Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas and Inverts

To start this one off, I share some of the feedback I got from last week's episode and respond to a couple comments.Then, at 21:25,  it's been five years to the day when I last covered some tips for ordering tarantulas online. In this episode, we will review the dos and don't as well as discuss some new issues that have presented themselves over the last five years. 

A couple of years ago, I stumbled on an article about the "inadvertent domestication" of animals raised for the sole purpose of being released back into the wild. This is when, despite our best efforts, captive animals were becoming inadvertently domesticated by temporarily or even permanently adapting to a captive environment , which was making them less fit to survive in the wild. This could often occur within a single generation of captive-reared animals.And that got me thinking...Many species of tarantulas have been actively bred in captivity for decades, so is it possible (or likely, even) that the animals in our collections have adapted over multi-generational captive breeding to be better suited to being kept in our home? In essence, is there a fundamental difference between our captive bred spiders and their wild counterparts? Is human selection making allowing them to thrive in our care?In this episode, we will explore the theory of tarantula domestication and why I think that it’s important to consider that the spiders in our collections might not necessarily be true wild animals. NOTE: I am NOT talking about them becoming tame, like dogs or cats. Spiders are not and never will be tame animals. We are specifically asking if they could have been changed by years of being bred and kept by humans. 

I've been doing this a while now, and there is one occurrence that I will never understand...when keepers ask for advice and then ignore it.  Luckily, it doesn't happen often, but when it does, the results can be quite tragic. In this episode, we'll discuss a few of the more egregious experiences I've had with this type of behavior.

Over the years, I've continued to constantly switch up what I use for substrate when it comes to housing my tarantulas. In this episode, I review what I've used in the past and share an inexpensive "recipe" I'm currently using that yields a LOT of substrate for very little money. 

In this episode, we discuss some instances where folks have lost large parts or all of their collection due to mishap or an overlooked environmental hazard. 

Within the past couple weeks, I spoke with two teenagers who were interested in getting their first tarantula. Both had many questions about where they should start and what they should prepare for. In this episode, I lay out several things anyone thinking about getting a tarantula should do...and some things that they shouldn't. 

First, we discuss the "controversy" a recent episode caused. Then, I field a question from a long-time YouTube subscriber about changes that I've made in how I set up fossorial tarantula enclosures. 

Well, it had to be done! In this episode, two popular genera of giant tarantulas will duke it out for hobby superiority! Okay, that's a bit dramatic; in reality, we will compare the two genera and talk about the similarities and differences.

To start this one off, we'll discuss some feedback to last week's episode.Then, after reflecting on 10 years of doing the TBS stuff, I realized that there is one major issue that I will never overcome. 

Recently, I've received some comments on my YouTube videos with folks saying that my tarantulas are "skinny" or "underfed", which left me a bit confused. However, after speaking with a hobby friend, I realized that, through social media, many folks new to the hobby may be exposed to photos of chubby Ts. For many, a spider with a bloated abdomen is the norm.In this episode, we'll discuss overfeeding tarantulas and feeding schedules. A huge thank you to Charlotte for the awesome topic idea!

Happy New Year! In this episode, I give my take on whether or not it's appropriate to say that tarantulas have "personalities." We will also discuss whether tarantulas need enrichment to avoid boredom.

In this episode, we compare two very similar species: the A. geniculata or "Brazilian Black and White" and the N. chromatus or "Brazilian Red and White." Both are awesome species and, in my opinion, hobby staples. But which has more to offer?

First, I have an important message from the US Tarantula Sustainment Project.Then, we're going to have a little fun. In this episode, we'll compare and break down two species that are often confused for each other, the C. cyaneopubescens (GBB) and the D. diamantinensis (Brazilian Blue Beauty). Which spider is the "best"? Who knows! But we will attempt to find out!Be sure to chime in with your vote on either Spotify or tomsbigspiderspodcast.com! 

In this episode, I'll talk a bit about the tarantula species that I've raised that buck the old "keep 'em moist" rule for slings. 

Having just rehoused my juvenile Eresus walckenaeri (Velvet Spider), I figured that it was time to talk a bit about how I care for it.Also in this episode, is the current Jumping Spider and Velvet Spider social media fad and rampant anthropomorphization leading to decline in overall appropriate husbandry in the spider hobby? I'll discuss what I feel are the realistic pros and cons of the attention these "cute" spiders are currently receiving.