The Tarantula Anatomy Model is part of a stunning range of STEM anatomy models by Thames And Kosmos.
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Containing 33 parts, plus an illustrated guide book, this Tarantula Anatomy Model gives kids (and adults) the opportunity to learn about the internal and external structure of this amazing Arachnid. And of course, they get a pretty impressive display model.
If you liked this then you may also like our reviews of the Tiger Anatomy Model, Robo Alive Spider, Fossil Dig Kits and Pocket Microscope.
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Page Contents
What In The Tarantula Anatomy Model Box
When you first open the box you will get hit with a strong chemical smell but don’t worry the smell does wears off.
The model contains 33 pieces that when put together, show the internal and external parts of a tarantula.
There is also a detailed, illustrated leaflet that provides
- build instructions
- Illustrated tarantula anatomy diagram
- Illustrated body diagram
- Diagram of lifecycle
- Organ descriptions
- General lifestyle information
- A few Q& A
How Easy Is it To Put The Tarantula Anatomy Model Together?
It’s aged 8+ to adult and is pretty straightforward to build although the build instruction are minimal.
The legs are the most difficult part to assemble partly to do with the slightly flexible plastic the model is made from and partly because there are so many of them!
Younger kids will definately need some help getting them in to the main body part.
The clear plastic covers for the body are also tricky to get in because of the irregular shape.
Top Tips For Building The Tiger Model
Body Building
Tarantula builds starts with the main body section.
The fangs and front feelers get placed first and there were no difficulties.
But as mentioned above the 8 main legs are a lot trickier because of the rubbery nature of the material. Gripping the leg firmly around the base of the leg, where the connector is, and using a ‘wiggle-push’ motion seemed to get the best results. And I would suggest starting from the back and working forward.
On the plus side, each leg slot has a different shape so it’s easy to identify which leg goes where!
Once the legs are on the main body is complete and it’s time to start working on the few internal organs.
Organ Building
The assembly instructions suggest that you build all the organ sections first and then insert them. But I found it was easier to do it in two stages.
For the thorax area, connect the blue central nervous system and optic nerve together and put them into the tarantula body. Then put the orange ovaries into the abdomen area.
Finally, attach the red stomach and green arteries together (they may come already connected in the box) and add them to the thorax body section. Followed by, connecting the blue intestines to the green heart, and putting them in the abdomen.
When all of the organs are in place you can add the 8 clear plastic covers to the parts of the spider that reveal the internal anatomy.
As mentioned, the abdomen and thorax viewer take a bit of manipulation to get in place. That’s because each section has a tongue of the tarantula body that folds slightly over into the organ space. The rest of the inserts are easy to place
What Does The Finished Model Look Like?
The finished tarantula anatomy model is huge and impressive when it’s complete. It comes with a small stand that helps lift the model up into a better viewing angle for display. But it is big, so will need a large-ish space.
On the whole, it’s pretty solid BUT the legs are a week area so keep an eye on their connection point.
It is fascinating to be able to see how very different the tarantula’s internal organs are to our own in both structure and size proportion.
What Can Be Learnt From The Tiger Anatomy Model
The TARANTULA ANATOMY MODEL is a FANTASTIC, hands-on model with lots of detail.
The guidebook explains how the Tarantula’s organs work, gives a little information on its lifestyle, and has some amazing labeled diagrams on it’s anatomy and body structure.
Did you know that a tarantula has 4 lungs called book lungs because the structure of them resembles the leaves of a book?
I was a little disappointed at the lack of any information about spider blood… arachnid blood is a different colour to human blood because it contains copper and not iron.
But I did find the labeled diagrams of the tarantula anatomy and body structure a particularly interesting and useful reference.
What Did We Think Of The Tiger Anatomy Model
It’s an amazing model not only because of the detail and ability to see inside but also because of its size. Spiders in general are quite small so using a tarantula allows the model to really show off a spider’s body structure. And just like the tiger anatomy model, having the guide book allows just enough factual and interesting information to be delivered to ignite curious minds. .
And it also dispels some common myths… tarantulas cannot kill humans unless you have an allergic reaction to them!
Thames and Kosmos have lots of other anatomical models available including an amphibian, scorpion, shark, giraffe etc. They all look amazing and would be great to collect and compare!