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Tom’s Big Spiders – The Podcast

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After much debate, I’ve decided to start a weekly podcast about tarantulas and other arachnids. I had been asked about starting a podcast a few times over the years, and as I really didn’t know too much about them, I scoffed at the idea. I just couldn’t imagine I would have enough to say to make one interesting, or that folks would be even remotely interested in hearing it. I know it may sound in my videos like I love hearing myself talk, but I can’t stand the sound of my own voice (really, who does?).

But after a recent discussion with my brother, an admitted podcast junkie, and another chat with a keeper, I decided to do a bit of research to see if it was a realistic outlet for me. For the past several months, I’ve been making a list of possible topics as well as folks I would like to either work with or interview. As luck would have it, I’ve been doing much more voiceover work in my YouTube videos as of late, so I have also gotten some good experience with talking and staying on subject.

Last month, I asked some of my friends on Facebook if this was something I should pursue, and the reaction was very positive. It seems that there are a lot of hobbyists out there that like podcasts, and not a whole lot of people doing them. Excited by the possibility of branching out into new media, I signed up for a plan, downloaded some programs, and sat down to test it out.

So far, I’m loving it.

Many times when putting the videos together, I have to shorten my explanations because I don’t have enough footage to accommodate for all of the dialog. I’ve found that recording the podcasts allows me to go into much more detail with the discussion. There are also topics that might not make for the most interesting videos or articles that might be better delivered in a more conversational format. Even better, this format would make interviews much more natural and easier for the interviewees.

It won’t replace my articles or videos, but I do believe the format will allow for another excellent outlet for tarantula information.

To start, I will be releasing one 30-minute episode every week on Sunday. As I know folks that follow podcasts like them to be released consistently, I’m recording several ahead of time to start so that I will always have one ready to go even if life intervenes. As I get more comfortable with the format and schedule, I’ll look to start mixing in interviews and even live episodes. If all goes well, they will be available on both iTunes and Google Play as well.

Below is my first “pilot” episode in which I field a question about feeding dead prey to tarantulas and discuss shipping in the winter, as well as a bonus episode featuring a Q & A. I’m also including a link to my podcast page. Hopefully you all find it enjoyable and continue to check out future installments. I’ve got some cool ideas going forward, and I think that I’ll continue to improve with each outing.

EPISODE 1: Tom’s Big Spiders … The Podcast! (Pilot)

BONUS EPISODE … Q & A

 

Follow the podcast here: http://tomsbigspiders.buzzsprout.com/

 

Harpactira Genus – Husbandry Notes

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Harpactira Husbandry Notes (ft. H. baviana, H. cafreriana, H. hamiltoni, and H. pulchripes)

Gorgeous “baboon tarantulas” from South Africa, Harpactira species have become much more prevalent in the hobby as of late, with many vendors offering a variety of slings for sale. Recently, there have been more Harpactira species available than ever, their newfound popularity possibly spurred by the introduction of the gorgeous and highly-desirable Harpactira pulchripes or “Golden blue-legged baboon.”

These mid-sized Old Words sport a variety of pretty ambers, golds, bronzes, and even a bit of green. My first experience with this genus came with the aforementioned H. pulchripes. Back in 2015, I acquired a sling and a juvenile female, and I immediately fell in love with the species. Besides their strikingly good looks, I found this spider to be incredibly hardy with a fairly laid back temperament for a baboon species. Last year, I was fortunate enough to get several more Harpactira species from Tanya at Fear Not Tarantulas, and I have become a huge fan of the genus. Connoisseurs  of heavy-webbing, visible, fast-growing, robust, pretty baboons will find a lot to love about this genus.

SLINGS

Species from this genus start out rather petite, so folks may find that smaller dram vials or 4-oz deli cups will provide good sling enclosures for smaller specimens. For slightly larger specimens ( .75″ or larger), the tried-and-true 16-oz deli cups make great homes. I’ve used all three types with no issues, so a keeper can use his or her discretion when selecting its first home. My specimens are more webbers than burrowers in most instances (although they may still dig), so provide a bit of substrate and piece of cork bark for a hide. If possible, also include a fake leaf or two to serve as an anchor point for webbing. Mine all immediately took refuge beneath the cork bark, using this as the epicenter for their silk. This also gives them a place to retreat to if they are startled so that they don’t bolt out of their enclosures. One of the only tarantula escapes I’ve ever had was a Harpactira pulchripes sling that I got sloppy with during a rehousing. It was up my arm and around my back in a blink. Although I’ve found slings from this genus to be more calm overall than most baboons, they can still be skittish and are very fast. It would behoove hobbyists to keep this in mind when working with them. Continue reading →

Tarantula Hybridization in the Hobby (Tarantula Controversies #5)

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It’s one of the hobby’s most hot-button topics, and one that elicits spirited and emotional responses from both sides of the argument. For many, the topic of hybridization is a fascinating one, and curious hobbyists hear about hybrids and want to find out more about them. Unfortunately, any public inquiries in the hows, whys, and why nots of a potential mixing of species swiftly erupt into heated arguments and debates.

On the one hand, there are the folks that don’t think tarantula hybrids are that big of a deal, with some even expressing that a keeper can do whatever he wants with his spiders, as long as they aren’t sold into the hobby. Many of these keepers believe that the supposed problem of hybridization in the hobby is over exaggerated and that those who are staunchly opposed to it are alarmists.

Others find the idea of purposely crossing species appalling and unforgivably irresponsible under any circumstance. Many of the people on this side believe that hybrids are prevalent enough in the hobby to seriously compromise the purity of many bloodlines. Any attempt to knowingly breed them is a gross disservice to the hobby and, in some cases, a Frankensteinian perversion of nature.

Recently, I was emailed by a young man who was new to the hobby and eager to discuss some of his experiences with a more seasoned keeper. During our exchange, he mentioned that he had managed to obtain a mature female Brachypelms vagans as well as a mature male Brachypelma albopilosom. He really wanted to breed but was having difficulty acquiring a male for his vagans, so he came up with the idea of trying to crossbreed the two species to get, “a cool designer tarantula.” What ensued was a lengthy back-and-forth email discussion about tarantula hybridization and why it is a detriment to the hobby.

It can be difficult for new and casual hobbyists to understand why hybridization is so frowned upon by many serious hobbyists. Even after several emails, this young man still didn’t seem to fully grasp why this practice was considered taboo by many. As I’ve encountered this question many times myself, I thought it was time to tackle the topic in hopes of educating folks who may not understand why it is such a controversial issue.

Below are the arguments and counter arguments and how they usually break down. For clarity, stances supporting hybridization will be in GREEN; stances against will be in RED. Continue reading →

Tarantula Sling Care Guide – The Video Version

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A picture is worth a thousand words…

When I first became hooked by the hobby, I literally had to be convinced by a vendor to pick up my first spiderlings. True story.

At the time, I was looking for sexed juveniles and adults, and the thought of caring for a tiny, fragile ‘sling was terrifying to me. What would I feed it? How should I give it water? What if the temperature in my house was too low? A thousand daunting scenarios played through my mind, and almost all of them ended with a dead spider.

When I finally took the plunge and ordered my first two 3/4″ slings, I remember the feeling of dread I had waiting for them to be delivered. I was convinced that I had bit off more than I could chew, and now there was no turning back. When they arrived, I fussed over their enclosures, fixated on their burrowing and webbing habits, just about developed an ulcer when one buried itself, and panicked when they inevitably refused meals. I also spent hours on Google researching each seemingly odd or worrisome behavior for some type of reassurance that I wasn’t screwing up. Continue reading →

Have You Ever Been Bit By a Tarantula? A Survey

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If you’re a hobbyist, please take a few seconds to participate!

Okay, I’m hoping to get as much participation as possible on this, so my sincere thanks to anyone who takes  a moment to answer or share these two polls.

The first question pertains to whether or not you’ve ever experienced a bite under any circumstances. I hear a lot of folks, mostly those new to the hobby, make statements like, “it’s only a matter of time until I get bit.” Do bites happen? Sure. But my belief is that they are not very common. So, who out there has experienced the business end of a tarantula?

Continue reading →

Dolichothele diamantinensis “Brazilian Blue Beauty” Care

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Dolichothele diamantinensis  “Brazilian Blue Dwarf Beauty” Husbandry Notes

When I first got into the hobby, I tended to ignore some of the smaller species. I was basically obsessed with larger Ts, and most of my wish lists were filled with the giant species with leg spans of 7″ or more. At that time, I didn’t get some keepers’ obsessions with the so-called “dwarf” species. Wasn’t the point of keeping big spiders to show off species that were larger than your common garden spider? However, as my collection grew and I obtained more spiders, I matured a bit and let go of my anti-dwarf prejudices. I started to seek out smaller species like B. cabocla and dwarfs like Euathlus sp. red and Hapalopus sp. Colombia larges. It quickly became apparent that by shying away from the more diminutive species, I was missing out on some amazing animals.

After seeing some photos of the D. diamantinensis, I immediately moved this small species to the top of my wish list. These gorgeous, highly sought after spiders looked like miniature GBBs with their blues, greens, and a touch of red. Unfortunately, the first slings in the US were quite pricey, so I decided to wait it out a bit until prices fell. Finally, in December of 2016, I received three gorgeous little slings from Tanya at Fear Not Tarantulas with the polite warning that they were very fast.

She wasn’t kidding.

These little guys are quite speedy as slings, and keepers should take precautions before transferring or rehousing them to prevent escapes. I pride myself on my ability to transfer spiders without incident, and these little spitfires gave me a run for my money. Continue reading →

Psalmopoeus irminia “Venezuelan suntiger” Husbandry Notes

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A gorgeous, if somewhat reclusive, arboreal.

Years ago when I was getting serious about tarantulas and researching which species were currently available, I stumbled upon this gorgeous black spider with orange highlights on its legs and abdomen. Besides being an amazing looking spider (I’m a sucker for orange) it had one of the coolest common names I had heard…the “Venezuelan suntiger.” However, as I was new to the hobby, I was turned off to this species when I read that this arboreal was fast, skittish, and could have quite the attitude. For a while, I forgot about it as I became more interested in calmer, slower-moving terrestrials.

Fast forward several years…

P. irminia (c) Dallas Beck

After receiving a Psalmopoeus cambridgei as a freebie, I immediately developed more of an appreciation for arboreal tarantulas other than ones in the Poecilotheria genus. Eager to add some new tree spiders to my collection, I was again reminded of the P. irminia. I was more than ready for this spider now, so when I saw that Tanya at Fear Not Tarantulas had a juvenile female listed, I jumped at it. Continue reading →

CEC’s Action Plan for Sustainable Trade in Tarantulas

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Important Reading For all Hobbyists

Recently, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) released five action plans “to promote legal, sustainable and traceable trade in selected North American species” (West & Cooper vii) listed in CITES. 55 taxa were identified and organized into five groups: parrots, sharks, timber species, turtles and tortoises, and tarantulas. These plans were created under the guidance of the CITES Authorities of Mexico, Canada, and the United states, the three countries involved in the legal trade of these species.

Megan Ainscow from the CEC was gracious enough to pass the report on tarantulas to me so I could share it with my readers. For those interested in reading the report (and it’s actually very easy reading and quite interesting) just click the picture above or the link below.

READ THE REPORT HERE

To encapsulate, the CEC brought together the main stakeholders in the Brachypelma tarantula trade—Canada, Mexico, and the US—for a workshop in October 25-26 in Mexico City, and the reports were generated from consultation with these stake holders. Continue reading →

B. smithi is Now B. hamorii – A Breakdown of the Taxonomic Revision Paper

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“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” – William Shakespeare

It was talked about and anticipated for years, and on April 26, it became official. Jorge Mendoza and Oscar Francke’s paper on the revision of the Brachypelma red-kneed tarantulas was officially published.  This paper had many informed hobbyists sighing in resignation as they reached for their label makers and bade farewell to a familiar name. As a result, the beloved Brachypelma smithi that has proliferated collections for decades has a brand new name…Brachypelma hamorii.

Continue reading →

Tarantula Impaction Revisited

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Tarantula Fecal Impaction Revisited

Back in September of 2014, I lost a seemingly healthy juvenile H. villosella a couple months after its most recent molt. Said specimen seemed to experience no difficulties during the shedding process, and after a hardening period, resumed eating as normal. She ate twice, displaying the ravenous appetite I had come to expect from this spider as she easily consumed two larger prey items. However, when I dropped in what would be her third meal after her recent molt, she refused it. A week later, she refused her fourth.

A few weeks later, she was dead.

At first, I was totally perplexed as to what could have caused her untimely death. She had been provided water, and I had caught her drinking on a couple occasions. She had been eating okay after her molt, which I thought would indicate that there were no issues. A closer examination of her revealed some clues. Despite the fact that she hadn’t been eating, her abdomen was quite plump and a bit hard. She also had chalky white stuff—stool—caked around her anus. When I looked closely, I could also see a tiny hard plug blocking the opening itself.

A dead H. villosella sling. Notice the white around the anus, and the yellowish spot that formed beneath the corpse (likely feces loosened by the moist towel.

After doing a bit of research, I realized that I had likely experienced my first occurrence of tarantula fecal impaction. An impaction occurs when the tarantula’s anus becomes obstructed, rendering it unable to defecate. The spider will often continue to eat and drink normally, giving the keeper little indication that something is amiss even as the waste builds up inside it. Eventually, the poor animal will become sluggish before finally succumbing to the ailment and dying. Continue reading →