What do you need to know to become an Arachnologist?

[SalticusScenicusStar]

What do you need to know to become an Arachnologist? I know a huge chunk of knowledge consisting of arthropod facts, especially of arachnids. I know you have to obviously be good at Math, Science, and Language Arts. What else do you need to be good at doing and need to know?

 

[Liquifin]

The right individuals to ask is the @Theraphosid Research Team
They are actually working and researching in the field and would know what is required to become an arachnologists.

 

[viper69]

What do you need to know to become an Arachnologist? I know a huge chunk of knowledge consisting of arthropod facts, especially of arachnids. I know you have to obviously be good at Math, Science, and Language Arts. What else do you need to be good at doing and need to know?

I know 2. One is self taught, he’s traveled all over to learn, publish, identify new species, and works with other experts and governments, the other has a PhD, publishes etc, also well known in his field.

Getting a PhD in a science is fun, but not something to randomly do

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I know 2. One is self taught, he’s traveled all over to learn, publish, identify new species, and works with other experts and governments, the other has a PhD, publishes etc, also well known in his field.

Getting a PhD in a science is fun, but not something to randomly do

Yeah college is too stressful/anxiety prone I don’t know how anyone gets a PhD that’s incredible!!! Yet people manage .
Sounds like a hard feild to get a job in!!

 

[viper69]

Yeah college is too stressful/anxiety prone I don’t know how anyone gets a PhD that’s incredible!!! Yet people manage .
Sounds like a hard feild to get a job in!!

majority of science PhDs don’t do research- not enough research jobs

USA has a supply demand issue, states are at fault as well

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

What do you need to know to become an Arachnologist? I know a huge chunk of knowledge consisting of arthropod facts, especially of arachnids. I know you have to obviously be good at Math, Science, and Language Arts. What else do you need to be good at doing and need to know?

You will need to be well versed in the biological sciences for starters, so yes, a lot of math and science. But what you really need to know depends on what you want to study. Are you interested in evolutionary biology, anatomy, physiology, ecology, toxicology, etc.? Arachnology is the application of general topics in biology, or even organic chemistry, to spiders and other arachnids. As such, do yourself a favor and earn your undergraduate degree in biology, preferably at a university with an entomology department, then focus your research to the group of arachnids that interests you the most in graduate school. If you already have an undergraduate degree, then look into what you need to earn a graduate degree in biology.

Sure, there are plenty of practicing arachnologists that don't have a graduate degree, or even an undergraduate degree in biology, but they are not publishing material of the same caliber as the academics. Taking the difficult path of earning a degree will also give you access to resources that the amateurs do not. Or at least make it easier to get access. Since my interests are in evolutionary biology and taxonomy, I will use an example in that area. I don't see the amateur arachnologists using DNA when investigating the phylogeny of tarantulas (or any spider really) when reading their publications. I'm also not seeing too much hypothesis testing either which is very unscientific.

To be clear, arachnology isn't a job. You will never see a job listing asking for an arachnologist. It is only the application of the specialties within the science of biology to spiders and other arachnids. The jobs that arachnologists get paid to do are varied. Some are college or university professors while others are invertebrate collections managers at a museum. Yet others don't work in academia at all, but use their scientific training to do their own research as a hobby.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

You will need to be well versed in the biological sciences for starters, so yes, a lot of math and science. But what you really need to know depends on what you want to study. Are you interested in evolutionary biology, anatomy, physiology, ecology, toxicology, etc.? Arachnology is the application of general topics in biology, or even organic chemistry, to spiders and other arachnids. As such, do yourself a favor and earn your undergraduate degree in biology, preferably at a university with an entomology department, then focus your research to the group of arachnids that interests you the most in graduate school. If you already have an undergraduate degree, then look into what you need to earn a graduate degree in biology.

Sure, there are plenty of practicing arachnologists that don't have a graduate degree, or even an undergraduate degree in biology, but they are not publishing material of the same caliber as the academics. Taking the difficult path of earning a degree will also give you access to resources that the amateurs do not. Or at least make it easier to get access. Since my interests are evolutionary biology, I will use an example in that area. I don't see the amateur arachnologists using DNA when investigating the phylogeny of tarantulas (or any spider really) when reading their publications. I'm also not seeing too much hypothesis testing either which is very unscientific.

To be clear, arachnology isn't a job. You will never see a job listing asking for an arachnologist. It is only the application of the specialties within the science of biology to spiders and other arachnids. The jobs that arachnologists get paid to do are varied. Some are college or university professors while others are invertebrate collections managers at a museum. Yet others don't work in academia at all, but use their scientific training to do their own research as a hobby.

Yeah I was interested once In entomology and my anxiety was so bad so it tried graphic design because I like art. And I got the credits or so to graduate but never went back , because my anxiety got so bad I couldn’t handle anything academic.
I think some people are just better at school than others, while I was intelligent my anxieties crippling . Lack of math teachers derailed my attempts at 4 years degree . So I can go back and graduate someday maybe unless they stop letting you use your original enrollment requirements.
best of luck to the Op take your time and-don’t rush stuff, I love spiders , insects and all sorts of science stuff I just don’t have the know how to get a job in such fields . Even without a degree I use to know a lot about insects and spiders, animals but now I’m rusty with my knowledge and anxiety as I said along with lack of sleep make everyday things hard. At one point before the anxiety showed itself , I used to read lots of books now I read nothing barely except stuff on my phone, articles etc . I used to catch insects and spiders I was good at it ; but pesticide’s wiped out everything we’re I live. Can’t even catch moths to look at them, there are none hardly but tiny ones .

You can do whatever you want so long as you’re not dealing with what I am. Some experts in these fields have none science degrees but I got no clue how they get the jobs just pure knowledge?? Connections? Studies ???
Good luck

 

[curtisgiganteus]

As others have pointed out start with a biology degree with your major in entomology. I’m going the microbiology/biochemistry route as I would like to get into taxonomy and the genetic testing side of things.

 

[viper69]

What do you need to know to become an Arachnologist? I know a huge chunk of knowledge consisting of arthropod facts, especially of arachnids. I know you have to obviously be good at Math, Science, and Language Arts. What else do you need to be good at doing and need to know?

If you get your PhD, know that you will do little if any research in physiology and behavior because the majority of grant dollars for Ts is in taxonomy. All the cool questions here that we all wonder about here have no grant money to support that line of question.

 

[The Snark]

Can we simplify this? Technical arachnologist, or any other bio-science field: 4 year college in biology including pre-reqs. Then you start specializing as you work towards your masters. Final result, MS in biology specializing in arachnology. Full on arachnologist: PhD in the specialized field.
And do try to pick a specialty that will potentially pay the rent and leave enough money over to buy food.

Getting a PhD in a science is fun, but not something to randomly do

Recorvering from a time out on the floor LMAO.
My advisor: "You got your masters, but honestly, with your track record I'd advise against a doctorate. At the rate you're going you might be looking at a half century."