Abstract
Fluid-preserved specimens in collections persist only as long as their preservative is maintained. When preservatives evaporate due to neglect or container malfunction, collection managers are often forced to discard the specimens. Subjecting specimens to a rehydration process can be both time consuming and hazardous. A recent development in vertebrate specimen rehydration that mitigates these hazards and is relatively simple to conduct is discussed. Through the use of concentrated water vapor, and gradual staging in various concentrations of preservative, dehydrated museum specimens can be rehydrated. Similar techniques have been applied to invertebrates for decades, and more recently to herpetofauna. Herein a new technique is applied to both fishes and mammals and its efficacy for most other groups is indicated.