Specimen Preparation: Pickling, Stuffing, Boiling, and Bugs For each specimen the Museum collects, we record as much data as possible including, age, weight, and body measurements. We also carefully document information about the mammal’s most recent habitat and any ecological data. After measuring the specimen, we groom the animal for ectoparasites, collect hair samples and tissue samples for DNA recovery, and preserve stomach contents, the gastrointestinal tract, endoparasites, and reproductive organs, as well as other parts of the organism. The two primary methods of preparing specimens for our collections are pickling and skin and bone preservation. Pickling involves injecting the specimen with formalin and then storing it in a mixture of 70% ethanol. Scientists use pickled specimens to study muscle and nerve anatomy, food consumption (using the stomach contents), and even the mites that lived in the hair of these mammals. Skin and bone preparation is an even more elaborate process that involves skinning the animal and stuffing the skin with cotton and then removing the flesh from the bones—by boiling or with the assistance of bugs—so that the skin, skull, and post-cranial skeleton are all available for study.