A method for preparing an image simulating the anatomy of a small subject test animal, and an apparatus for producing said image and an anatomical atlas for co-registering therewith, comprising the generation of two or more non-tomographic images of the test animals is described. Examples of the non-tomographic imaging modalities and the images generated include, but are not limited to one or more x-ray sources and resultant of x-ray projections, photographic cameras and resulting digital or optical images and surface scanners and resultant surface scans. The subject animal is positioned at a focal point in a carrier in an imaging enclosure. A combination of one or more of the non-tomographic images taken from different angles within the enclosure are combined and through an iterative process co-registered with the previously generated digital atlas of the anatomy of the same or similar test animals.