Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas and Inverts

On Halloween (of course), National Geographic published the article, "The Illegal Market for Tarantulas Is Hairy Business." Despite the hokey title and annoying attempt to market these creatures as terrifying Halloween monsters, the article made for quite an interesting read. This podcast includes some of my thoughts on the article. A huge thanks to Eddie Marquis for sending me the link!...

In this episode, we'll break down the recent "name changes" for Euathlus sp. red as well as several species of Tapinauchenius (SPOILER: Your "T. gigas" is now "P. gigas!") We'll also talk a bit about some of the rehousing techniques available to hobbyists. 

I normally steer clear of this debate as I can honestly see points on both sides. Personally, I don't make a point of handling and don't promote it in my videos or articles. However, after a few recent questions and rude comments about my stance on handling, I decided that it would make for a good discussion piece. 

Anyone who has ever experienced DKS symptoms in a tarantula can tell you how terrible it is to observe...and how helpless it leaves you feeling. In this episode, I'll review the paper "Dyskinetic Syndrome In Tarantula Spiders (Theraphosidae)" by Emily Draper and Steven A. Trim from the Veterinary Nursing Journal, (www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17415349.2018.1484677). In this...

I've been getting a lot of questions about Chilobrachy species lately, and folks have been asking for a podcast that focuses on species care, so why not a genus review! Also, a brief aside about when to clean fossorial species. 

For many of us in the tarantula hobby, social media, particularly forums and Facebook groups, offer a "family" of people who share our rather odd interest in these eight-legged beauties. However, a few recent events have exposed some pretty severe issues within our tight knit community...issues that serve only to threaten our pastime. In this episode, I address high tarantula prices by s...

First, we settle the B. albopilosum Nicaragua "debate." Next, I'm reaching out to hobbyists for help for what I believe to be an important project. Then, it's time to talk about substrate...again! The questions keep coming, so I'll keep addressing them. Finally, we talk about buying a tarantula to get over arachnophobia. To add to the list of state-by-state vendors, please...

Now that five species of Poecilotheria are being regulated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, it's time to revisit the topic of hybrids and why they are so dangerous to our hobby. Also, are there differences between the hobby form of B. albopilosum and B. albopilosum Nicaragua? Finally, an update and some observation on my N. incei.

In this episode, I share my thoughts on keeping fossorial tarantulas on shallow substrate in order to make them more visible. I also explain my issue with trolls, and why I just can't seem to ignore them. Finally, I give an update on my three communal setups.

Which tarantulas should be in every "complete" collection? With this fun list, I share the species that I think everyone should keep at some point. As with all lists, this represents my opinion ONLY. Did I miss one? Let folks know in the comments section on Facebook!

It happens to many of us. What starts off as a modest collection of a few arachnids soon explodes into dozens of spiders. For those who find themselves keeping an ever expanding collection, here are some things to think about to make sure that you don't become overwhelmed (and a hoarder!).

There is just so much misinformation about tarantulas out there, and I often wonder how some of the crazier stuff originates (and why people would believe it). Well, I recently read an article that served as a sterling example of how misinformation is created and spread by people seemingly in the know. Also, why we need to stop hating on the G. rosea (rose hair) https://amp.thecalifornian.com/amp/...

For those who haven't heard, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has release their final ruling on Poecilotheria species. Long and short of it, five species are now restricted from importation and interstate sales. Each state will have to have its own breeders of these species to keep them in the hobby. You can read the full report here: http://usark.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ESA-2018-Sri-L...

Although there is obviously a learning curve for this hobby (there is for any hobby), I DO believe that folks oftentimes try to make tarantula keeping sound more difficult than it actually is. In this episode, we discuss how we tend to overcomplicate the husbandry of these very adaptive animals, and what it takes to become an "experienced" keeper.

Reluctantly, I'm going to give my thoughts on the recent fiasco resulting from a seizure of a particular species of tarantulas that were being imported into the US. Since this incident, I've been bombarded by emails and messages from concerned hobbyists worried that there was a ban on all Brazilian species or that the government was going to knock on their doors to seize their prized pet...

A couple of years ago, I sat down to make a list of what I thought were the top beginner species. Part fun, put informational, the article was meant to help those getting into tarantulas choose an appropriate pet to enter the hobby with. A few years later, I created a video version in which I revised my original list to include a couple more species and video footage of all of these guys in my col...

This topic seems all the rage lately, and after a recent email discussion with a new hobbyist, I thought that I'd weigh in on the "debate." In this episode, I try to address the purpose of "common names" as well as the importance of serious hobbyists learning the often complicated scientific names.

After recently putting together a retrospective video about my M. balfouri communal, and having just set up communals for two other species, I thought it would be a good time to discuss them. Although they are fascinating for many keepers, there are some things to think about before starting one NOTE: T. gigas is NOT a communal species. While discussing communal species, I misspoke and said "...

I get asked this quite a bit, and I honestly don't think that there is an easy answer. There is so much involved, including the strength of the relationship. However, I think there are a few things to consider when trying to convince your significant other to allow giant spiders into the house. Thanks to listener, Gina, for the email that finally got me to try to address this issue!

A review of what is probably my favorite genus of tarantula...Poecilotheria.

My apologies in advance, as I do just a little light-hearted venting about some YouTube channel comments to start this one off. Then, we move into an update on my recent substrate issues, including several deaths I'm pretty certain were due to contaminated dirt.

If you spend any time keeping tarantulas, you eventually get that dreaded question: don't you think it's wrong to keep animals like that? Most folks don't understand keeping tarantulas in the first place, and many well-meaning animals lovers look at our setups and can't comprehend how a deli cup could be a good home for a baby spider. In this episode, we discuss how to answer t...

In this episode, we'll tackle the illegal practice of "brown boxing" tarantulas into the country. What is it? How does it harm the hobby? How can you know if you're buying smuggled tarantulas?

I've had people ask how you can tell if a care guide or sheet is giving good information. In this episode, we search up a random species and see what we find in terms of care sheets (and point out some of the issues to look for).

GNATS! Man, I hate those little buggers. In this episode, I'll be talking about my recent battle with these irritating insects, and some of my resulting thoughts on substrates.