Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas and Inverts
Education Podcasts
A podcast devoted to the proper care and upkeep of tarantulas and other inverts. After keeping a G. porteri for over 16 years, I decided that I wanted to add another tarantula to my collection. Several years later, I now keep over 100 specimens and 90+ different species. It’s safe to say that I am now completely addicted to the hobby.I’m NOT an expert, and I’m currently still learning about keeping these fascinating creatures. In fact, there are so many species, that I suspect that I’ll still be learning years from now. This blog is a bit of a journal to track my interest in the hobby and to share some of the information I’ve learned. A teacher by trade, I enjoy passing along what I’ve information and techniques I’ve discovered and helping others in their successful pursuit of this hobby. I enjoy hearing from folks, whether through comments on the blog or email.I have done and continue to do a lot of research, and I will only be discussing animals I personally keep, so the information I present should be current and accurate. I also regularly update older posts with current photos, observations, and information. However, this is an ever-evolving hobby, so I implore anyone interested in keeping these animals to use whatever they find here as a springboard for further research on techniques or species-specific care.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Education Podcasts
Description:
A podcast devoted to the proper care and upkeep of tarantulas and other inverts. After keeping a G. porteri for over 16 years, I decided that I wanted to add another tarantula to my collection. Several years later, I now keep over 100 specimens and 90+ different species. It’s safe to say that I am now completely addicted to the hobby.I’m NOT an expert, and I’m currently still learning about keeping these fascinating creatures. In fact, there are so many species, that I suspect that I’ll still be learning years from now. This blog is a bit of a journal to track my interest in the hobby and to share some of the information I’ve learned. A teacher by trade, I enjoy passing along what I’ve information and techniques I’ve discovered and helping others in their successful pursuit of this hobby. I enjoy hearing from folks, whether through comments on the blog or email.I have done and continue to do a lot of research, and I will only be discussing animals I personally keep, so the information I present should be current and accurate. I also regularly update older posts with current photos, observations, and information. However, this is an ever-evolving hobby, so I implore anyone interested in keeping these animals to use whatever they find here as a springboard for further research on techniques or species-specific care.
Language:
English
Contact:
8603892245
Website:
https://tomsbigspiders.com/
Episodes
Planning for a Tarantula Presentation
7/22/2024
First, we'll discuss some listener comments from last week's episode.
Then, we've all been there. You're at work or having company over, and suddenly you find yourself giving an impromptu presentation about tarantulas to folks who may be terrified of them. Or, perhaps you're someone who is planning to present about spiders at a school or library. It can be difficult to stay focused on the fly, which is why it's prudent to plan out one of these presentations ahead of time. In this episode, I share some strategies and topics that I use when this happens to me.
Also, check out Andrew Smith's amazing tarantula documentaries HERE!
Duration:00:58:25
Not What I Expected - 7 Tarantula Species That Defied Expectation
7/14/2024
In this episode, I will talk about seven tarantula species that defied the expectations that I had for them after I did my research.
Duration:00:50:30
The "Spectrum" of Tarantula Terrestrial, Fossorial, and Arboreal Enclosure Setups
7/7/2024
Recently, I did a podcast about some of my terrestrial spiders that appreciated room to dig as adults. Since then, I've received questions about fossorial spiders that seem to want to live terrestrially, and even arboreal spiders that prefer to burrow a bit. Is this behavior cause for worry? In this episode, I'll break down why it is not and explain why we should expect a spectrum of behavior when it comes to our spiders.
Duration:00:50:56
Common Tarantula Keeper Mistakes Part 2
6/30/2024
I first covered this topic back in December of 2021. However, as the years have passed, I have encountered some new issues troubling hobbyists. In this episode, I'll break down ten of them.
Duration:01:03:41
Tips for Raising Huntsman Spiders
6/23/2024
A few years ago, I started keeping several Heteropoda (Huntsman) species, and it was quite the learning curve in many ways. In this episode, I'll discuss the care, as well as tips, for raising huntsman spiders.
Duration:00:41:38
Tarantula Setups - Real vs. Fake Plants
6/16/2024
When setting up a tarantula habitat, there are usually four main "ingredients": substrate, a hide, a water dish, and plants. However, when putting plants in an enclosure, is it better to use real or fake plants? In this episode, I break down the pros and cons of both types.
For those interested in check out my story in the Horror Over the Handlebars: A Yankee Scares Connecticut Horror Anthology, here is the LINK.
Duration:00:45:37
A Rainbow of Spiders 2 - Some of the Most Colorful Spiders I've Kept
6/9/2024
After doing a video featuring a rainbow of different spiders, I thought that it might be fun to do an "extended commentary" in which I cover even more species. My hope is that people might listen to this list and discover some colorful spiders they weren't initially aware of.
Duration:01:35:41
Terrestrial Tarantulas That Burrow (or Rethinking How We Keep Terrestrials)
6/2/2024
For years, tarantulas designated as "terrestrial" were given a couple inches of substrate and a hide for a setup. Now, although this isn't necessarily wrong, I've found that many of my so-called "terrestrial" species will continue to burrow right on through adulthood if given the substrate depth to do so. In this episode, I'll discuss how I'm changing how I keep many of my terrestrial species and list off some of the ones that currently burrow as adults.
Duration:01:03:43
Tityus stigmurus or the "Brazilian Yellow Scorpion" Care
5/19/2024
In this episode, we break away from talking about spiders for a bit and instead discuss the care for T. stigmurus. This amazing little scorpion can produce asexually and can be kept communally. I started with only one specimen back in October of 2016, and have kept dozens since!
Duration:00:39:47
The Most Heavily Webbing Spiders I Keep
5/12/2024
First, we discuss some listener feedback from last episode.
Then, I've had a bunch of folks ask me to cover this over the years, and I honestly thought that I had already done so! In this episode, I go over a dozen species of spiders I keep that love blanketing their enclosures in webbing.
Happy Mother's Day to all!
Duration:00:52:44
D. Pentaloris "The Tiger Rump" vs. H. formosus "The Pumpkin Patch"
5/5/2024
First off, we discuss last week's episode and some of the feedback I received (a HUGE thank you to all who took the time to comment!).
Then, it's the battle of the orangey/black dwarfs as Davus pentaloris "The Tiger Rump" takes on Hapalopus formosus "The Pumpkin Patch"!
Duration:00:55:34
The Future of the Podcast and Signs Your Old Tarantula Is Dying
4/28/2024
If someone would have told me back in early 2018 that this podcast experiment would continue for over 300 episodes, I would have laughed. But here we are, in our seventh year, still churning out shows. That said, I always worry that the program will eventually jump the shark and overstay its welcome. To kick this one off, we’ll discuss the fine line I try to walk producing shows that will appeal to both beginners and more advanced keepers alike and how you can all help as we move ahead.
Then, my old adult female Harpactira pulchripes passed this week after a bizarre occurrence that had happened only once before. This will lead into a discussion about signs that your old tarantula is dying.
Duration:00:51:32
The Best Tarantula Species for Folks Raising up Their First Slings
4/21/2024
As I've spent more time keeping tarantulas, I've realized that questions "what is a good beginner species?" and "what is a good species to raise as a first time sling? have two very different answers. Just because a species is easier to care for as an adult does not always make it an easy one to raise up. In this episode, I'll discuss the species I tend to recommend when asked what species make for good first-time slings.
Duration:00:53:22
The Importance of Establishing Routines with Growing Tarantula Collections
4/15/2024
How do you know when you’re getting too many tarantulas? How can you tell when you’re reaching what should be your limit?
In this episode, we’ll discuss the importance of establishing routines and setting boundaries early on to avoid having your collection turn into a hoard.
Duration:00:38:54
Tarantula Max Lifespans - A Realistic Discussion
4/7/2024
I've encountered this scenario many times...an upset keeper emails me to ask what he did wrong because his adult female didn't make it to the supposed max life expectancy. In many cases, it sounds like the animal died of natural causes, but the thought that it should have lived longer can eat away at a concerned keeper.
In this episode, we discuss some of the maximum lifespans given for tarantulas online and break down why some might live longer than others. I will also share the ages of several of my females when they finally passed away.
Duration:00:52:22
The Goliath Birdeaters - Theraphosa Genus Review
3/24/2024
In this episode, I talk about my experiences with the three Theraphosa species: Theraphosa stirmi (the Burgundy Goliath Birdeater), Theraphosa blondi (the Goliath Birdeater), and Theraphosa apophysis (Pinkfoot Goliath Birdeater).
Duration:00:55:27
Dos and Don'ts When Ordering Tarantulas Online
3/17/2024
To start this one off, I share some of the feedback I got from last week's episode and respond to a couple comments.
Then, at 21:25, it's been five years to the day when I last covered some tips for ordering tarantulas online. In this episode, we will review the dos and don't as well as discuss some new issues that have presented themselves over the last five years.
Duration:01:07:15
The "Domestication" of Tarantulas - Why our Pets Are Not Quite Wild Animals
3/10/2024
A couple of years ago, I stumbled on an article about the "inadvertent domestication" of animals raised for the sole purpose of being released back into the wild. This is when, despite our best efforts, captive animals were becoming inadvertently domesticated by temporarily or even permanently adapting to a captive environment , which was making them less fit to survive in the wild. This could often occur within a single generation of captive-reared animals.
And that got me thinking...
Many species of tarantulas have been actively bred in captivity for decades, so is it possible (or likely, even) that the animals in our collections have adapted over multi-generational captive breeding to be better suited to being kept in our home?
In essence, is there a fundamental difference between our captive bred spiders and their wild counterparts? Is human selection making allowing them to thrive in our care?
In this episode, we will explore the theory of tarantula domestication and why I think that it’s important to consider that the spiders in our collections might not necessarily be true wild animals.
NOTE: I am NOT talking about them becoming tame, like dogs or cats. Spiders are not and never will be tame animals. We are specifically asking if they could have been changed by years of being bred and kept by humans.
Duration:00:57:46
Why Bother Asking? When Keepers Ask Questions and Ignore the Answers
3/3/2024
I've been doing this a while now, and there is one occurrence that I will never understand...when keepers ask for advice and then ignore it. Luckily, it doesn't happen often, but when it does, the results can be quite tragic. In this episode, we'll discuss a few of the more egregious experiences I've had with this type of behavior.
Duration:00:54:05
Tarantula Substrate - Some Inexpensive Mixes
2/25/2024
Over the years, I've continued to constantly switch up what I use for substrate when it comes to housing my tarantulas. In this episode, I review what I've used in the past and share an inexpensive "recipe" I'm currently using that yields a LOT of substrate for very little money.
Duration:00:42:17