Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas And Inverts

Well, since we spent a previous episode talking about some of the more diminutive species I keep, I figured that it would be fun to talk about the giants in this episode! What are the biggest tarantulas in my collection? In this episode, you'll find out. 

First, I talk a bit about a recent mishap that I had involving one of my slings. Then, although I've created a few sling guides, I've had a lot of folks ask me for specific advice on how to raise the tinies of slings. In this episode, I share some of the tips and tricks I use when growing up the wee ones. 

I take a lot of ribbing for saying that every species of tarantula I talk about is "one of my favorites." The truth is, I've enjoyed keeping every species I've ever raised. However, over the years, many folks have asked if there is any species that I don't like, and the answer is...complicated. In this podcast, I talk about the species that I failed to appreciate at first but that I grew to love. 

I often get folks asking me to do a podcast or video on the many dwarf tarantulas out there. Well for years I struggled to put one together because a) there are so many out there that I haven't kept and b) there is a lot of debate over what constitutes a "dwarf" tarantula. In this episode, I talk about the smaller species of spiders that I've kept and my experience with them. 

Yes, I think that all tarantulas should be given water dishes. However, in the great debate over whether they are "needed" or not, some important points are often overlooked. In this episode, we talk about creating a system to keep your tarantulas adequately hydrated. 

Way back in November of 2018, I decided to make a list of the top 15 favorite tarantulas in my collection. At that time, I freely admitted that the list would likely change as time went on (heck, I wanted to change it shortly after posting it!). Well, in this episode, I revisit the question "which are your favorite tarantulas" and put together another list of my current 15 current favorites! 

We've all been there...after discovering an unwanted pest, you recognize that the time has come to treat for it. Whether it be roaches, fleas, lice, or even ants, we all panic at the thought of an exterminator coming in and spraying chemicals that could kill our pets. In this episode, Billie joins us to discuss her experience as a pest control company manager treating various critters as safely as possible. 

In this episode, we discuss ten hazards keepers should be aware of when keeping tarantulas. 

I often get asked how long a certain species of tarantula lives for, and I sometimes struggle with the response as there are many variables that can lead to longer or shorter lifespans. I also think that some hobbyists set themselves up for disappointment when they assume that their spider will live to the older estimates given online. In this episode, I discuss my feeding regimes over the years as well as the lifespans of some of the tarantulas I've raised from slings to death from "old age." It's my hope that this will kickstart a discussion over what realistic lifespans are in captivity. 

Back in 2019, I was a guest on the Animals at Home Podcast, and I had an absolute blast talking to the host, Dillon, about the tarantula hobby. At the end of the interview, we agreed that should Dillon ever decide to get his first tarantula, we should get back together to answer some of his questions.Well, a full pandemic later, and that time has come!In this episode, Dillion and I discuss some of the questions that he has before he makes the big jump.You can find Animals at Home on YouTube , The Animals at Home Network, or anywhere you listen to your podcasts.  

The third part of the Tarantula exam series is here! This time around, we have some scenarios about tarantula care as well as some involving other aspects of the tarantula hobby. Enjoy! 

Okay, so I'm not really going to try to sell folks on keeping curtain-web spiders, but I do think that many tarantula keepers would find a lot to love about these huge, heavily-webbing spiders. In this episode, I discuss their care, setup, and temperament and explain why I think that they make awesome spiders to keep. Dipluridae feeding compilation

Old World tarantulas - they're "aggressive", they're "dangerous", and they're "deadly"...right? WRONG. In this episode, we'll discuss Old World tarantulas and their bad reputation.  I will share my experiences with keeping Old Worlds as well as some tips for minimizing any risk when working with this misunderstood an unfairly villianized group of spiders. 

In this episode, we talk about care for the genus Brachypelma and I share my observations on the species that I currrently keep. 

Part two of my discussion with veterinarian Dr. Andy Anderson. In this episode, he discusses:Injuries that he's treatedThe "Tarantula ICU"Tarantula Euthanasia The state of veterinary medicine in the USHow to find a vet for your spider

Well, it has FINALLY happened. Dr. Andy Anderson and I were finally able to connect to chat about tarantula care, and man it was well worth the wait. In this episode, Dr. Anderson talks about tarantula medical topics like:DKS symptoms and causesDehydration Impaction Molt issuesNematodesIn part 2 next week, Dr. Anderson will discuss injuries he's treated and their causes, tarantula ICUs, and the state of invert veterinary medicine in the US. You can find Dr. Andy Anderson at Shiloh Veterinary Hospital!

First, we start off by discussing listener comments from last week's fossorial episode. Then, I go through some of the changes that I've made in my husbandry and setups and explain why I made these changes. 

It's a fossorial blow out! Well, not quite...but in this episode, I talk about the care, setup, and maintenance for our beloved "pet holes". 

What are some ways to organize and manage the expenses of a growing tarantula collection? How can you ensure that caring for your animals doesn't become a burden? In this episode, suggested by listener EarthsGeomancer, I discuss the following points.Labeling T enclosuresRecord keepingSchedulingBeing time efficient and making time for other hobbiesTracking and inventorying feeders, substrate, containers, and other suppliesAvoiding burnout due to the more repetitive requirements of the hobbyA huge thanks to EarthsGeomancer for the Suggestion!Note: The tarantula keeper collection aps. discussed in this podcast are ExotiKeeper and Arachnifiles. 

...or, my creative way of trying to answer a bunch of common questions in an entertaining year-in-review format!Seriously, while trying to figure out a fun way to answer some of the questions I get about my favorite, or largest, or shyest, or WHATEVER tarantulas, I came up with the idea of a fake award show! Hopefully, folks find this entertaining (and not too embarrassing), and it becomes an annual tradition. Awards to be given are:Tiny Diamond Award (Most Gorgeous Slings)The Queen Memorial Award for Pet Rock of the YearWebber of the Year (To the Spider with the Most Webbing)Pet Dirt Award for The Most Shy and Elusive SpiderThe “Better Put Me in Your Will” Award for Slowest Growing SpiderEnclosure of the Year AwardBiggest Surprise of the YearIn Memoriam - The Spiders We Lost This YearThe Pitbull Award for Most Aggressive SpiderThe “Hey, Wait…That’s Not a Tarantula” Award for Favorite Non-Spider CritterThe Tarantula Titan Award for Largest SpiderEight-Legged Jewel Award (Most Beautiful Spider)Spider of the Ye