Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas and Inverts

To kick this one off, a new paper FINALLY sheds some light on why some tarantulas are blue. Also, are there species that are at risk of being "extinct" from the hobby? 

A lot of folks stress about feeding their tarantulas, wondering how often, what size, and how much to feed.  The fact is, there is no real right or wrong answer to the question. In this episode, I discuss my feeding routines as well as some other ways to do it.  

We've all been there... You've done the research for months, you've carefully selected your first tarantula, and you finally have it set up and on your shelf. It should be time to kick back and enjoy your new pet. But then the worrying begins... In this episode, we talk about beginner anxiety.

After JUST telling folks on a livestream that my P. metallica communal was still going well, my son and I made a sad discovery last night. 

I've been getting a lot of questions about the symptoms known as DKS lately, so here are my thoughts on the topic. Also, we discuss cross ventilation in tarantula enclosures. NOTE: Although I didn't say it in the podcast, DKS is not a disease but a set of symptoms. We are not sure what exactly causes it at this time. 

To kick this episode off, I respond to a comment about last week's episode about those new to the hobby starting with bioactive enclosures. Then, it's off to discuss one of my favorite genera of tarantulas, Psalmopoeus . 

To kick this episode off, we discuss the need to be realistic and open minded when discussing tarantula temperament. Also, a reminder to always put your spider first when selecting enclosures.  

In this episode, I answer questions I received about three different topics. First, we address the possibility of hoarding in the hobby. Next, we examine why folks in the hobby tend to hate pet stores. Finally, my thoughts on protecting male tarantulas revisited. 

"My tarantula buried itself; what should I do?" is probably the most common question I get asked. In this episode, we talk about the burrowers, whether it be slings or full-blown fossorial spiders. 

I've been asked many times if I've considered bringing my tarantulas to the vet when they are ill. In this episode, I talk about my thoughts on the subject. Also, we'll talk about how knowing when to rehouse tarantulas is anything but an exact science. 

To kick this one off, we discuss the care of Sicarius thomisoides , the "Six-eyed Sand Spider." Then, I ramble a bit about about a recent funny anecdote. 

A recent comment on a video got me really thinking about how I present these animals. Although I try to approach each species with only facts, and I steer away from some of the sensationalized descriptors like "dangerous" and "aggressive", some folks believe that I'm downplaying the potential risks. In this episode, I talk about my philosophy on these animals and try to ex...

After years of not keeping a single Xenesthis species, I now find myself with five different ones. In this episode, I give my first impressions on them and explain how I'm currently keeping them. Also in this episode, we also discuss the recent issue with hobbyists thinking that they have to keep their moisture dependent species in "swampy" conditions. 

We all do it to some extent, and it some cases it's fun and harmless. But what happens when assigning human characteristics to our spiders inhibits our ability to care for them correctly? In this episode, we'll discuss some of the pros and cons when we anthropomorphize our tarantulas. 

I made an unfortunately discovery when I checked on my female O. philippinus this week. Here is the story. Also, we talk a bit about the stigma surrounding male tarantulas. 

To kick this one off, I finally picked up a couple of the Herpcult acrylic enclosures. In this episode, I share my thoughts on them. Also, we discus the care of Megaphobema robustum . 

I've been getting a lot of questions about tarantula communes lately, so I figured that it would be a good time to share some thoughts and reflections on them. In this podcast, we'll talk about some points to consider before you start a tarantula communal and also discuss why many in the hobby are against them.  

After getting three questions about this in one week, I figured that it would make for a good podcast topic. How do you know when your tarantula has settled in? What are some signs that it's not comfortable? How do you know when it's finally comfortable? In this episode, we discuss some things to consider if your tarantula doesn't seem to be adapting to its new surroundings. 

After being asked this question many times, I actually sat down to figure out which tarantulas I would keep if I could only keep 10. I pretty much failed miserably (I didn't quite get it down to 10), but I gave it a good try! And, for those who want to test out the Quizlet set, click here!

To kick this one off, I answer a couple listener questions. Then, we discuss the husbandry of Theraphosa species.  

I've been reluctant to tackle this one, as I've already spoken to keepers who have been turned off to keeping new world tarantulas after hearing about their hairs. However, I although I get a lot of question like, "how bad is the venom?" on new world videos, it's rare for anyone to ask about the hairs. It seems that many don't find the idea of "getting haired&quo...

First, a huge thank you to Lexi for chiming in on the isopod topic. For those who ask why I won't use these with tarantulas again, this podcast will pretty much sum it up. Also in this podcast, I've been contacted by several people in the past two months who purchased gravid T. albopilosus at their local pet stores. Here, we'll discuss this disturbing trend and what it means to the...

After getting a bunch of questions about "ideal temperatures" and "room temperatures" lately, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the topic. Also, the "golden rule" for choosing the right tarantula enclosure. 

First, I refer to Dolichothele diamantinensis by its old genus name in the podcast.  When I edited the video version, I used old clips labeled with the old genus and apparently had a major brainfart. My apologies for any confusion! This is NOT a top 10 list, as who the heck am I to tell people which is the "best" blue tarantula? Rather, it's more of a discussion about some of the bl...

Okay, to kick this one off, I rant for a few minutes more about water dishes. Then, I had my first death in my M. balfouri communal. Next, my thoughts on whether Avicularia/Caribena deaths are due to poor husbandry or because these species are a bit more fragile.