Explore every episode of the podcast Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas and Inverts

After a short, sweet article about a chance encounter with a tarantula, as well as some listener comments, we'll talk about my experience moving a large tarantula collection and some things to consider should you have to move yours. 

First, we take some listener comments and discuss a science fair project involving tarantula venom.

Then, I've been asked what the most important quality a good tarantula keeper needs. In this episode, I break it down. 

First, we'll discuss an article about Poecilotheria metallica conservation efforts. Then, we'll hear from some listeners about the last episode.

For our main topic, I will discuss care and observations on one of my favorite all-time tarantula species, Selenobrachys philippinus, or the "Philippine Tangerine." 

First, we'll take some listener feedback and discuss an article about a 500-year-old fossil that rewrites chelicerate history.

Then, they've been one of the most popular pet tarantulas for years, yet many still struggle with them. Why? In this episode, I'll discuss care for the Caribena versiclor (Martinique pinktoe), as well as some of the mistakes I see people making with them. 

First, I have an update on the Phormictopus that went to the vet. Then, I share some frustrations that I've had with correspondence lately before discussing a recent catastrophic molt with my Grammostola iheringi.

Finally, we move on to the main topic. In this episode, I share some of the more common myths and misconceptions that I've been hearing from keepers lately, and why I think that these ideas are so problematic.

First, we have an update for last week's episode where we discussed a tarantula going to a vet.

Then...have you ever wondered which tarantula species were the first to be kept as pets in the hobby? In this episode, we'll break down when some common species first made their appearance as pets.

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!

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.

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." 

 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" 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.

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.

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." 

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. 

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." 

First, we have an update on the Joro spider in the news.

Then, are you currently keeping tarantulas and looking to branch out into "True Spiders" or Mygalomorphs? Or, have you never kept any spider before and are looking for a good one to start with? In this episode, I'll discuss 10 popular spiders in the pet trade and what they have to offer. 

First, we'll discuss an article about a new species of spider discovered in Thailand that was also bilaterally gynandromorphic. 

Then, these are the topics that are sure to whip both sides of the argument into a frenzy. We'll discuss nine topics that remain controversial in the tarantula hobby. 

First, we'll discuss a study on the brains of communal huntsman spiders.

Then, we'll break down the issue with wild caught tarantulas in the hobby, and why this will always remain an ethical stain on the tarantula pet trade. 

First, we'll hear listener comments and discuss the article, "Mystery of dancing spiders' DNA could explain how they develop into new species". Then, I'll share the 10 spiders I keep that have proven to be the most shy and elusive. 

First, we'll discuss some listener comments on our last episode about using AI for researching tarantula care.

Then, I've been asked many times to make a list of green tarantulas. The problem? There just aren't that many. In this episode, we'll discuss some species to search for if you are looking for some green on your eight-legged pets. 

With AI growing by leaps and bounds, it was inevitable that some folks would start using it as a tool for tarantula research. However, how accurate is the information? Where does it come from? And how can it best be used by new keepers? In this episode, we will search up some spider care, compare the results, and discuss the results. 

It can happen to the best of us. Suddenly, your beloved tarantula collection has become a source of stress. How did you get to this point? In this episode, we'll discuss "hobby burnout," how to prevent it, and how to come back from it. 

First, we'll discuss comments from last week's podcast.

Then, we'll discuss the care of one of the most beloved species of tarantulas in the hobby, the Monocentropus balfouri or "Socrata Island Blue Baboon." I've been keeping this species since 2013, and have had five females in a communal setup for over nine years. In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss the care for solitary specimens as well as for communal setups. 

First, we'll disuss the current seizure of smuggled tarantulas at an airport.

Then, I'll discuss tips and care notes for one of the hobby's most popular species, the C. cyaneopubescens or GBB!

When making their wish lists, many hobbyists identify spiders like Old World tarantulas and giant tropicals that they'd like to keep one day, but don't currently feel ready to do so. Although some folks can just jump right into the deep end with an "advanced" species, others want to take their time to gain experience with other spiders before making the jump. In this episode, I'll share some of the tarantulas that I think make good stepping-stones to keeping the more advanced species.  

In this episode, we'll discuss the growth rates and current legspans of the largest tarantulas in my collection. 

After I injured my shoulder, I had to have my son, Roane, help me with basic feeding and maintenance. It got me thinking about how important it is for hobbyists to plan for an event that leaves them unable to care for their animals. In this episode, we'll discuss what such planning might look like.

NOTE: In the podcast, I refer to Pamphobeteus sp. Duran as Phormictopus sp. Duran. This was an error on my part! Also, it's lion CUBS, not kittens.

This was supposed to be up for Father's Day, but I blew out my shoulder!

First, we discuss the last podcast. Then, we hear about a woman who got envenomated by a black widow through her EYE. Finally, for our main topic, we'll discuss tarantula males.

I'm not going to lie; I've avoided this "challenge" for years because just the thought of it causes me stress. That said, in this episode, I'm going to try to choose the tarantulas I would keep if I could only have 5. 

First off, we'll share some listener comments. Then, we'll share some spider news. 

Our main topic for today (14:30) is the care of one of the most popular tarantulas in the hobby - the Poecilotheria metallica or "Gooty Sapphire Ornamental."

Molting can be the most exciting yet simultaneously stressful part of keeping tarantulas. In this episode, we'll discuss the entire process -- from premolt to the first feeding -- and what to expect. 

First, we'll discuss some listener comments. Then, how would you like a spider that produced fluorescent red silk? Scientists have made it happen! Finally, we'll discuss some amazing spider mothers and their incredible behaviors. 

The peat moss that I use:

In this episode, we'll discuss what it takes to create a good setup for a moisture dependent tarantula. 

To kick this one off, I discuss the final meeting of the Arachnid Appreciation Club, read some listener comments, and explore an article about the spider that makes the world's largest web.

Then, for our main topic, I offer some tips on how to explain to non-hobbyists why we have such large collections. 

With all that's going on in the world, why do politicians keep trying to pass laws banning exotic pet keeping? In this episode, we'll talk about some recent laws proposed to curb the keeping of exotics and discuss how, as a hobby, we can do better when it comes to how we present the tarantula hobby to the public. 

First, we'll discuss what to do if you think that you were sent the wrong tarantula species.

Then, I have had a LOT of folks ask for me to do an update on my Aphonopelma species, so here goes! When last we checked in on these slow-growers, it was 2023. In this episode, I'll discuss their growth and appearances. 

Often, when I post videos of spiders other than tarantulas, I get comments like, "They're pretty, but they don't live long" or "That's nice, but I don't keep true spiders." In some instances, the animal that I'm showing off is a) very long lived and b) not a tarantula OR a true spider. Many are not aware of the difference or what to expect from both of these groups.

In this episode, I attempt to break down the differences between spiders in the infraorders Mygalomorphae and Araneomporphae and share my experiences keeping species from both. I will also touch upon the suborder Mesothelae. 

NOTE: This list is NOT comprehensive and is only meant to be a quick crash course on this topic! 

First, we'll hear some listener feedback.

Then, we held our second Arachnid Appreciation Club meeting at my school, and it went great. I'll talk a bit about what we did and my plans for the future.

Finally, (28:00) in this new feature, I'll talk about a species of tarantula that I think gets unfairly ignored. In our first episode of "Worth a Second Look," we'll be discussing the Hysterocrates gigas or "Cameroon Red Baboon."  

When making my rehousing videos, I often talk about what behaviors I expect from the spiders as they settle in. However, I often forget to follow up and update folks on how they are getting on. In this episode, we'll take a look at some recently rehoused spiders as I discuss their behaviors in their new enclosures. 

It's season 8! And to kick it off, we'll discuss a new paper that examines the symptoms of a Poecilotheria species bite.

Then, I'm often asked what the "best starter arboreal" spider is. Although the popular answer is usually an Avicularia or Caribena species, folks still seem to struggle with their care. This got me to thinking...how do the other popular arboreal genera compare when you look at ease of care, temperament, and behaviors? In this episode, we'll take a look!

First off, we'll read an article that discusses the successful reintroduction of a previously endangered spider species in Europe. Next, we'll hear some listener feedback.

Then...feeding is one of the most entertaining and rewarding aspects of the hobby. In this episode, I'll discuss the 8 spiders that I enjoy feeding the most. 

So, I recently posted a video on YouTube discussing the tarantula species I've found to be the most defensive. Although I tried to think of an Old World species that gave me a difficult time, I didn't have a single one on the list. I knew that this was going to be shocking for some, but I wasn't expecting to be called "biased" when it came to how I present Old World behaviors. In this episode, I will discuss how and why my opinions on Old Worlds have changed over the years, and do some soul searching as I consider the message I am putting out. 

Check out the video here! 

First, we had our first Arachnid Appreciation Club at my school, and I'll share a bit about my preparation for it.

Then, I have people message me to ask which "giant" tarantula species they should start with. In this episode, I'll compare the genera with the most massive spiders: Lasiodora, Phormictopus, Pamphobeteus, Xenesthis, and Theraphosa.

First, we discuss some feedback from last week's episode (and the fact that I had JUST covered this topic in September!).

Then, I get asked all the time which species are the most visible out of the ones that I keep. Now that it's been several years since I last covered this topic, I have some new ones to add.

Crazy bolting. Hair kicking. Threat postures. Slapping at the ground. In this episode, I'll discuss the five most defensive (notice that I didnt' say "aggressive") tarantula species I have raised...plus a couple alternates. In each case, this time I will discuss how, in many instances, I was at fault for the behaviors. 

Happy New Year! First, we have a few species name changes to discuss. Then, we'll talk about four new tarantula species identified found in India's Western Ghat Mountains. After that, we have some listener comments from last week's episode.

Finally…

"How am I supposed to get experience with old world tarantula speed if I'm being told not to keep them?" The question of "experience" comes up quite a bit in hobby discussions. Can folks successfully keep tarantulas without having much first hand experience? Sure. But is first-hand experience vital to a tarantula keeper? Absolutely. In this video, we'll discuss the type of experience and why, in the end, hands-on experience is so important for the developing keeper. 

First, we'll discuss an article in Forbes about the four tarantulas that are traded on the illegal pet market.

Then, it's the Tarantula Test Part IV...sort of. In this episode, we'll discuss ten common scenarios in which we try to determine what mistake the keeper might have made.

Happy New Year, all! 

First, we discuss some comments from last week's episode.

Then, we'll take a look at the most asked tarantula questions in 2024. Happy Holidays, All! 

I have to be honest; if someone told me years ago that we'd still be arguing over the best temperatures for tarantulas in 2024, I would have been shocked. However, after posting my winter episode, some folks made some negative comments about keeping tarantulas in the lower range, indicating that this debate is still very much alive. In this episode, we will discuss why having temps dip a bit in the winter is not bad for your spiders, and examine why keepers fail to recognize that many of the species we keep experience MUCH lower temps in the wild. 

First, we discuss some comments I received about handling tarantulas.

Then, winter is upon us! Now that the temps are getting cooler and the heat is pumping, we may need to consider making some changes for the frigid winter months. In this episode, we'll discuss some tips for keeping your tarantulas safe during the winter.

Below are links to some of the heating products mentions in this podcast. These are ONLY suggestions. Be sure to do research to see what works best for you! 

DeLonghi Radiator Heater

Lifesmart Infrared Heater

Humidifier (evaporative)

Ultratherm Heat Pads

After years of tarantula handling falling out of vogue, it seems that more and more folks are now holding their eight-legged wards. Why the change? In this episode, we'll break down why there is a resurgence in this practice and discuss the pros and cons of handling vs. not handling.