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Marine Turtle Newsletter 46:14-15, © 1989

Guest Editorial: Creative Use of Confiscated Material

Carl Gans
Professor of Biology, Department of Biology, The University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1048 USA

Having read "Stockpiling Sea Turtle Carcasses" (MTN 42:11-12), I would like to raise an issue that has long interested me, namely the availability and need for preservation of adequate samples of large amphibians and reptiles. Large turtles and, even more so, large crocodilians represent a nuisance to curators. I remember being walked through the spectacular collection of Galapagos tortoises in the California Academy but also hearing the comments about continual arguments regarding the space thus occupied and limitations for adding to this collection. Also, I remember the agonized reaction of a professional museum curator when presented with what was an exceptionally large skeleton of Podocnemis unifilis. Furthermore, these were only dried specimens. Many of the major museums lack adequately preserved adult turtles and tortoises, not even to speak of adult crocodilians. Even skeletons of large specimens are rare. Many institutions lack adult specimens of the larger boids, even of colubrids and elapids.

A byproduct of this has been that the internal anatomy of most of these species, if described at all, has been characterized on the basis of juveniles. For instance, the brain of "the alligator" listed in most textbooks of comparative anatomy is that of a hatchling. In view of the very major ontogenetic changes that have already been described for many visceral components, this is a regrettable state.

For the moment, we still have situations in which fresh adult specimens of large reptiles regularly become available. Perhaps the hard skeletal material described in the above report might be assembled to develop morphometric bases. However, quite independently, it would be helpful indeed if the agencies involved with conservation attempted to establish depositories of well preserved samples of the forms being protected (e.g., marine turtles). There are many reasons why such material would be useful. An example was the desirability of testing Great Lakes fishes preserved over the last century for concentration of heavy metals.

It may be impractical to set up such depositories within existing natural history museums. The role of most such institutions as combined exhibit-research facilities assures that they must be located in population centers where the real estate and logistics make space prohibitively expensive. However, there are many alternatives. An example is the Tulane University's collection facility, much of which is housed in a former munitions storage area, providing enormous space at a minimal cost. Similarly, factory buildings abandoned in port areas might provide excellent sites for storage at minimal unit cost; they are generally located in a way that facilitates transportation of large specimens. Certainly, it will be necessary for the curator of such a collection to develop innovative patterns of preservation, preservatives and specimen storage.

Perhaps the overwhelming success of conservation will make the preservation of specimens unnecessary because fresh materials will always be available. However, we all know about the fragility of our environment and the uncertainly of our efforts. I hope that those involved in the conservation of marine turtles would be willing to participate in pioneering efforts to provide a long term, comparative basis for increased understanding of the morphology and physiology of the organisms we are trying to preserve.