Honestly, when I lose my baby (coming home this week!) I will probably do this, though I wouldn't for a mammal or larger animal. If anyone is interested in having their baby preserved, just contact me. I can do it for you for the cost of materials or walk you through the process.

To encase your animal in resin you will have to have the entirety of the body cavity emptied and stuffed/filled with resin to keep the animal from decomposing (just encasing it in resin won't do the job).

 

[FX1C]

Formaldehyde is not typically available to the public. It's extremely toxic and hard to come by without a medical license of some kind.

I've preserved amphibians/salamanders/axolotls for friends in the past. I use isopropyl alcohol (90% or higher). With larger animals such as axolotls, I do inject them with the alcohol in addition to placing them in a jar filled with alcohol. Then a few alcohol changes are typically needed before the specimen is ready for long-term preservation. Colors do tend to fade though.

Honestly, when I lose my baby (coming home this week!) I will probably do this, though I wouldn't for a mammal or larger animal. If anyone is interested in having their baby preserved, just contact me. I can do it for you for the cost of materials or walk you through the process.

To encase your animal in resin you will have to have the entirety of the body cavity emptied and stuffed/filled with resin to keep the animal from decomposing (just encasing it in resin won't do the job).

What type of babies are you preserving?



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