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Dear All.
Im just writing to actually encourage more people to not necessarily throw out their dead spiders ... they could be useful specimens for scientific study. There is a growing collection in oxford museum, started by Ray Gabriel and Richard Gallon. I hope we can all together increase the range of species in that important resource collection.
Basically, im wanting to ask more people to start preserving their dead spiders for study. Especially adult spiders, and old mature males. These can be useful to help know more about the species differences, especially new wildcaught imports. juveniles can be useful too. One that you find much too late and are horrible and moldy, probably not.
I ask that keepers here please please save dead spiders frozen. Each year at the main BTS show in birmingham i bring preservative alcohol (70% ethanol). If you bring your dead spiders then, that is really useful. Until then, i ask you store dead spiders frozen. I found its best to perhaps wrap them up tight in tissue paper, so the legs are all bundled close to the body, then clearly label with as much information as you can, including the name of the species, date-of death, and anything you know about the supplier. Writing clearly in pencil is actually often better than most pens, as pencil marks dont wash off easily if wet.
So. Please start preserving your deads for study.
stuart longhorn
oh. Ps. THANKYOU to the few select people who already do this !!!
Im just writing to actually encourage more people to not necessarily throw out their dead spiders ... they could be useful specimens for scientific study. There is a growing collection in oxford museum, started by Ray Gabriel and Richard Gallon. I hope we can all together increase the range of species in that important resource collection.
Basically, im wanting to ask more people to start preserving their dead spiders for study. Especially adult spiders, and old mature males. These can be useful to help know more about the species differences, especially new wildcaught imports. juveniles can be useful too. One that you find much too late and are horrible and moldy, probably not.
I ask that keepers here please please save dead spiders frozen. Each year at the main BTS show in birmingham i bring preservative alcohol (70% ethanol). If you bring your dead spiders then, that is really useful. Until then, i ask you store dead spiders frozen. I found its best to perhaps wrap them up tight in tissue paper, so the legs are all bundled close to the body, then clearly label with as much information as you can, including the name of the species, date-of death, and anything you know about the supplier. Writing clearly in pencil is actually often better than most pens, as pencil marks dont wash off easily if wet.
So. Please start preserving your deads for study.
stuart longhorn
oh. Ps. THANKYOU to the few select people who already do this !!!
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