Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas and Inverts

Theraphosa apophysis "Pinkfoot Goliath" Care

First, we'll read some listener comments. Then, we'll discuss an article about a veterinarian treating Kristen the tarantula. For our main topic this week, I will discuss the care for the amazing Theraphosa apophysis!

Death By Tarantula Bite! Fact or Myth?

Welcome to season 9! In this episode, we start by discussing some listener comments from last week's episode about T. vagans. Then... "Can a tarantula bite kill you?" Despite being told that one can't die from a tarantula bite, many stories have circulated over the years that appear to contradict that widely held belief. In this episode, we will investigate the validity of six cases of death by tarantula envenomation.

The Infamous "Mexican Redrump" Tliltocatl vagans Care and Notes

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."

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.