Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas and Inverts

Is it okay to put your collection in a high traffic room? In this episode, we talk about whether a busy room is okay for tarantulas. Also, is it okay to reuse substrate? Finally, I vent a bit about social media toxicity in the hobby.  

So, last episode we covered how to plan should you ever find yourself in a situation where you can't care for your tarantulas. In this episode, we talk about a different type of emergency...a power outage in the winter. Also, we're always told never to dig a spider up. However, are there instances where a spider buries itself and doesn't come up to eat? 

Have you ever considered who would take care of your prized pets should you be unable to? In this episode, we brainstorm some ways to prepare for such an emergency. 

I just rehoused my adult female P. murinus or OBT (Orange Baboon Tarantula), and I figured that it would be a great time to update folks on my spider and to discuss this oft maligned species. 

First, I talk about some awesome European tarantula enclosures that I just received from ARACHNOsys. Then, I just received some custom vented replacement tops for Exo Terra Nano tanks that are a cool alternative to ripping out the screens. Finally, I discuss why I don't measure humidity in my tarantula enclosures (and why I think that doing so can be dangerous for those new to the hobby). 

I've had many people request this one over the years, so I've finally decided to give it a shot! Here are some tips for folks looking to have smoother tarantula transfers. 

We've all experienced it: You're on social media, and you see pics from a keeper who is not practicing correct husbandry with his spiders. Maybe it's the old sponge in the water dish or an arboreal species in a terrestrial enclosure. Or, it might be a moisture dependent species kept too dry or a death trap enclosure filled with sharp decorations. Whatever the case, you want to offer...

Although she's always offscreen, Billie plays a crucial role in all of my Tom's Big Spiders endeavors. In this episode, Billie answers some questions from listeners and viewers. 

Well, after 25 years in my care, The Queen has finally died. I spend a little time talking about the spider that started it all. Also, I discuss Pamphobeteus care. 

First, I talk about some very recent deaths in the collection, Then, it's on to discuss E. campestratus (Pink Zebra Beauty) care. 

In this episode, I address the care for my Nhandu tripepii , chromatus , and coloratovillosus .  Also, I talk a bit about why you shouldn't expect to get a sexed female when ordering an unsexed sling. 

I've avoided this topic for some time, but figured that it was time to give it a shot. Here are the 12 fastest-growing tarantula species that I've kept so far. 

Happy New Year to everyone! As the weather is once again chilly, it's that time of year to discuss some winter considerations for those of us keeping tarantulas. 

In this episode, I discuss why I don't believe that a tarantula bite is inevitable, and why this line of thinking can actually be negative. 

In this episode, I talk a bit about some of the mistakes I've made in my tarantula keeping journey. 

Okay, to kick this one off,  I talk a bit about the move and an exciting Kickstarter campaign. At the 14 minute mark, I talk about some of the more uncommon tarantulas in my collection. Support Andrew Smith's Kickstarter here!

This episode features everyone's favorite blue-footed baboon, I. mira ! 

First, some updates and feedback on last week's episode about euthanizing tarantulas. Then, we discuss why we should avoid knowingly purchasing wild caught tarantulas.

Just to be very clear, this podcast is NOT a comprehensive guide to how to euthanize a sick tarantula (although I am now working on an article about that). This is a bit of a reaction to a recent video in which a keeper used a rather bizarre and controversial method to kill a dying tarantula. After being contacted by several people, many of them disturbed by what they saw, I felt compelled to comm...

Many of us refer to the numerous tarantulas we keep as our "collections." However, does the use of this term insinuate that we regard our pets as nothing more than objects? In this episode, we discuss whether having a tarantula collection is a bad thing.  A huge thanks to Travis Clinton for the suggestion! 

First, I talk a a bit about the new tarantula Keeper Cards expansion pack. Then, it's off to discuss my husbandry observations for Birupes simoroxigorum . For those interested, first Keeper Card expansion pack Kickstarter campaign is now live: Keeper Cards Club!

After years of answering questions from keepers, I decided that it would be fun to review some of the most common inquiries I receive.  

Spoiler Alert! I really don't choose a "best" enclosure, but I do explain why I find this question to be impossible to answer. Also, with a lot of folks now picking up Xenesthis species and asking me for advice, I spend some time talking about how I have them set up and my observations so far.

It's been a while since I focused on one species, so I figured that it time to bring the species husbandry podcasts back. In this episode, we discuss the ever-popular C. versicolor! To see the enclosure video mentioned in this podcast, click this link! 

Every once in a while, I get an email from a listener that really makes me think about how I phrase things (or makes me reconsider theories that I hold to be true). In this episode, I respond to some recent correspondence involving the topics of tarantula durability as well as "power feeding" and its potential impact on tarantula longevity.  Thank you do Dani for the topic idea!