Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas and Inverts

Tarantula Hoarding - A Discussion

First off, we'll take listener comments about last week's episode on feeding. Then, we discuss the article,  "Environmentalists Seek Protections for Malaysian Tarantula Targeted by Illegal Pet Trade" [https://courthousenews.com/environmentalists-seek-protections-for-malaysian-tarantula-targeted-by-illegal-pet-trade/]and how it applies to the tarantula hobby. And finally, it's onto our main topic. Is tarantula hoarding really a thing? We'll break down why the word "hoarding" is often tossed around and how this question, especially when it comes to pet influencers, is a bit more complicated to answer.

Tarantula Feeding Revisited

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.

C. lividus "The Cobalt Blue Tarantula" Care

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."  [https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202511.0194]

Are Tarantula Enclosures too Small and Cruel?

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.

The H. maculata "Togo Starburst Baboon" Care Revisited

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."