Voucher Specimen Collection Preparation Identification and Storage ...

4. Mammals
4.1 Voucher Requirements
• Generally, inventory projects only include the collection of mammals when it is
necessary for identification purposes. After identification has been determined, the
voucher may be prepared as a museum specimen for their permanent collection, stored in
an unprepared state for a time, or discarded. This will depend on the species collected,
the condition of the specimen after identification, and what material has already been
collected and preserved at the museum, etc.
• Whole specimens are not required for identification of species of large mammals. For
small mammals and bats, particularly for the genera Sorex, Tamias and Myotis, whole
specimens will likely be necessary for accurate identification. Contact the Royal BC
Museum for specifics.
• When whole specimens are collected for identification purposes or are needed for further
analysis, natural history museums must first be canvassed to see what material has
already been collected. If existing material is not available or adequate to meet the needs,
advice on collecting should be sought from professionals.
• When inventory methods involve trapping, the Royal BC Museum should be contacted to
see whether they are interested in specimens from trap mortalities.
• See Table 1 below for details regarding suggested vouchers for inventory groups (listed
in the order found in the Components of British Columbia’s Biodiversity RIC manual
series). If no voucher requirement is listed, then visual detection or identification from
animal sign by qualified observers is considered adequate. When possible, photographs
should be used to confirm observations.
Table 2. Suggested vouchers for taxon-specific mammal inventories.
Series # Mammals Suggested Vouchers
20 Bats • wing punch or whole specimens for easily
misidentified species when capture is part of
the inventory protocol (e.g. Myotis lucifugus
from M. yumanensis and distinguishing
between long-eared bats: M. keenii, M. evotis,
and M. septentrionalis)
• morphometric data, photographs, digital
sonograms or cassette tapes with reference
calls should also be collected as evidence of
rare or endangered bats
21 Bears • hair and scat can be collected for
mitochondrial DNA analysis to determine
species in areas that both black and grizzly
bears occur
22 Beaver & Muskrat • whole specimens not necessary
23 Hare & Cottontails • whole specimens only if trap mortalities occur
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