Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas And Inverts

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 comment.  Also, I go over some tips for those who have recently picked up Aphonopelma slings.*NOTE: After this podcast was complete, I heard back from veterinarian Andy Anderson who offered his very thoughtful opinion on tarantula euthanasia methods. I will share this information in next week's podcast. 

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! 

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.