Dissection tools
Left to right -
1/ Petri dish, minimum 60mm diameter.
2/ Dressmaking pin glued and bound into the centre of 4 cooks matches.
3/ Sewing needle (fixed as 2 but with different colour cotton so it is easily distinguished from 2).
3/ Woodcock pin feather (from friendly
game bird supplier or possibly for sale on line).
The pin is blunt compared to the needle so I use the pin to hold things steady, the needle to tear open the abdomen and the feather for cleaning and gentle manipulation of the specimen.
I start by holding the specimen steady with the pin and brushing off scales with feather until I can see the gen clearly. Then, if female, I generally break open the abdomen with the needle before using the feather to complete the work. If male, the gen can often be squeezed out ventrally and worked on while still attached to the abdomen - it's a bit easier to handle while still attached.
Dissection tools
Left to right -
1/ Petri dish, minimum 60mm diameter.
2/ Dressmaking pin glued and bound into the centre of 4 cooks matches.
3/ Sewing needle (fixed as 2 but with different colour cotton so it is easily distinguished from 2).
3/ Woodcock pin feather (from friendly
game bird supplier or possibly for sale on line).
The pin is blunt compared to the needle so I use the pin to hold things steady, the needle to tear open the abdomen and the feather for cleaning and gentle manipulation of the specimen.
I start by holding the specimen steady with the pin and brushing off scales with feather until I can see the gen clearly. Then, if female, I generally break open the abdomen with the needle before using the feather to complete the work. If male, the gen can often be squeezed out ventrally and worked on while still attached to the abdomen - it's a bit easier to handle while still attached.