Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas and Inverts

Happy New Year! 

First, we'll discuss a listener question about whether or not tarantulas can "learn" to accept handling.

Then, this species has been described as "aggressive", "nasty", and even "evil," which is laughable. In this episode, I will break down care and my experience with the wonderful and unfairly maligned T. vagans or "Mexican Redrump." 

First, we discuss an amazing genus of orbweaver that uses an incredible form of defensive mimicry. 

Then, over the years, I've made a lot of changes to my feeding schedules and what I feed my spiders. In this episode, I'll break down how my feeding regiment has evolved, as well as discuss some dos and don'ts when it comes to feeding.

First, we'll take some listener comments and talk a bit about shipping spiders in the winter.

Then, I revisit care for the hobby staple (and the original blue tarantula!) Cyriopagopus lividus or the "Cobalt Blue Tarantula."

Please check out Luis Roque's paper "Reevaluating Spider Nutrition: The Essential Role of Arachidonic Acid in Captivity." 

I'm back! First off, we'll discuss why I haven't been as consistent with the podcast.

Then, we'll take a look at an article about a shocking spider discovery in a cave on the Greece-Albanian border.

Finally, in our main topic, we'll discuss what to tell people who say that we're "abusing" our tarantulas by keeping them in smaller enclosures. 

First, we discuss a rather ridiculous care sheet that someone sent me, which was posted by a pet store.

Then, we discuss a new trapdoor spider species identified in California.

For our main topic, I'm going to share care and behavior notes on one of the most unjustly villainized spiders in the hobby...the Heteroscodra maculata or "Togo Starburst Baboon." 

First, we have an update on the Joro spider in the news.

Then, are you currently keeping tarantulas and looking to branch out into "True Spiders" or Mygalomorphs? Or, have you never kept any spider before and are looking for a good one to start with? In this episode, I'll discuss 10 popular spiders in the pet trade and what they have to offer. 

First, we'll discuss an article about a new species of spider discovered in Thailand that was also bilaterally gynandromorphic. 

Then, these are the topics that are sure to whip both sides of the argument into a frenzy. We'll discuss nine topics that remain controversial in the tarantula hobby. 

First, we'll discuss a study on the brains of communal huntsman spiders.

Then, we'll break down the issue with wild caught tarantulas in the hobby, and why this will always remain an ethical stain on the tarantula pet trade. 

First, we'll hear listener comments and discuss the article, "Mystery of dancing spiders' DNA could explain how they develop into new species". Then, I'll share the 10 spiders I keep that have proven to be the most shy and elusive. 

First, we'll discuss some listener comments on our last episode about using AI for researching tarantula care.

Then, I've been asked many times to make a list of green tarantulas. The problem? There just aren't that many. In this episode, we'll discuss some species to search for if you are looking for some green on your eight-legged pets. 

With AI growing by leaps and bounds, it was inevitable that some folks would start using it as a tool for tarantula research. However, how accurate is the information? Where does it come from? And how can it best be used by new keepers? In this episode, we will search up some spider care, compare the results, and discuss the results. 

It can happen to the best of us. Suddenly, your beloved tarantula collection has become a source of stress. How did you get to this point? In this episode, we'll discuss "hobby burnout," how to prevent it, and how to come back from it. 

First, we'll disuss the current seizure of smuggled tarantulas at an airport.

Then, I'll discuss tips and care notes for one of the hobby's most popular species, the C. cyaneopubescens or GBB!

In this episode, we'll discuss the growth rates and current legspans of the largest tarantulas in my collection. 

After I injured my shoulder, I had to have my son, Roane, help me with basic feeding and maintenance. It got me thinking about how important it is for hobbyists to plan for an event that leaves them unable to care for their animals. In this episode, we'll discuss what such planning might look like.