2.1. Major Roles

• As parasites
• As transmitters of pathogenic organisms
• As pollinators
• Intermediate hosts
• As food
  • Cricket
  • Waxworm
  • Mealworm
  • Related nutritional diseases seen especially in reptiles and amphibians
• Invertebrates as pets
• Invertebrates as doctors
  • Maggot Therapy Information Sheet for Physicians

3.1. Anatomy Review

Check out these sites for spider anatomy review

• http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/Info/spiderinfo.htm
• http://tolweb.org/tree/eukaryotes/animals/arthropoda/arachnida/araneae/salticidae/++salticidae/anatomy/anatomy.html

3.2. Medical emergencies

• Trauma
  • Hemolymph leakage
• Dysecdysis
  • Moulting
  • Laying on back (looks dead)

3.3. Reptile/amphibian health

• Vehicle for toxic substances
• Nutrition

3.4. Avian/Wildlife medicine

• Clostridium botulinum in maggots

3.5. Parasites

• Ecto and endoparasites
• Mites, helminths and fly strike

3.6. Husbandry Issues

• Wrong substrate
  • Moist (fungal)
  • Too dry (moulting, dust)

4.1. References and Resources

American Tarantula Society http://atshq.org/ You can purchase their book, ATS Arthropod Medical Manual: Diagnosis & Treatment, at this site.

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology

Frye, Fredric L. Captive Invertebrates. Krieger Publishing Co., Malabar, FL, 1992.

Lewbart, Gergory A. Invertebrate Medicine. Blackwell Pub Professional; (August 2004)

Schultz, Stanley A. and Marguerite J., The Tarantula Keeper's Guide. Barrons Educational Series; 2nd edition, 1998.

Spider information http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/InfoNed/The_spider.html

Veterinary Invertebrate Society Newsletter

Veterinary Clinics of North America. Exotic Animal Practice. Philadelphia, PA : W.B. Saunders Co., 1998- . Chapters on invertebrates in every volume.