Hello Jesus,

It depends on your purpose.  If the soft tissues are to be used for DNA
work, the tissue should be fixed (preserved) directly in strong ethyl
alcohol (ethanol), preferably 95% or 100%.  If the snails are for permanent
display as museum specimens, the animal must first be relaxed or narcotized,
so it doesn't contract when placed in the solution (there are several ways
of doing this).  Then they should be fixed in 10% formalin (not 40%), to
harden the tissues.  "10% formalin" is made by diluting the commercial 40%
solution 1:9 with water or buffer.  This is traditionally called 10%
formalin, even though the actual formaldehyde content is only 4%.  Finally
the specimens should be  transferred to 70% or 80% ethanol for permanent
storage, and this solution should be replaced by fresh solution  after 24-48
hours.

Formalin solutions can become acidic over time, and damage shells.  But
freshly made solution, applied for 1 to several days, should not cause any
damage.  Still, you can buffer the solution if you want to be completely
safe.

Regards,
Paul M.

> ----------
> From:         Jess Lpez Llorens
> Reply To:     Conchologists of America List
> Sent:         26, July 2002 2:23 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      aid, to conserve complete snails
>
> I need to conserve terrestrial snails with its parts soft, must
> conserve with alcohol to 80º or is better formol to 40 % that some
> mixtures spoil the shells but not as of the two is the correct one.
> They can help me please?
>
> Anticipated thanks
> Jesus Lopez
>
>