Great Basin Serpentarium – A Review

A fantastic spider shopping experience!

I recently discovered Great Basin Serpentarium while perusing the For Sale/Trade/Want to Buy section on Arachnoboards. I had been on the lookout for some T. stirmi slings, and GBS was offering 1.5 spiderlings for $90 each. Checking out the rest of the list of Ts for sale, I was excited to discover the they were also offering many other species I had been looking for. The prices were quite good, and I was floored to learn that they offered $20 FedEx next day shipping with any order of totaling $100 or more.

I shot the owner, J Mugleston, an email query about a possible purchase, and he got back to me within the hour. In fact, his communication throughout the entire experience was exemplary with all of my emails being answered promptly and politely. Last Friday, I put my order in for seven slings: 2 T. stirmi, 2 P. muticus, 2 M. cabocla, and 1 B. auratum.

Mr. Mugleston worked with me to ship my items to the local FedEx on a day of my choice, and I picked up my package yesterday. The box was labeled “Harmless Invertebrates”, which I though was a nice touch (the clerk at the counter actually handled my package as if it were dynamite!).

My package for GBS. LOVE the labeling!

My new acquisitions were very well packed in a box lined with foam insulation and crumpled newspaper as padding. A heat pack was included, which was great due to the unseasonably cold temps we’ve had in my state. Each spider was packed in a plastic dram vial in moistened paper towel, and the bottle lids were taped with electrical tape. These little guys were well-protected during shipping.

My package from Great Basin Serpentarium. My Ts were warm and very well packed.

I should mention that the way the tarantulas were packed in the vials made it VERY easy to get them out for rehousing. The paper towels were packed in tightly enough to protect the T, but loose enough that towel could be carefully pulled out of the vial and unrolled to safely free the animal. This made rehousing these little guys a breeze.

The vials holding my new slings from GBS. All were well packed and labeled.

The slings themselves were in fantastic shape, and it was obvious that they were healthy and well cared for. All were lively during rehousing, and all but one has already eaten (one of my P. muticus slings was a bit too busy burrowing to grab a snack).

Great prices, communication, and shipping costs!

I could not be more pleased with my experience with Great Basin Serpentarium. The prices, especially with the $20 next day shipping, were fantastic, Mr. Mugleston’s communication was outstanding, my order was perfectly packed, and the animals arrived healthy and lively. I would definitely recommend GBS to other tarantula enthusiasts, and I will definitely be shopping there again in the future.