Elastigirl, she da woman! Whoo!

Dissected 6 terrapins today.

Step ONE: Separate the plastron from the carapace using an electric saw. Looked like I was starring in a budget version of Outbreak after putting on the labcoat, gloves, surgical mask, and a visor. So much for glamour. Accidentally sawed off one terrapin's forelimb.

Step TWO: Dust off minced meat and shell debris from labcoat and return apparatus to the torture chamber.

Step THREE: Begin dissection proper. Crack sides of shell with a plier-like tool and carefully slice the flesh from the plastron using a scapel. Plastron falls cleanly away from terrapin, leaving its insides exposed for further massacre.

Step FOUR: Tease visceral membrane away and try to unravel the intestines without rupturing the bloated parts. Remove and put them aside. Locate the gonads and set those aside too.

Step FIVE: Empty any scientifically useful contents of the gut into glass jar. This includes fecal matter and an astonishing amount of pebbles. Preserve with formalin.

Step SIX: Measure/weigh the gonads (Follicles, testes, epididymides). Preserve them. Measure shell length/width/height. Discard. Label bottles and contaminate everything at the table whilst at it.

I'm seriously very wary of touching anything in that lab with my bare hands from now on. Eeeyur.