Often, when I post videos of spiders other than tarantulas, I get comments like, "They're pretty, but they don't live long" or "That's nice, but I don't keep true spiders." In some instances, the animal that I'm showing off is a) very long lived and b) not a tarantula OR a true spider. Many are not aware of the difference or what to expect from both of these groups. In this episode, I attempt to break down the differences between spiders in the infraorders Mygalomorphae and Araneomporphae and...
30 Mar 2025 - 57 دقائق 39 ثانية
First, we'll hear some listener feedback. Then, we held our second Arachnid Appreciation Club meeting at my school, and it went great. I'll talk a bit about what we did and my plans for the future. Finally, (28:00) in this new feature, I'll talk about a species of tarantula that I think gets unfairly ignored. In our first episode of "Worth a Second Look," we'll be discussing the Hysterocrates gigas or "Cameroon Red Baboon."
16 Mar 2025 - 56 دقائق 15 ثانية
When making my rehousing videos, I often talk about what behaviors I expect from the spiders as they settle in. However, I often forget to follow up and update folks on how they are getting on. In this episode, we'll take a look at some recently rehoused spiders as I discuss their behaviors in their new enclosures.
9 Mar 2025 - 52 دقائق 44 ثانية
It's season 8! And to kick it off, we'll discuss a new paper that examines the symptoms of a Poecilotheria species bite. Then, I'm often asked what the "best starter arboreal" spider is. Although the popular answer is usually an Avicularia or Caribena species, folks still seem to struggle with their care. This got me to thinking...how do the other popular arboreal genera compare when you look at ease of care, temperament, and behaviors? In this episode, we'll take a look!
2 Mar 2025 - 01 دقيقة 04 دقائق 55 ثانية
First off, we'll read an article that discusses the successful reintroduction of a previously endangered spider species in Europe. Next, we'll hear some listener feedback. Then...feeding is one of the most entertaining and rewarding aspects of the hobby. In this episode, I'll discuss the 8 spiders that I enjoy feeding the most.
17 Feb 2025 - 01 دقيقة 06 دقائق 19 ثانية
So, I recently posted a video on YouTube discussing the tarantula species I've found to be the most defensive. Although I tried to think of an Old World species that gave me a difficult time, I didn't have a single one on the list. I knew that this was going to be shocking for some, but I wasn't expecting to be called "biased" when it came to how I present Old World behaviors. In this episode, I will discuss how and why my opinions on Old Worlds have changed over the years, and do some soul s...
9 Feb 2025 - 56 دقائق 11 ثانية
First, we had our first Arachnid Appreciation Club at my school, and I'll share a bit about my preparation for it. Then, I have people message me to ask which "giant" tarantula species they should start with. In this episode, I'll compare the genera with the most massive spiders: Lasiodora, Phormictopus, Pamphobeteus, Xenesthis, and Theraphosa.
2 Feb 2025 - 01 دقيقة 05 دقائق 55 ثانية
First, we discuss some feedback from last week's episode (and the fact that I had JUST covered this topic in September!). Then, I get asked all the time which species are the most visible out of the ones that I keep. Now that it's been several years since I last covered this topic, I have some new ones to add.
19 Jan 2025 - 58 دقائق 59 ثانية
Crazy bolting. Hair kicking. Threat postures. Slapping at the ground. In this episode, I'll discuss the five most defensive (notice that I didnt' say "aggressive") tarantula species I have raised...plus a couple alternates. In each case, this time I will discuss how, in many instances, I was at fault for the behaviors.
12 Jan 2025 - 54 دقائق 38 ثانية
Happy New Year! First, we have a few species name changes to discuss. Then, we'll talk about four new tarantula species identified found in India's Western Ghat Mountains. After that, we have some listener comments from last week's episode. Finally… "How am I supposed to get experience with old world tarantula speed if I'm being told not to keep them?" The question of "experience" comes up quite a bit in hobby discussions. Can folks successfully keep tarantulas without having much first hand ...
5 Jan 2025 - 01 دقيقة 06 دقائق 22 ثانية