Tarantula Dissection

[eruheru]

Hi all, I just received Shultzs' "The Tarantula Keepers Guide" and have found it fascinating. As a science student it made me very curious about trying a dissection to see everything so that I really know what the book is talking about. I'm not sure how to go about doing this. I don't have a dead T available, nor would I want to sacrifice one specifically for this cause. Has anyone here had experience with dissections or have any ideas on how to get a specimen? Also, if you have any pictures of a dissection in process that would be really cool to see.
Thanks!

 

[curiousme]

This is a really neat book, that shows you the basic anatomy, layer by layer. Maybe that would preferable if you don't want to sacrifice a T.

 

[eruheru]

Cool looking book, I've seen it in stores now that I think about it. I don't like the descriptive blurb for it though: "Kids will love to see and touch each disgusting but interesting tarantula part!" Disgusting? I think not.

 

[curiousme]

Cool looking book, I've seen it in stores now that I think about it. I don't like the descriptive blurb for it though: "Kids will love to see and touch each disgusting but interesting tarantula part!" Disgusting? I think not.

No, it isn't disgusting at all and I don't care for their description either. We got it for our daughter a couple years ago and it has some cool info in it actually. It is really neat to turn each page to show each different system.

 

[Ictinike]

Yep it's a pretty good book and my boys had it many years back before we even kept any tarantulas

Someday this spring he's supposed to do a report in front of the class and they (kids) wanted my son and his dad to bring in some spiders. I figure we'll take the book in early by a week and let them experience and read up first before we go in. It's not badly done even at his age.

 

[Abby]

You could also get the 4D: Tarantula Spider Anatomy Model

http://www.amazon.com/4D-Tarantula-Spider-Anatomy-Model/dp/B001YIT6QQ/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1290653526&sr=8-13

 

[eruheru]

These are some great "toys." I'm going to recommend them to my mom who uses my rosie for some Elementary school science programs. I'm curious though if there is a standard protocol for arachnid dissections. I've done dissections on fish and other marine animals and there's a standard method of how to cut them open to see certain parts. Is anyone familiar with this for terrestrial arthropods?

 

[Merfolk]

The only way you can dig into Ts innards without feeling like stirring tapioca pudding is to partially freeze it. Then the structures will hold together, because a lot of them are of similar color and pretty soft. Just make sure it is frozen only partially though. I devised this method to gut out the fishes I caught without having some on my hands. The guts all come like a single block with nothing oozing out.