Hi Peggy,
 
The Astraeas collected in Cartagena were maintained in the freezer up to my
return to Brazil. For the trip, I put toilet paper with alcohol in their
mouth and they were carried in a sealed plastic bag. They arrived quite cold
but not freezed anymore.
 
The ones collected in Buzios, this Xmas, were maintained in a 1/3 alcohol +
2/3 water solution, the very same I maintain all my non-cleaned shells. To
carry them to Brasilia (a 16 hours trip by car), I removed the water and
covered the top of the jar with toilet paper with alcohol.
 
They were not stinking up to the moment I started to clean them. After
that... Blearkkkkkk!!!! My wife almost threw the shells and their owner (or
the opposite, I don't know who would be thrown first) thru the window... and
I live in the fifth floor!!!
 
Do our biologists have any ideas about these reeky creatures?
 
Stinking cheers,
 
Eduardo
 
 
 
        ----------
        De:  Peggy Williams [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
        Enviada em:  Quarta-feira, 6 de Janeiro de 1999 10:57
        Para:  [log in to unmask]
        Assunto:  Re: [CONCH-L] RES:Stinking Astraeas
 
        Eduardo,
 
        How did you preserve the astraea and tegulas for transport home? In
some
        countries you can't get isopropyl alcohol (which I use to
temporarily kill
        and keep smaller shells until I can get the animal out) and you have
to use
        metholated spirits. That stuff stinks and the animal, shell and all
stink
        for quite a while after you've cleaned them.
 
        I have noticed some astraeas do smell. They are among the easiest of
        animals to remove. The animals of astraeas and tegulas are often
green. Any
        correlation?
 
        Peggy
 
                             http://www.mindspring.com/~shellelegant
                                          Peggy Williams
                                           Shell Elegant Tours
                         PO Box 575     *     Tallevast FL 34270
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