I found this dead cockroach in the middle of the street in Amsterdam a while back. Cockroaches aren't really common here (I've seen a few in New York but apart from that only kept in captivity) so I was very surprised! I poked it around a bit to make sure it was really dead, and put it in one of the tins I had in my bag. I managed to do some research on the bus on my way back, and read that in order to preserve insects, you need to put them in a plastic bag with a cotton drenched in acetone, for a week or two.
Well. They lied.
The cockroach looked okay for about a week, but then it got moldy white. I was so dissapointed! In order to try and save it, and figuring it couldn't get any worse, I filled a weck jar with ethanol and put it in there. Two seconds and WHOOP! There it was, as good as new. I'm keeping it in the ethanol jar now, but I'm not sure it will stand the test of time. Any of you have any ideas?
Isn't he gorgeous? I love his hairy legs!
Also, I'm doing another taxidermy experiment this weekend! I'm going to try to skin a mouse. I've read a lot about it and learned a lot by watching this guy skin a squirrel so I'm just going to try and see what happens! I'm a bit nervous though.
♥ Anne
My mom and I keep hunnybees, butterflies and bumblebees we find dead. But we don't do anything with them, just put them on top or in a glass cabinet we have. There hasn't been a change of their state at all. They don't have a lot of fluids in their body, I guess that's why.
ReplyDeleteAnd wow, skin a mouse? :O I've had them as pets, couldn't bare to skin them... You've got some eh...balls? :d
I usually do the same with found insects but this cockroach is SO BIG! I just wanted to make sure it didn't rot or change colors. Never trust the internet kids!
DeleteAnd eh, thanks ;D I guess!
Ah ik ben zo vrolijk dat ik eindelijk iemand vindt die ook van dode beestje houdt :) Ik vond een mol en opereerde een overleden merel en laatst, laatst sneed ik vleugels af van een gans om ze te drogen en op te hangen. Maar het vlees ging er niet zo goed af en toen moest ik ze toch weg gooien.. (Hier is de link naar de foto's: http://zoetewildernis.blogspot.nl/2012/03/03.html) Ik ga je zeker in de gaten houden want ik ben heel benieuwd naar nog meer verhalen van je! Liefs
ReplyDeleteSuper leuk! Heel fijn dat ik niet alleen ben haha! Ik heb je blog toegevoegd aan mijn RSS, ben benieuwd wat je nog meer vindt :)
DeleteIehh, ik krijg hier een beetje de kriebels van, haha! Maar het staat wel heel mooi zo in een potje. Het heeft wel wat! Ook al vind ik het ook wel iets lugubers hebben, misschien is dat het.
ReplyDelete