Hi

Just to add a little to this. When killing slugs and snails (which, as with
any other animals for collection should (I believe) only be done for study)I
use water with added Sodium Metabisulphite and benzocaine. The first removes
any dissolved oxygen from the water which speeds up the dying process. The
second (I always hope) makes it easier, and more comfortable, for the slugs
to give up their lives for the researcher.

When on a collecting trip that involves days spent away from home and the
necessity to process the animals before my return I take a supersaturated
solution of the 'killing mixture'. This is a lot less risky than
transporting white powder with the possibility you may be searched (as
happened to me once in Morocco!).

Alex

-----Original Message-----
From: Conchologists of America List [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of CHARLES F STURM
Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2001 9:50 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Baiting and Trapping Snails


Phil,
  I have helped to accession several amateur collections at the Carnegie
Museum and none had slugs among the donated material.  I beleive there are
two reasons for this.  he first is the need to store speciemns in alcohol.
I do not think most amateurs are interested in doing this.  The second is
that the slug has to be kiled correctly otherwise you wind up with a mass
of featureless, contracted, mucous coated molluscan tissue that often is
hard to
identify. I am currently working through the literature on the topic of
kiling mollusks in a relaxed manner to allow for identification and work
on the soft tissue.  It will be part of a chapter on collecting, cleaning
and preparing mollusks that will be appearing in a book that will be
published by the American Malacological Society.

Regards,
Charlie
****************************************************************************
**
Charlie Sturm, Jr
Research Associate - Section of Invertebrate Zoology
                     Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA
Assistant Professor - Family Medicine

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