Thank you for talking about not buying wild caught tarantulas! Buying wild caught is such a strange concept - for other species types, it's super frowned upon (and often illegal!), and yet with inverts it seems so normal! I refuse to buy any of my inverts from places that sell wild caught animals! Great video! 🕷🕸
It's often not that black and white, I am in an ark project trying to breed some species of scorpion, for conservation and also for the hobby so we'll be able to keep them as pets without getting them from the wild. ATM nobody managed to breed them so rn there are only wild catches around.
@@tyto_alba6983 conservation purposes are different. I keep parrots, the majority of which are rescues. I would never dream of having or recommending a wild caught parrot! It's extremely frowned upon to take birds and mammals from the wild so we should be upholding the same ethics for other species groups too!
I love this, especially the focus on husbandry. I keep seeing people say they don't need much space, but my OBT has an enclosure "larger than he needs" and I've never had any defensive behavior out of him. I think a lot of the super defensive behavior people see comes from inadequate housing.
I love nothing more to spoil my pet spiders I have jumping spiders and turantulas I try my best to change or add things they like depend on their behaviour how they chill or sleep and try make it as safe and also wild like as possible
This is not the first time I've seen this sentiment expressed about OBT housing. The thing is, why wouldn't we want to give an animal more space than it needs? For a dog or a cat, that's often a point of pride for owners. Why shouldn't it be for tarantulas? I have started keeping my spiders in enclosures that would traditionally have been described the same way: more space than needed. You know what? I've seen them use all that space. Same with water dishes: I've seen each of my spiders use a water bowl, at least once. And for something like that, once is enough to convince me it's worth doing all the time.
You bring up an interesting point that I hadn't considered. I have an "electric blue" chilobrachys that acts like a brachypelma. She doesn't dart or hide all day. She sits rather confidently on a fully webbed enclosure, that is pretty big. Even when I open the lid, for water, or feeding, she stays still, with no threat displays or indication that I bother her. I usually attributed it to my winning personality (jk) but the enclosure size may have something to it.
Loved hearing you talk about being cognizant of how other people in the home may feel about arachnids. I haven't even kept my first T yet because I've been keeping jumpers which started out as my way of getting everyone in my house more comfortable with arachnids. Now everyone is in love with the jumpers and I see tarantulas on the horizon (:
My dad has been afraid of spiders for years. I helped show him how they are generally peaceful animals and he finally held a jumping spider a couple months ago. Now he is on board with getting some Ts!
You're raising some pretty good points here. I have always subscribed to the same ideas as most tarantula keepers that tarantulas do not think or learn and only respond instinctively. But a while back I was watching one of my Ts burrow. It dug some substrate out, carried it to the opposite corner of it's enclosure, and came straight back to continue digging. It carried on doing this for several hours. And I was left wondering. If they can not think or learn at all, how was it capable of dumping each batch of substrate on the exact same spot and walk straight back to it's burrow time after time without ever getting lost or even slightly disoriented.
I've been keeping since 1993 when I got one as a birthday present, and I totally agree with your enrichment and all the points. I have had 2 ladies live with me over 20 years, they are wonderful and I have becoming more sophisticated in my husbandry. The information available now is incredible. We have to evolve Edit: I am just a custodian to my tarantulas, not a breeder or professional
i love that you mention going into nature to collect materials for enclosures going to the beach and collecting driftwood for my snake cages is such an amazing way to get large pieces that will support them when they climb and bask without breaking the bank and as long as they are clean and not sharp it’s just as good as anything i could buy at the pet shop in my opinion
One of my favorite research projects about tarantula intelligence is the discovery of the strange behavior they develop when their needs are met. A completely fulfilled tarantula (one with all their food, shelter, and heat needs met) will develop behavioral syndromes that manifest as behaviors that have no real impact upon the spiders health/shelter/safety. They just kinda do it to do it. Things like moving their decor around for no reason or studying the objects in their enclosure with their fangs. These tarantulas also show a substantial decrease in defensive behavior and are more responsive to food. It’s something many arthropods will actually develop under ideal conditions.
Keeping all my animals in naturalistic enclosures, it's very interesting to see for example my p. ornata is moving branches to scare roaches underneath and force them to leave their hide. Or my sun tiger walking around its enclosure at night. There's much to see if there's a lot of enrichment. Also my geckos and snakes are very vivid and my cornsnakes are already 18 years old and still perfectly fit
Late to the party with this video but I had to comment as you raised super important points that everyone should be willing to listen to! Husbandry/setup has always been a big thing for me with all pets, but especially T’s. I see so many people say that no T needs a space bigger than 30x30x30cm because ‘they will never use it’… and whilst that may be true for some T’s.. if you actually spend time watching their behaviour and patterns, you’ll find that a lot do and would use a lot more space than that. For example, at the moment I only have 10 T’s.. all of the adults are in 45x45x30cm enclosures.. and all but one use every single inch of it! The one that doesn’t use the space I’m thinking of downsizing as he just doesn’t seem to be thriving in that size.. but all the others prove time after time that if you provide the space/enrichment and a good layout, they will utilise it all! I often find the same when it comes to arboreal/terrestrial/burrowing species. I try to provide a mix of everything in all my enclosures. All of my T’s are terrestrial, however I provide deep enough substrate for them to burrow (which majority of them do).. and logs and sticks for them to climb (safely with substrate raised higher towards the back so there’s nowhere to fall) and again, most utilise those opportunities. Also fully agree with the wild caught sentiment. There is absolutely no need in this day & age to be selling wild caught. Different subject matter if it’s for conservation efforts and to re-release.. but for the pet trade - absolutely not. There is more than enough captive breds to continue the Tarantula hobby without needing to bring in more, no matter how cool new species might be
as someone that just recently got into the hobby this is a great video! definitely agree with you when you talked about enclosure size. I've caught so much flax for keeping some of mine in bigger enclosures then "needed" but I've notice a lot after rehoming and adding some LED lights they come out and explore a lot more. I fully believe they learn patterns my Homoeomma chilensis, Hapalopus sp. Columbia and Brachypelma emilia will all come out and wait to to be given food every Saturday and not just randomly come out they will come out with in an hour give or take before the typical time I usually feed. no doubt in my mind and this is my opinion that they are by far more intelligent then we believe or give credit there is a reason they have been around for 20 million years. like people hate on the idea of giving some species Ping-Pong balls because they thing its an egg sac only so what they seem to like it and interact with it and there is no proof that it hurts anything do why not what does it hurt i think in time we will learn a lot more surprising and mind blowing facts about them we never imagined.
Thank you Richard, for speaking out loud 🎉 I agree with you! I do keep so called „boring“ species. My dream is a Brachypelma project, to safe the several species - as I’m in Europe, I can’t bring them out to the wild. But we can breed popular species to keep people from taking it out of the wild. I‘m a long time keeper, my enclosures are naturalistic and not squeeky clean. I’m interested in their real living and what they do… Maybe I‘ll have success to breed several Brachypelma species, future will tell… Love your content, Richard 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
About a year and a half ago I made a comment thanking you for what you do, me being a pet store worker and all. Now, my boss just hands me the form for tarantula orders and tells me go at it. If not for you I wouldnt be able to give people information they never knew, and I wouldnt be where I am in my tarantula knowledge. So thank you again. :)
8:00 Sooo true, many tarantulas are hardy but too many people use that as an excuse to abuse and/or neglect them and people really should not do that with any animal.
Very good points all of these and I hope at least the majority of keepers will agree with you! Personally I was a reptile keeper who also got curious about tarantulas and it was a very weird experience to see bare bones keeping and smaller enclosures getting recommended for Ts.
The best thing to do before doing any hobby or getting into anything, is to research it thoroughly. If at any point you're thinking 'This is not for me,' that's the point to walk away.
I get so stoked to find new things to change up babies’s enclosures. I find mine are spending more time just out and about when they have more space and natural environment. I know that they can’t reciprocate my feelings but I still tell them they are beautiful and find joy in caring for them.
I like using sterilite tubs for my tropical inverts, but I also like to use cork bark, moss and leaf litter as well as cleanup crews. I feel like a lot of people just use them as a mud box and call it a day, though.
I think the main thing keeping any hobby involving animals back is how toxic people can be to ways of keeping them that are different from their own. Ive had people walk up to me, only to straight tell me to my face that they have no belief in what i do and that all my animals will die and walk off again. My boyfriends mom has started to come around though, and has asked for advice or thoughts on her setup based on my experience and i think seeing the results with her own stuff has helped a lot.
I agree that poaching is bad, however, keeping them in captivity is also a way to prolong and expand those animals numbers as natural habitats are getting destroyed on the daily. I agree that, as a tarantula breeder and seller, the market is driven by money and that is something I personally consider secondary to keeping healthy numbers both in the hobby and in the wild, but that is why my tarantula business has always remained small and I don't offer new species, but rather aim to get breeding pairs that can be used to increase the captive bred numbers.
My P. metallica responds to their enclosure being opened by making themselves more noticeable and waiting for a treat. It's one of my favorite tarantulas to feed because it's so polite.
I love watching your show with my grandsons, they love this show & Dave's beasties. Thank you for teaching & for being a channel I can watch with my grandsons. It nice not to have to worry about what we are watching
One of the best ways to preserve a species with conservation efforts are to have fully trained and fully licensed scientists try to breed any wild specimens they have picked up for further study. Try to get more than a few egg sacs, and once those hatch; then release atleast 30% of the slings to the wild along with all the wild specimens still in their care at the places where they were picked up. The remaining slings could then be used as breeding stock and passed on into the hobby. After the first generation of breeding has been done, then any additional breeding done with wild specimens should have over 75% of slings returned to the wild alongside the wild specimens.
The first one is something you could probably do a whole 2 hr podcast on, it’s such a complex subject! I admit, when I see a new species, I want it. However, I do wait for captive bred slings to be available before I get them. I don’t think it’s wrong to take a few pairs from the wild, and breed them in captivity. I think this helps prevent poaching, for the hobby. I participate in the Tarantula Sustainment Project. Conservation should always come first. As far as prices go, the most I’ve paid for 1 tarantula was 600, for a sub adult female O. Phan cay Red. I have a male and I hope to make some babies! I’ve paid hundreds, for many species, this is the most expensive hobby I’ve ever had in my life! I am envious of Europeans who pay far less than we do, for most species. Totally agree with the last one, and that podcast with Ryan was fantastic!
Counterpoint; breeding inverts in captivity has saved some species that would have otherwise died out due to habitat loss. Furthermore, we have no right to tell another country not to harvest their natural resources, so conservation is well and good as lip service, but it solves absolutely nothing if a specific rainforest is being cut down in a country outside of yours with laws, culture, and ethics that are different or even opposite of yours. Further, because of this, it is within the hobby's interest, not to mention our ethical duty, to propagate a species outside of its native home whenever said home is being destroyed, regardless of what the home country's wishes are. Yes, I am making this opposing argument knowing there's a double standard here, simply because that same exact double standard is on display in this video (inversed of course). It's essentially telling a country it needs to do what we say because "we like little bugs and we want you to stop cutting down the forests they live in (which make up a large percentage of your GDP) because we say so. Can't you just like...work at Starbucks or Walmart?" which I realize is a juvenile way to describe it, but ultimately it's an incredibly naïve worldview with much more complexity than anyone cares to admit.
Pretty much all well developed countries have already destroyed the majority of their resources that are useable to humans. Look at old growth forest % in the USA, or brigalow reduction in Australia.
Great video, Richard! I've always felt very strongly that if we humans choose to get a pet of any kind, we should be doing everything within our ability to give them the best life possible. They didn't choose to be born/bred so we should give them every bit of care possible. I currently have 5 Ts and they all got much larger homes after they matured enough for extra space. Every time I get a new T, reptile, or invertebrate, I obverse them for weeks with minimal intervention to see how they adjust. I've changed enclosure sizes and setups for several critters after realizing they seem to want something different. More height to climb or borrow, various hide sizes or multiple locations to make their own, etc. It's a chance to get creative and uncover that animal's individual personality. We humans just have to be smart enough and invest the time to ensure we meet our furry/cold-blooded/exoskeleton friends' needs. Ts definitely aren't for everyone! I actually got my first bc I had terrible arachnophobia but I felt so guilty for killing spiders in my home. I imagined, while tears streamed down my face from fear, that they must be petrified of this insane giant attacking them. I mean, can you imagine?! I knew that if I bought a T I would force myself to get over my fear to care for it bc only a monster would buy an animal, knowing it's completely dependent on you, and let it suffer. After a few weeks, I fell in love. Giving my animals comfortable homes that allow them to thrive ended up being so good for my mental health. Especially during covid! Being surrounded by enclosures full of nature is awesome! That's a very long-winded way of saying I agree completely. We take for granted all these amazing animals we share Earth with when they do so much to keep our ecosystem in check.
A big no no...is never breed different species together!! No hybrids or that will muk up the hobby and species in general. Nothing would be 100% anymore and especially rare and endangered species...we must protect them
I'm still relatively new to the hobby and I enjoy going to the expos. I went to a reptile expo several weeks ago (I won't name the expo) and there was a vendor there, I've seen this man at several other expos, and I asked if the particular tarantulas were wild caught or captive bred. He never for sure gave me an answer except to tell me it really didn't matter either way. He seemed almost offended that I asked. He was talking to me, I assume, like he thought I knew nothing, like I had not done any research. Thanks to you, and several others, I will always do my own research, never impulse buy, and try to buy captive bred animals.
I started keeping and breeding Ts way back in the mid 90's. After a long break, it is very obvious to me how much has changed. I love the message promoting the continued growth amd adaptation of husbandry methods!
I got one outrageous idea (from the perspective of a pet snake keeper, but there's overlap in attitudes): Listen to the experiences and observations of newbies. Yes, when a tarantula or snake is the first pet that isn't a dog, cat, or rabbit, a new keeper will most likely misread their new pet's behaviors. But don't dismiss them entirely without listening first. Someone new looks at the animal with unbiased eyes and notes small things that experienced keepers might have forgotten about and that now, with more knowledge, appear in a new context. And a pet keeper who observes their one to maximal five pets and interacts with them will see and experience completely different things than someone who keeps 200 snakes in racks. This isn't a commentary on racks vs terrariums. It's just a fact that someone who collects and/or breeds with a large number of animals can't logistically have the same interactions for the same amount of time as someone who keeps one or two pets. When a pet keeper spends up to several hours a day observing and interacting with the same animal, they'll see learning and bonding results that someone who logistically can give one animal only a couple of minutes a day to make sure it's warm, fed, and healthy. I roll my eyes when one of us pet keepers share an observation and we're dismissed (often rudely) with, "Well, I've kept 50 snakes for years and I haven't seen this, you're talking bullshit, can't read the behavior correctly, or are making things up!" It's a shame because I see posts and comments from many pet keepers who had their pet for 1-3 years that are actually interesting when we don't dismiss them right away. I think we'd know much more about uncommon animals and their learning (and even bonding) potential if we a) stopped taking the bonding/learning behavior of a dog or cat as the one true definition of bonding/learning and b) collected the experiences made by people who interact with their animals daily and who happily share their observations (often with picture- or video footage) for free Especially since official science criminally neglects reptiles and inverts. There'd be a much larger sample size in a much shorter time if old school, new school, and amateurs without tunnel vision pooled their knowledge and impressions together. Yes, there'd still be many anecdotes and misunderstandings and misreadings but I'd be willing to bet money on there being a lot of overlapping experiences that are regularly dismissed as bullshit or anthropomorphization because of the completely different context.
Absolutely this the amount of people that say “reptiles can’t bond that’s you anthropomorphizing them” are all over. For context I worked in animal medicine and as one who raised a tegu from a hatchling I can absolutely state reptiles have the ability to form complex bonds as well as emotions. We are now seeing the same with snakes. Turns out all animals are more complex then we once perceived! Was it our ignorance or was it just species bias that only humans can feel these things/have these emotional capabilities? I don’t know, but one thing is for sure the behavior I observed is NOT the same behaviors as what people list them as. Just for further complexities we know birds can form intense bonds they aren’t too far off from reptiles just look at their claws. To state we grossly underestimate most creatures because of our own pompous attitude is an understatement. Maybe one day there will be a comprehensive abstract that challenges that status quo, but until then I will kindly remind people humans are animals we do not get a monopoly on intelligence/behavior. All animals show a level of care and complexity the only question is do we as people care enough to learn THEIR language.
I bought a new tarantula that I'd wanted for several years, spent a lot on making elaborate enclosure, spent some time decorating and arranging it just so, and then she bulldozed the entire thing and made an enormous web mat that covered the entire enclosure. I'd agree that we shouldn't skimp on enclosures, but at the same time, I'm not sure that it's worth stressing too much over.
I remember some 20odd years ago, when I had a green bottle blue, a brachypelma albopilosum and one other one (that i can't remember the name) I saw the P.metallica. I finally got one when i went back to getting into the hobby. The brazialian Jewel you showed is stunning, but it appears it might be a long time before they can be owned (if ever) I agree with enrichment though, hell even my Dubia have enrichment and they are just feeders. (cork bark, spaghnum moss a leaf pile they like to run around in.... and a good layer of soil mix. Your videos are great, I just joined your FB group, but haven't posted, since there are more impressive animals being shown off lol Keep up the great work!
"theyre worse than cats with reciprocating love!" my cats follow me to the bathroom, sleep under my legs, have separation anxiety, watch tv with me, etc etc. cats are not asocial psychopaths like everyone believes for w/e reason
Oh man, #4 is so hard to explain to some people. My B. Klaasi cost a bit over $150 and people lose their minds over "you spent HOW MUCH on a SPIDER??". Tarantulas are. Not. Cheap. And they're only "cheaper" online because live shipping is a fortune (understandably so). Anyway, gorgeous shots of your T's, and thank you so much for putting out a video of this nature.
I noticed my arizona blonde liked to hang out on one specific leaf. I rearrange her enclosure to put more into it and moved that leave to a different part of the enclosure. It's still her favorite spot
I think giving them the best is all we can strive for. Be it food or enclosure just try your best, like you said they can pack a punch if they choose to. I dont handle any of my tarantula's yet do with my snakes. 😅
'They're worse than cats' when it comes to affection, WOAH don't come for the cats! Ahaha, they give loads of affection :P but really good points, also really enjoyed your latest podcast discussion.
@@amicaaranearum You have to earn a cat's affection, but once you earn it they often follow you around and want loads of cuddles. They have standards ;)
I'm new to the channel but not to the hobby.Back in the 90s I had tarantulas but then got out of it and thinking about getting back into it. Miss my tarantulas. All been fascinated with spiders since a kid.Really enjoy your channel and all the great information.I'm guilty of all the old ways of thinking like the sponge in the water dish or putting a heat rock in the typical 5 gallon aquarium with coarse screen top.Thank you for the great videos.🕷️
I love your video. they pumped me up to have more than 1 tarantula. I went out and bought my first 2 tarantulas in the last 3 days and I am considering putting them in the coffin crib and was wondering do you think I can keep a June in a large coffin. I hate the idea of having to buy twice.
Great video as always! Do you have a rough idea how many spiders are in your collection? Those enclosures in the background look amazing across that wall!
I have an LP and barely handle it, the only time I will hold it is when I'm taking it out to clean up the enclosure, then I will have a hold while sat on the floor. They shouldn't be handled much more than that as it's not only a potential danger to the tarantula but observing them in their enclosure is so much more interesting, I sit there for ages just watching it do it's thing
I was already a fan of your content. I haven’t gotten my first tarantula yet but I will soon and your commentary and belief on the ethics of this hobby has made me a subscriber for life. Appreciate you and everything you do!
Hey, I have just been musing over a few different online stores, and I really noticed carried MOSTLY wild caught Ts...I halted immediately as worried about their health and temperament. I honestly believe taking a wild one right into captivity and expecting it to be the same as captive bred is ludicrous. Why would it be any different than with a mammal? Stress is obvious in mammals but just because we do not yet know how to accurately understand the psychology of a creature does not mean that it does not exist. Anyway, the selections I found were vast snd pricing tempting, I am a little wary. Great informative video!! Thanks!
I just picked up a curly hair yesterday. A kids pet since october. Bought by his dad, but mom had to care for it and was very anxious. I'm for 20+ years in the herp hobby now, keeping snakes myself mainly, but it gives me a heavy heart pets are sold to people who really don't have any clue how to keep them. Luckily this mom really tried even though she was really afraid, and tried to find a new home for it and people tag me.
My wife started off arachnophobic but she got over it (mostly) because of T’s. She still doesn’t like ones with spindly legs like black widows, but bigger and hairier is just fine.
I disagree with the idea that new species should not be in the hobby, as government agencies often claim to care about conservation, but most of the laws that restrict the keeping of certain species are actually counter productive. I definitely do think that keeping wild caught animals should be limited to experienced keepers with the goal of establishing a captive bred population. Wild caught animals should not be caught just to be pets.
I've had my elvira (b.hamorii 4" ls) for a year now in a horizontal (24x12x10) enclosure with half of it covered as a shaded portion. When shes hungry, she walks up to the same spot in the area thats unshaded and waits to be fed. Three times now i've switched areas where i drop her crickets, and after about 2 crickets, she comes to the spot shes being fed at most. Shes also got her "fuck off" spot where she goes when i know shes not hungry or not in a interactive mood. Furthermore, i play piano close to her enclosure, and she often comes to the nearest part of the glass and sits there watching ( i assume she senses the vibrations) in a mesmerized manner. I've noticed that she also has good and bad days, where shes more fiesty, and days when she has no issue. Also, watching her faceplant into her waterdish to drink is the funniest thing ive ever seen, and shes been guilty of piercing 2 of her plastic waterdishes ( she now has a clay one). Best decision i made was buying her, and both my girlfriend and roommate, who had "arachnophobia" have gotten over it and consider her "kinda cute". Theres one thing about me and elvira tho, both me and her are happy with no physical contact whatsoever. Love her to death but im never gonna handle her. That way, theres a form of mutual respect.
Love this video (like all of yours) ! I am very new to the hobby (and only plan on having my two T’s ) but I so enjoy learning and growing from experienced keepers like yourself 😀 thank you for putting these videos together
If tarantula cribs would be sold at a regular retailer, I would buy more of their products. But, the cost of the enclosure, shipping, substrate, and "enrichment" can add up. I have 2 T's in sterelite tubs right now. They are doing fine in there.
they are getting there. Some local pet shops around the country are carrying them, as is snake discovery's store and Bio Dude I believe. Everytime I got to a reptile expo there are a lot of tables carrying them as well...so you can find them for sale there.
Excellent video! Tarantulas fascinate me. We have wild tarantulas here in Central Texas that come to visit from time to time. I always escort them back into the wild rather than try to keep them as pets, though, because I agree that wild tarantulas belong in their ecosystem. I’m not sure if I’d even want to keep a tarantula as a pet; while I love watching them, I’m more a hands-on kind of pet person. I like pets I can cuddle with. I’m not sure any tarantula is ready to cuddle with me…
Good points made. How I see it is, I love the Artic wolf but I'm not gonna build a enclosure and stuff it in my house for an artic wolf cause I like it. Some need too think what's practical not what's enjoyable
My O. Violaceopes or Singapore Blue has proven to have a good memory. Last year it escaped while I was away for 3 days. When I returned she reappered in the evening a few inches near the enclosure and directly aligned to the height level of its enclosures opening. If the door was left opened, it might probably entered back. Also, it was smart enough to jump and pushed its weight against the magnetic lid of its enclosure to get out probably to hunt food. She is huge and heavy more than 6 inches then and more than 7 inches now.
I’ve only ever bought one that was most likely part of a “brown bag operation” and was definitely WC. But, I purchased it to rescue it from the pet store that had it in extremely poor conditions. Always try to buy CB
on point 2. i have wanted a T for years and it wasn't until this year my S/o was conformable with the idea of getting one. We also are considering our 2 dogs and the space we have where we could dedicate that as a T set up. our dogs are little and one mistake could lead to the death of a dog and/or the T. Plus the hairs aren't the best for the dogs as well as it isn't good for the T to interact with our dogs too. It has to be safe and comfortable for all living things in the house. (We are probably a year to two years out from being able to responsibly own a T.)
I want to improve my husbandry. I have only ever had 1 T. She’s a p. Metallica. I need to get her into an adult enclosure, but I have no idea where to start, where to get a good hide or substrate or anything like that. And I need to get her enrichment. I just don’t know where to start. I want to get her a big enclosure. Thanks for talking about these things! And thanks for your recommendations! I really want to give her the best enclosure I can get! This gives me some places to start.
I really love spoiling all my creatures, even my arachnids. Ultimately, it's going to be in my room/house, so of course it should be a work or art and beautiful with decor. Of course, it's just good enrichment
Tarantulas - Gotta catch em all! J/K. Captive bred vs wild caught was a thing in reptiles ages ago. Interesting to see cooler heads prevail in the Tarantula hobby
One thing I've always been curious about is: I know there are some species that are more plentiful in the hobby than they are in the wild. Do breeders work with governments maybe about releasing some of their babies back into their native habitats in the wild? Seems to me that something like that could go a long way for wild species' conservation efforts. Edit to add: I am not a keeper at all. It's just something I was always curious about.
I wish the links were in the comments by the time I'm done watching the video, I can't locate where the link was posted without re-watching it all over again. Sigh..love your channel.
Links are all in the description. Click the "show more" or "read more" or whatever it says now to that effect. It is in-between the video and the comment section. All the links are there. 😊
Great informative video as always Richard. Honestly. I don't add new species to my "Tarantula wishlist" because many.. well all of them so far have been tropical and tropical species are difficult with where I live. And in reality I knocked my list down to tarantulas that can survive in the environment of the area I live. Yeah it knocks out a lot of tarantulas but I won't have to stress out or wonder if I am doing the right care. Though there is one tropical species that I really really want that I have been researching the care of like crazy. But besides that one tropical species the rest are made up of those that are desert to low humidity needs. I don't want to buy wild caught either. It is just too risky because you never know what that tarantula has been exposed to or diseases it may be carrying. Last thing I want is to have a disease outbreak in my collection. So wild caught is a big no on my end. I don't care if it is a species I really want. I'll keep looking for a captive bred and pay the higher price. My parents aren't cool with having tarantulas in their home, I am a caregiver to my dad who is a disabled vet and my mom has a chronic form of arthritis, but lately their minds have been changing with my photos I show them. My dad often asks how I have their enclosures set up, which he has never done before. Lol I do give my tarantulas enrichment, I used to work at the zoo so I want nice enclosures that provides what my tarantulas need. Webbing spots, hides, plants and what not. So yes I take a look at what other people are doing enclosure wise. Lately my curly hair has been excavating these intricate tunnel burrows and to see what my tarantula will do I have placed a few more fake plants to see how he will construct his tunnels.. and to help keep the burrows from collapsing as well.
Hey Richard! Thank you always for the valuable advice and information! If you read this comment can you please help me with what things or objects I can add to my enclosures for enrichment? I appreciate it!!
Accountability, how rare. No fingers pointed at others, progressive thinking... This is my favorite video of yours so far. I particularly like number 1. I love all the new tarantulas that keep getting discovered, monthly, but, I'd rather wait until a science team bred a couple specimens taken from a massive population, thus, not harming the ecosystem by removing scores of them. Once the science peeps do their thing, it's only a couple years until the hobbyists can. Impatience is a big part of it, not saying you, but in general, it is what I see. Keep up the great work!
My 2 1/2/ 3 inch Avic Avic is in a 12x12x15 from a large critter keeper that i got her in. A bunch of people said shell freak out, and die of shock because its too large. News flash for those people; She continues her nightly patrols and does the typical terrestrial shit on the front glass. Nothing has changed except that she now has 4 times the amount of walking room to stretch her little pink toesies and a proper door to shit all over. 😂 I really think giving slightly larger enclosures with tons of opportunity to explore is nice for them. Cromwell seems to enjoy it.
I got 13 princess T's with big enclosure, a spot for hot lamp, a colder spot, plenty of places to climb & web and the better part ? every time i open their enclosure they know it's either for changing water or feeding and react consistantly by showing up or hiding. Following every podcast and it's extremly interessant !
Awesome this is what I've been waiting to hear about Tarantulas since I was 18, I'm 55 now. Tarantulas are smart. I have gotten hurt less from Tarantulas than any other pet i've ever had !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TARANTULA DADDY
The most aggressive spider ibhave owned was an A. Seemani. I rescued her from a home with several children. She would chase my tongs or paintbrush and try to bite ME. I believe she was abused by those children, and she associated people with danger. She finally started to settle down in her last 2 years, but i would never even consider handling her.
I love how you mention wives and girlfriends 😂 meanwhile on my dating profile I had photos of me catching wild snakes and holding Ts and one of my first questions was "are you afraid of these things?" You would not believe how many dudes were horrified!!! Hold out hope guys, there's bad-A women out there I promise 🖤
my second question is that I really like the Indian ornamental and the out but as a beginner I was wondering if I am going way above my head right now. My heart and mind is telling me that I am ready for the challenge but I did want to ask folks with more experience. my first 2 are the Arizona Blonde female Juvie and the Mexican Fire legs. is the size of thumb nail.
Tbh regarding wild caught, I'd say it's pretty valid if the species is just almost impossible to breed in captivity. 2:49 my tarantula learned to tolerate my annoying ass constantly opening her bin for 20 pictures (shes in the same position in all of them)
I don't particularly agree that the days of steralight boxes and tubes are over , as long as the environment is right for the tarantula it won't care what it looks like . But other than that you breing up some excellent points . One that's not relevant in the US but over here they are so cheap people end up with huge collections in a couple of months and start running into problems .
Great video though I would like to offer alternative perspectives for certain things. First and foremost wild caught animals are slippery slope because it can be detrimental to wild populations, some animals become too stressed to survive importation and crash after a couple weeks or even a couple months and they often come in sick or carrying parasites but with all that being said limited importation is important for most animals. The fact is that without responsible keepers importing these animals to establish captive breeding programs we can lose these animals completely to habitat loss or collection for the food trade or even alternative medicine practices. We have to be responsible with it of course but part of that is to stop allowing people to undercut the captive bred market or stop people from charging a premium for captive bred specimens. Either way it comes down to a capitalistic approach that needs to be stopped. My other point is about people being afraid of certain animals and that being a reason not to keep them, while respecting fear is the right thing to do the easiest way to turn that fear into fascination and curiosity is exposure and knowledge. My fiancee was scared of touching snakes until meeting me and my animals and now she will hold my LTC red tail boa without any fear. She was creeped out by scorpions until i came home with a couple species I had wanted when i kept scorpions as a teen and after a day she now watches them eat and thinks they are kind of adorable. It's all about healthy, respectful education and exposure. Threads of trust and positive experiences can turn a fear into genuine passion.
I thought spending more on the husbandry of the spiders was common. The spiders themselves is a one time cost while replacing plants etc in your tanks is continious cost. My T's are kind of obsessed with savaging whatever plants i put in their tanks. Even my calmer critters are prone to destruction.
I have given all 6 of my spiders including slings larger sized enclosures than recommended and each one of them seems to enjoy the space and will use it. Spiders exhibit some fascinating behaviors when we recreate their habitats.
There are many species that would be extinct if they didnt have a captive population established at their discovery though, I just think that if you are going to buy a wild caught animal you MUST breed it to help establish a captive population and especially if its one that doesnt have a captive population yet. The white cloud mountain minnow is a fish that went extinct or very nearly in the wild, luckily they were pretty and got into the aquarium hobby where they are now a very common pet fish that is easily bred.
The idea of a White List (or Positive List) could potentially destroy the (and not only) Tarantula Hobby. There were discussions in Germany about that and as far as I know the EU is thinking about it. Petitions against it were signed at Czechian Reptile Shows.
My wife said no for 15 years. She had no issues with bearded dragon, snakes, roaches, isopods, etc. Spiders was the line. She recently said yes, and i dont force it on her. But, she now will sit and watch it with me lol.
Thank you for talking about not buying wild caught tarantulas! Buying wild caught is such a strange concept - for other species types, it's super frowned upon (and often illegal!), and yet with inverts it seems so normal! I refuse to buy any of my inverts from places that sell wild caught animals! Great video! 🕷🕸
It's often not that black and white, I am in an ark project trying to breed some species of scorpion, for conservation and also for the hobby so we'll be able to keep them as pets without getting them from the wild. ATM nobody managed to breed them so rn there are only wild catches around.
every species was wild caught at one point or another.
@@mikewaterfield3599 absolutely - doesn't make it right to continue though!
@@tyto_alba6983 conservation purposes are different. I keep parrots, the majority of which are rescues. I would never dream of having or recommending a wild caught parrot! It's extremely frowned upon to take birds and mammals from the wild so we should be upholding the same ethics for other species groups too!
@@BirdNerdSophie was not suggesting it was, only to say every animal was wild caught at some point even our most domesticated ones.
I love this, especially the focus on husbandry. I keep seeing people say they don't need much space, but my OBT has an enclosure "larger than he needs" and I've never had any defensive behavior out of him. I think a lot of the super defensive behavior people see comes from inadequate housing.
I love nothing more to spoil my pet spiders I have jumping spiders and turantulas I try my best to change or add things they like depend on their behaviour how they chill or sleep and try make it as safe and also wild like as possible
This is not the first time I've seen this sentiment expressed about OBT housing. The thing is, why wouldn't we want to give an animal more space than it needs? For a dog or a cat, that's often a point of pride for owners. Why shouldn't it be for tarantulas? I have started keeping my spiders in enclosures that would traditionally have been described the same way: more space than needed. You know what? I've seen them use all that space. Same with water dishes: I've seen each of my spiders use a water bowl, at least once. And for something like that, once is enough to convince me it's worth doing all the time.
You bring up an interesting point that I hadn't considered. I have an "electric blue" chilobrachys that acts like a brachypelma. She doesn't dart or hide all day. She sits rather confidently on a fully webbed enclosure, that is pretty big. Even when I open the lid, for water, or feeding, she stays still, with no threat displays or indication that I bother her. I usually attributed it to my winning personality (jk) but the enclosure size may have something to it.
Loved hearing you talk about being cognizant of how other people in the home may feel about arachnids. I haven't even kept my first T yet because I've been keeping jumpers which started out as my way of getting everyone in my house more comfortable with arachnids. Now everyone is in love with the jumpers and I see tarantulas on the horizon (:
My parents also said “no spiders or snakes” when I was growing up. Guess what my house is now full of. 😂 Anyway, great video Richard!
This is a tough kind of video to make in a positive way, while pushing against the status quo. You did it very well- great job!
I appreciate that!
My dad has been afraid of spiders for years. I helped show him how they are generally peaceful animals and he finally held a jumping spider a couple months ago. Now he is on board with getting some Ts!
You're raising some pretty good points here. I have always subscribed to the same ideas as most tarantula keepers that tarantulas do not think or learn and only respond instinctively. But a while back I was watching one of my Ts burrow. It dug some substrate out, carried it to the opposite corner of it's enclosure, and came straight back to continue digging. It carried on doing this for several hours. And I was left wondering. If they can not think or learn at all, how was it capable of dumping each batch of substrate on the exact same spot and walk straight back to it's burrow time after time without ever getting lost or even slightly disoriented.
I've been keeping since 1993 when I got one as a birthday present, and I totally agree with your enrichment and all the points. I have had 2 ladies live with me over 20 years, they are wonderful and I have becoming more sophisticated in my husbandry. The information available now is incredible. We have to evolve
Edit: I am just a custodian to my tarantulas, not a breeder or professional
i love that you mention going into nature to collect materials for enclosures going to the beach and collecting driftwood for my snake cages is such an amazing way to get large pieces that will support them when they climb and bask without breaking the bank and as long as they are clean and not sharp it’s just as good as anything i could buy at the pet shop in my opinion
One of my favorite research projects about tarantula intelligence is the discovery of the strange behavior they develop when their needs are met. A completely fulfilled tarantula (one with all their food, shelter, and heat needs met) will develop behavioral syndromes that manifest as behaviors that have no real impact upon the spiders health/shelter/safety. They just kinda do it to do it. Things like moving their decor around for no reason or studying the objects in their enclosure with their fangs. These tarantulas also show a substantial decrease in defensive behavior and are more responsive to food. It’s something many arthropods will actually develop under ideal conditions.
"Just because you love something doesn't mean you have to own it" is some deep relationship advice.
Keeping all my animals in naturalistic enclosures, it's very interesting to see for example my p. ornata is moving branches to scare roaches underneath and force them to leave their hide. Or my sun tiger walking around its enclosure at night. There's much to see if there's a lot of enrichment. Also my geckos and snakes are very vivid and my cornsnakes are already 18 years old and still perfectly fit
Late to the party with this video but I had to comment as you raised super important points that everyone should be willing to listen to!
Husbandry/setup has always been a big thing for me with all pets, but especially T’s. I see so many people say that no T needs a space bigger than 30x30x30cm because ‘they will never use it’… and whilst that may be true for some T’s.. if you actually spend time watching their behaviour and patterns, you’ll find that a lot do and would use a lot more space than that. For example, at the moment I only have 10 T’s.. all of the adults are in 45x45x30cm enclosures.. and all but one use every single inch of it!
The one that doesn’t use the space I’m thinking of downsizing as he just doesn’t seem to be thriving in that size.. but all the others prove time after time that if you provide the space/enrichment and a good layout, they will utilise it all! I often find the same when it comes to arboreal/terrestrial/burrowing species. I try to provide a mix of everything in all my enclosures. All of my T’s are terrestrial, however I provide deep enough substrate for them to burrow (which majority of them do).. and logs and sticks for them to climb (safely with substrate raised higher towards the back so there’s nowhere to fall) and again, most utilise those opportunities.
Also fully agree with the wild caught sentiment. There is absolutely no need in this day & age to be selling wild caught. Different subject matter if it’s for conservation efforts and to re-release.. but for the pet trade - absolutely not. There is more than enough captive breds to continue the Tarantula hobby without needing to bring in more, no matter how cool new species might be
as someone that just recently got into the hobby this is a great video! definitely agree with you when you talked about enclosure size. I've caught so much flax for keeping some of mine in bigger enclosures then "needed" but I've notice a lot after rehoming and adding some LED lights they come out and explore a lot more. I fully believe they learn patterns my Homoeomma chilensis, Hapalopus sp. Columbia and Brachypelma emilia will all come out and wait to to be given food every Saturday and not just randomly come out they will come out with in an hour give or take before the typical time I usually feed. no doubt in my mind and this is my opinion that they are by far more intelligent then we believe or give credit there is a reason they have been around for 20 million years. like people hate on the idea of giving some species Ping-Pong balls because they thing its an egg sac only so what they seem to like it and interact with it and there is no proof that it hurts anything do why not what does it hurt i think in time we will learn a lot more surprising and mind blowing facts about them we never imagined.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you Richard, for speaking out loud 🎉 I agree with you!
I do keep so called „boring“ species. My dream is a Brachypelma project, to safe the several species - as I’m in Europe, I can’t bring them out to the wild. But we can breed popular species to keep people from taking it out of the wild.
I‘m a long time keeper, my enclosures are naturalistic and not squeeky clean. I’m interested in their real living and what they do…
Maybe I‘ll have success to breed several Brachypelma species, future will tell…
Love your content, Richard 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
About a year and a half ago I made a comment thanking you for what you do, me being a pet store worker and all. Now, my boss just hands me the form for tarantula orders and tells me go at it. If not for you I wouldnt be able to give people information they never knew, and I wouldnt be where I am in my tarantula knowledge. So thank you again. :)
8:00 Sooo true, many tarantulas are hardy but too many people use that as an excuse to abuse and/or neglect them and people really should not do that with any animal.
Very good points all of these and I hope at least the majority of keepers will agree with you!
Personally I was a reptile keeper who also got curious about tarantulas and it was a very weird experience to see bare bones keeping and smaller enclosures getting recommended for Ts.
The best thing to do before doing any hobby or getting into anything, is to research it thoroughly. If at any point you're thinking 'This is not for me,' that's the point to walk away.
I think you dropped this 👑
I get so stoked to find new things to change up babies’s enclosures. I find mine are spending more time just out and about when they have more space and natural environment. I know that they can’t reciprocate my feelings but I still tell them they are beautiful and find joy in caring for them.
I like using sterilite tubs for my tropical inverts, but I also like to use cork bark, moss and leaf litter as well as cleanup crews. I feel like a lot of people just use them as a mud box and call it a day, though.
I think the main thing keeping any hobby involving animals back is how toxic people can be to ways of keeping them that are different from their own. Ive had people walk up to me, only to straight tell me to my face that they have no belief in what i do and that all my animals will die and walk off again. My boyfriends mom has started to come around though, and has asked for advice or thoughts on her setup based on my experience and i think seeing the results with her own stuff has helped a lot.
I agree that poaching is bad, however, keeping them in captivity is also a way to prolong and expand those animals numbers as natural habitats are getting destroyed on the daily. I agree that, as a tarantula breeder and seller, the market is driven by money and that is something I personally consider secondary to keeping healthy numbers both in the hobby and in the wild, but that is why my tarantula business has always remained small and I don't offer new species, but rather aim to get breeding pairs that can be used to increase the captive bred numbers.
My P. metallica responds to their enclosure being opened by making themselves more noticeable and waiting for a treat. It's one of my favorite tarantulas to feed because it's so polite.
I love watching your show with my grandsons, they love this show & Dave's beasties.
Thank you for teaching & for being a channel I can watch with my grandsons.
It nice not to have to worry about what we are watching
Amazing! I love this video! So many of my spiders seem to be curious about what's going around them.
One of the best ways to preserve a species with conservation efforts are to have fully trained and fully licensed scientists try to breed any wild specimens they have picked up for further study. Try to get more than a few egg sacs, and once those hatch; then release atleast 30% of the slings to the wild along with all the wild specimens still in their care at the places where they were picked up.
The remaining slings could then be used as breeding stock and passed on into the hobby.
After the first generation of breeding has been done, then any additional breeding done with wild specimens should have over 75% of slings returned to the wild alongside the wild specimens.
I’m lucky that my husband supports my interest in spiders. He even serves as a second set of eyes/hands when rehousing fast spiders.
The first one is something you could probably do a whole 2 hr podcast on, it’s such a complex subject! I admit, when I see a new species, I want it. However, I do wait for captive bred slings to be available before I get them. I don’t think it’s wrong to take a few pairs from the wild, and breed them in captivity. I think this helps prevent poaching, for the hobby. I participate in the Tarantula Sustainment Project. Conservation should always come first.
As far as prices go, the most I’ve paid for 1 tarantula was 600, for a sub adult female O. Phan cay Red. I have a male and I hope to make some babies! I’ve paid hundreds, for many species, this is the most expensive hobby I’ve ever had in my life! I am envious of Europeans who pay far less than we do, for most species.
Totally agree with the last one, and that podcast with Ryan was fantastic!
Counterpoint; breeding inverts in captivity has saved some species that would have otherwise died out due to habitat loss. Furthermore, we have no right to tell another country not to harvest their natural resources, so conservation is well and good as lip service, but it solves absolutely nothing if a specific rainforest is being cut down in a country outside of yours with laws, culture, and ethics that are different or even opposite of yours. Further, because of this, it is within the hobby's interest, not to mention our ethical duty, to propagate a species outside of its native home whenever said home is being destroyed, regardless of what the home country's wishes are. Yes, I am making this opposing argument knowing there's a double standard here, simply because that same exact double standard is on display in this video (inversed of course). It's essentially telling a country it needs to do what we say because "we like little bugs and we want you to stop cutting down the forests they live in (which make up a large percentage of your GDP) because we say so. Can't you just like...work at Starbucks or Walmart?" which I realize is a juvenile way to describe it, but ultimately it's an incredibly naïve worldview with much more complexity than anyone cares to admit.
Pretty much all well developed countries have already destroyed the majority of their resources that are useable to humans. Look at old growth forest % in the USA, or brigalow reduction in Australia.
Great video, Richard! I've always felt very strongly that if we humans choose to get a pet of any kind, we should be doing everything within our ability to give them the best life possible. They didn't choose to be born/bred so we should give them every bit of care possible. I currently have 5 Ts and they all got much larger homes after they matured enough for extra space.
Every time I get a new T, reptile, or invertebrate, I obverse them for weeks with minimal intervention to see how they adjust. I've changed enclosure sizes and setups for several critters after realizing they seem to want something different. More height to climb or borrow, various hide sizes or multiple locations to make their own, etc. It's a chance to get creative and uncover that animal's individual personality. We humans just have to be smart enough and invest the time to ensure we meet our furry/cold-blooded/exoskeleton friends' needs.
Ts definitely aren't for everyone! I actually got my first bc I had terrible arachnophobia but I felt so guilty for killing spiders in my home. I imagined, while tears streamed down my face from fear, that they must be petrified of this insane giant attacking them. I mean, can you imagine?!
I knew that if I bought a T I would force myself to get over my fear to care for it bc only a monster would buy an animal, knowing it's completely dependent on you, and let it suffer. After a few weeks, I fell in love. Giving my animals comfortable homes that allow them to thrive ended up being so good for my mental health. Especially during covid! Being surrounded by enclosures full of nature is awesome!
That's a very long-winded way of saying I agree completely. We take for granted all these amazing animals we share Earth with when they do so much to keep our ecosystem in check.
A big no no...is never breed different species together!! No hybrids or that will muk up the hobby and species in general. Nothing would be 100% anymore and especially rare and endangered species...we must protect them
I have a whole video on cross breeding you can see here: th-cam.com/video/_WANpBaDeJU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JHiMSPU4WfoyO5oB
I'm still relatively new to the hobby and I enjoy going to the expos. I went to a reptile expo several weeks ago (I won't name the expo) and there was a vendor there, I've seen this man at several other expos, and I asked if the particular tarantulas were wild caught or captive bred. He never for sure gave me an answer except to tell me it really didn't matter either way. He seemed almost offended that I asked. He was talking to me, I assume, like he thought I knew nothing, like I had not done any research. Thanks to you, and several others, I will always do my own research, never impulse buy, and try to buy captive bred animals.
I started keeping and breeding Ts way back in the mid 90's. After a long break, it is very obvious to me how much has changed. I love the message promoting the continued growth amd adaptation of husbandry methods!
I got one outrageous idea (from the perspective of a pet snake keeper, but there's overlap in attitudes): Listen to the experiences and observations of newbies.
Yes, when a tarantula or snake is the first pet that isn't a dog, cat, or rabbit, a new keeper will most likely misread their new pet's behaviors.
But don't dismiss them entirely without listening first. Someone new looks at the animal with unbiased eyes and notes small things that experienced keepers might have forgotten about and that now, with more knowledge, appear in a new context. And a pet keeper who observes their one to maximal five pets and interacts with them will see and experience completely different things than someone who keeps 200 snakes in racks. This isn't a commentary on racks vs terrariums. It's just a fact that someone who collects and/or breeds with a large number of animals can't logistically have the same interactions for the same amount of time as someone who keeps one or two pets.
When a pet keeper spends up to several hours a day observing and interacting with the same animal, they'll see learning and bonding results that someone who logistically can give one animal only a couple of minutes a day to make sure it's warm, fed, and healthy.
I roll my eyes when one of us pet keepers share an observation and we're dismissed (often rudely) with, "Well, I've kept 50 snakes for years and I haven't seen this, you're talking bullshit, can't read the behavior correctly, or are making things up!"
It's a shame because I see posts and comments from many pet keepers who had their pet for 1-3 years that are actually interesting when we don't dismiss them right away.
I think we'd know much more about uncommon animals and their learning (and even bonding) potential if we a) stopped taking the bonding/learning behavior of a dog or cat as the one true definition of bonding/learning and b) collected the experiences made by people who interact with their animals daily and who happily share their observations (often with picture- or video footage) for free
Especially since official science criminally neglects reptiles and inverts. There'd be a much larger sample size in a much shorter time if old school, new school, and amateurs without tunnel vision pooled their knowledge and impressions together. Yes, there'd still be many anecdotes and misunderstandings and misreadings but I'd be willing to bet money on there being a lot of overlapping experiences that are regularly dismissed as bullshit or anthropomorphization because of the completely different context.
Absolutely this the amount of people that say “reptiles can’t bond that’s you anthropomorphizing them” are all over. For context I worked in animal medicine and as one who raised a tegu from a hatchling I can absolutely state reptiles have the ability to form complex bonds as well as emotions. We are now seeing the same with snakes. Turns out all animals are more complex then we once perceived! Was it our ignorance or was it just species bias that only humans can feel these things/have these emotional capabilities? I don’t know, but one thing is for sure the behavior I observed is NOT the same behaviors as what people list them as. Just for further complexities we know birds can form intense bonds they aren’t too far off from reptiles just look at their claws. To state we grossly underestimate most creatures because of our own pompous attitude is an understatement.
Maybe one day there will be a comprehensive abstract that challenges that status quo, but until then I will kindly remind people humans are animals we do not get a monopoly on intelligence/behavior. All animals show a level of care and complexity the only question is do we as people care enough to learn THEIR language.
I bought a new tarantula that I'd wanted for several years, spent a lot on making elaborate enclosure, spent some time decorating and arranging it just so, and then she bulldozed the entire thing and made an enormous web mat that covered the entire enclosure. I'd agree that we shouldn't skimp on enclosures, but at the same time, I'm not sure that it's worth stressing too much over.
I remember some 20odd years ago, when I had a green bottle blue, a brachypelma albopilosum and one other one (that i can't remember the name) I saw the P.metallica. I finally got one when i went back to getting into the hobby. The brazialian Jewel you showed is stunning, but it appears it might be a long time before they can be owned (if ever)
I agree with enrichment though, hell even my Dubia have enrichment and they are just feeders. (cork bark, spaghnum moss a leaf pile they like to run around in.... and a good layer of soil mix.
Your videos are great, I just joined your FB group, but haven't posted, since there are more impressive animals being shown off lol
Keep up the great work!
"theyre worse than cats with reciprocating love!" my cats follow me to the bathroom, sleep under my legs, have separation anxiety, watch tv with me, etc etc. cats are not asocial psychopaths like everyone believes for w/e reason
Oh man, #4 is so hard to explain to some people. My B. Klaasi cost a bit over $150 and people lose their minds over "you spent HOW MUCH on a SPIDER??".
Tarantulas are. Not. Cheap. And they're only "cheaper" online because live shipping is a fortune (understandably so). Anyway, gorgeous shots of your T's, and thank you so much for putting out a video of this nature.
I noticed my arizona blonde liked to hang out on one specific leaf. I rearrange her enclosure to put more into it and moved that leave to a different part of the enclosure. It's still her favorite spot
4:30 yeah, my brother is deathly afraid of spiders, that’s why he thinks that box in my room has a “plant” in it
I think giving them the best is all we can strive for. Be it food or enclosure just try your best, like you said they can pack a punch if they choose to. I dont handle any of my tarantula's yet do with my snakes. 😅
'They're worse than cats' when it comes to affection, WOAH don't come for the cats! Ahaha, they give loads of affection :P but really good points, also really enjoyed your latest podcast discussion.
My cat is very loving - when he wants something.
@@amicaaranearum You have to earn a cat's affection, but once you earn it they often follow you around and want loads of cuddles. They have standards ;)
I'm new to the channel but not to the hobby.Back in the 90s I had tarantulas but then got out of it and thinking about getting back into it. Miss my tarantulas. All been fascinated with spiders since a kid.Really enjoy your channel and all the great information.I'm guilty of all the old ways of thinking like the sponge in the water dish or putting a heat rock in the typical 5 gallon aquarium with coarse screen top.Thank you for the great videos.🕷️
"Loving something doesn't mean you have to posses it"
POP OFF KING
I agree with that, but behind him is how many spiders in boxes? Bit hypocritical, no?
@@DC-bp8sx if that's what you think you missed the point.
I think giving all animals the best care and enrichment should be standard practice. Thanks for the video!
I love your video. they pumped me up to have more than 1 tarantula. I went out and bought my first 2 tarantulas in the last 3 days and I am considering putting them in the coffin crib and was wondering do you think I can keep a June in a large coffin. I hate the idea of having to buy twice.
Great video! And very true. We as keepers should always be learning. If we all love our Ts (like we should) then we should be caring for them as such.
Your laugh at the end tickled me. I always look forward to your videos, Richie Rich! (My name is also Richard. Great name, right!?) 😏🤘🏻🕷🕸
so my tarantulas do love me! 💖
Great video as always! Do you have a rough idea how many spiders are in your collection? Those enclosures in the background look amazing across that wall!
I have an LP and barely handle it, the only time I will hold it is when I'm taking it out to clean up the enclosure, then I will have a hold while sat on the floor. They shouldn't be handled much more than that as it's not only a potential danger to the tarantula but observing them in their enclosure is so much more interesting, I sit there for ages just watching it do it's thing
I was already a fan of your content. I haven’t gotten my first tarantula yet but I will soon and your commentary and belief on the ethics of this hobby has made me a subscriber for life. Appreciate you and everything you do!
Awesome! Thank you!
Hey, I have just been musing over a few different online stores, and I really noticed carried MOSTLY wild caught Ts...I halted immediately as worried about their health and temperament. I honestly believe taking a wild one right into captivity and expecting it to be the same as captive bred is ludicrous. Why would it be any different than with a mammal? Stress is obvious in mammals but just because we do not yet know how to accurately understand the psychology of a creature does not mean that it does not exist.
Anyway, the selections I found were vast snd pricing tempting, I am a little wary.
Great informative video!! Thanks!
I just picked up a curly hair yesterday. A kids pet since october. Bought by his dad, but mom had to care for it and was very anxious. I'm for 20+ years in the herp hobby now, keeping snakes myself mainly, but it gives me a heavy heart pets are sold to people who really don't have any clue how to keep them. Luckily this mom really tried even though she was really afraid, and tried to find a new home for it and people tag me.
My wife started off arachnophobic but she got over it (mostly) because of T’s. She still doesn’t like ones with spindly legs like black widows, but bigger and hairier is just fine.
I disagree with the idea that new species should not be in the hobby, as government agencies often claim to care about conservation, but most of the laws that restrict the keeping of certain species are actually counter productive.
I definitely do think that keeping wild caught animals should be limited to experienced keepers with the goal of establishing a captive bred population. Wild caught animals should not be caught just to be pets.
Important video! Perfect delivery on your message with your influence. All of this needed to be said.
I've had my elvira (b.hamorii 4" ls) for a year now in a horizontal (24x12x10) enclosure with half of it covered as a shaded portion. When shes hungry, she walks up to the same spot in the area thats unshaded and waits to be fed. Three times now i've switched areas where i drop her crickets, and after about 2 crickets, she comes to the spot shes being fed at most. Shes also got her "fuck off" spot where she goes when i know shes not hungry or not in a interactive mood. Furthermore, i play piano close to her enclosure, and she often comes to the nearest part of the glass and sits there watching ( i assume she senses the vibrations) in a mesmerized manner. I've noticed that she also has good and bad days, where shes more fiesty, and days when she has no issue. Also, watching her faceplant into her waterdish to drink is the funniest thing ive ever seen, and shes been guilty of piercing 2 of her plastic waterdishes ( she now has a clay one). Best decision i made was buying her, and both my girlfriend and roommate, who had "arachnophobia" have gotten over it and consider her "kinda cute". Theres one thing about me and elvira tho, both me and her are happy with no physical contact whatsoever. Love her to death but im never gonna handle her. That way, theres a form of mutual respect.
Love this video (like all of yours) ! I am very new to the hobby (and only plan on having my two T’s ) but I so enjoy learning and growing from experienced keepers like yourself 😀 thank you for putting these videos together
Once you get “bitten” those two turn to three, three to four and so on.
Te me I’m wrong in a couple of years
If tarantula cribs would be sold at a regular retailer, I would buy more of their products. But, the cost of the enclosure, shipping, substrate, and "enrichment" can add up. I have 2 T's in sterelite tubs right now. They are doing fine in there.
they are getting there. Some local pet shops around the country are carrying them, as is snake discovery's store and Bio Dude I believe. Everytime I got to a reptile expo there are a lot of tables carrying them as well...so you can find them for sale there.
Excellent video! Tarantulas fascinate me. We have wild tarantulas here in Central Texas that come to visit from time to time. I always escort them back into the wild rather than try to keep them as pets, though, because I agree that wild tarantulas belong in their ecosystem. I’m not sure if I’d even want to keep a tarantula as a pet; while I love watching them, I’m more a hands-on kind of pet person. I like pets I can cuddle with. I’m not sure any tarantula is ready to cuddle with me…
Good points made. How I see it is, I love the Artic wolf but I'm not gonna build a enclosure and stuff it in my house for an artic wolf cause I like it. Some need too think what's practical not what's enjoyable
My O. Violaceopes or Singapore Blue has proven to have a good memory. Last year it escaped while I was away for 3 days. When I returned she reappered in the evening a few inches near the enclosure and directly aligned to the height level of its enclosures opening. If the door was left opened, it might probably entered back. Also, it was smart enough to jump and pushed its weight against the magnetic lid of its enclosure to get out probably to hunt food. She is huge and heavy more than 6 inches then and more than 7 inches now.
I’ve only ever bought one that was most likely part of a “brown bag operation” and was definitely WC. But, I purchased it to rescue it from the pet store that had it in extremely poor conditions. Always try to buy CB
on point 2. i have wanted a T for years and it wasn't until this year my S/o was conformable with the idea of getting one. We also are considering our 2 dogs and the space we have where we could dedicate that as a T set up. our dogs are little and one mistake could lead to the death of a dog and/or the T. Plus the hairs aren't the best for the dogs as well as it isn't good for the T to interact with our dogs too. It has to be safe and comfortable for all living things in the house. (We are probably a year to two years out from being able to responsibly own a T.)
I want to improve my husbandry. I have only ever had 1 T. She’s a p. Metallica. I need to get her into an adult enclosure, but I have no idea where to start, where to get a good hide or substrate or anything like that. And I need to get her enrichment. I just don’t know where to start. I want to get her a big enclosure. Thanks for talking about these things! And thanks for your recommendations! I really want to give her the best enclosure I can get! This gives me some places to start.
Excellent video, Richard!
I really love spoiling all my creatures, even my arachnids. Ultimately, it's going to be in my room/house, so of course it should be a work or art and beautiful with decor. Of course, it's just good enrichment
Tarantulas - Gotta catch em all! J/K. Captive bred vs wild caught was a thing in reptiles ages ago. Interesting to see cooler heads prevail in the Tarantula hobby
One thing I've always been curious about is: I know there are some species that are more plentiful in the hobby than they are in the wild. Do breeders work with governments maybe about releasing some of their babies back into their native habitats in the wild? Seems to me that something like that could go a long way for wild species' conservation efforts.
Edit to add: I am not a keeper at all. It's just something I was always curious about.
I’ve heard there is a program in Mexico that does something along those lines with their native species
Nate from Microwilderness releases tarantula offspring back into the wild, with A Chalcodes I think.
I wish the links were in the comments by the time I'm done watching the video, I can't locate where the link was posted without re-watching it all over again. Sigh..love your channel.
Links are all in the description. Click the "show more" or "read more" or whatever it says now to that effect. It is in-between the video and the comment section. All the links are there. 😊
I just checked and on my phone is say "...more" click that
Good video. Advancement in husbandry is always a good thing IMO.
Great informative video as always Richard. Honestly. I don't add new species to my "Tarantula wishlist" because many.. well all of them so far have been tropical and tropical species are difficult with where I live. And in reality I knocked my list down to tarantulas that can survive in the environment of the area I live. Yeah it knocks out a lot of tarantulas but I won't have to stress out or wonder if I am doing the right care. Though there is one tropical species that I really really want that I have been researching the care of like crazy. But besides that one tropical species the rest are made up of those that are desert to low humidity needs.
I don't want to buy wild caught either. It is just too risky because you never know what that tarantula has been exposed to or diseases it may be carrying. Last thing I want is to have a disease outbreak in my collection. So wild caught is a big no on my end. I don't care if it is a species I really want. I'll keep looking for a captive bred and pay the higher price.
My parents aren't cool with having tarantulas in their home, I am a caregiver to my dad who is a disabled vet and my mom has a chronic form of arthritis, but lately their minds have been changing with my photos I show them. My dad often asks how I have their enclosures set up, which he has never done before. Lol I do give my tarantulas enrichment, I used to work at the zoo so I want nice enclosures that provides what my tarantulas need. Webbing spots, hides, plants and what not. So yes I take a look at what other people are doing enclosure wise. Lately my curly hair has been excavating these intricate tunnel burrows and to see what my tarantula will do I have placed a few more fake plants to see how he will construct his tunnels.. and to help keep the burrows from collapsing as well.
Hey Richard! Thank you always for the valuable advice and information! If you read this comment can you please help me with what things or objects I can add to my enclosures for enrichment? I appreciate it!!
Thanku. I normally use tupperware for the first stage of my t's and at the final when they are adults, I changed them to the final Cristal enclosure.
Please no hybridization in the hobby. Please discuss your thoughts on this. Great presentation BTW.
that has been given its own video: th-cam.com/video/_WANpBaDeJU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JHiMSPU4WfoyO5oB
Accountability, how rare. No fingers pointed at others, progressive thinking... This is my favorite video of yours so far. I particularly like number 1. I love all the new tarantulas that keep getting discovered, monthly, but, I'd rather wait until a science team bred a couple specimens taken from a massive population, thus, not harming the ecosystem by removing scores of them. Once the science peeps do their thing, it's only a couple years until the hobbyists can. Impatience is a big part of it, not saying you, but in general, it is what I see.
Keep up the great work!
My 2 1/2/ 3 inch Avic Avic is in a 12x12x15 from a large critter keeper that i got her in.
A bunch of people said shell freak out, and die of shock because its too large.
News flash for those people;
She continues her nightly patrols and does the typical terrestrial shit on the front glass. Nothing has changed except that she now has 4 times the amount of walking room to stretch her little pink toesies and a proper door to shit all over. 😂
I really think giving slightly larger enclosures with tons of opportunity to explore is nice for them. Cromwell seems to enjoy it.
I got 13 princess T's with big enclosure, a spot for hot lamp, a colder spot, plenty of places to climb & web and the better part ? every time i open their enclosure they know it's either for changing water or feeding and react consistantly by showing up or hiding. Following every podcast and it's extremly interessant !
Awesome this is what I've been waiting to hear about Tarantulas since I was 18, I'm 55 now. Tarantulas are smart. I have gotten hurt less from Tarantulas than any other pet i've ever had !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TARANTULA DADDY
The most aggressive spider ibhave owned was an A. Seemani.
I rescued her from a home with several children. She would chase my tongs or paintbrush and try to bite ME.
I believe she was abused by those children, and she associated people with danger. She finally started to settle down in her last 2 years, but i would never even consider handling her.
What’s the green/blue T at 2:38?
I love how you mention wives and girlfriends 😂 meanwhile on my dating profile I had photos of me catching wild snakes and holding Ts and one of my first questions was "are you afraid of these things?" You would not believe how many dudes were horrified!!! Hold out hope guys, there's bad-A women out there I promise 🖤
my second question is that I really like the Indian ornamental and the out but as a beginner I was wondering if I am going way above my head right now. My heart and mind is telling me that I am ready for the challenge but I did want to ask folks with more experience. my first 2 are the Arizona Blonde female Juvie and the Mexican Fire legs. is the size of thumb nail.
I’m so glad your channel is the one I found while I’m getting into the hobby
Awesome! Thank you!
Tbh regarding wild caught, I'd say it's pretty valid if the species is just almost impossible to breed in captivity.
2:49 my tarantula learned to tolerate my annoying ass constantly opening her bin for 20 pictures (shes in the same position in all of them)
I don't particularly agree that the days of steralight boxes and tubes are over , as long as the environment is right for the tarantula it won't care what it looks like . But other than that you breing up some excellent points . One that's not relevant in the US but over here they are so cheap people end up with huge collections in a couple of months and start running into problems .
Great video though I would like to offer alternative perspectives for certain things. First and foremost wild caught animals are slippery slope because it can be detrimental to wild populations, some animals become too stressed to survive importation and crash after a couple weeks or even a couple months and they often come in sick or carrying parasites but with all that being said limited importation is important for most animals. The fact is that without responsible keepers importing these animals to establish captive breeding programs we can lose these animals completely to habitat loss or collection for the food trade or even alternative medicine practices. We have to be responsible with it of course but part of that is to stop allowing people to undercut the captive bred market or stop people from charging a premium for captive bred specimens. Either way it comes down to a capitalistic approach that needs to be stopped. My other point is about people being afraid of certain animals and that being a reason not to keep them, while respecting fear is the right thing to do the easiest way to turn that fear into fascination and curiosity is exposure and knowledge. My fiancee was scared of touching snakes until meeting me and my animals and now she will hold my LTC red tail boa without any fear. She was creeped out by scorpions until i came home with a couple species I had wanted when i kept scorpions as a teen and after a day she now watches them eat and thinks they are kind of adorable. It's all about healthy, respectful education and exposure. Threads of trust and positive experiences can turn a fear into genuine passion.
Thank you! Great video ❤
I thought spending more on the husbandry of the spiders was common. The spiders themselves is a one time cost while replacing plants etc in your tanks is continious cost. My T's are kind of obsessed with savaging whatever plants i put in their tanks. Even my calmer critters are prone to destruction.
I have given all 6 of my spiders including slings larger sized enclosures than recommended and each one of them seems to enjoy the space and will use it. Spiders exhibit some fascinating behaviors when we recreate their habitats.
Amen brother! Much love and respect.
I'd like to get a tarantula but I'm afraid of urticating hairs. Are there some species that do not kick the hairs or have them ?
There are many species that would be extinct if they didnt have a captive population established at their discovery though, I just think that if you are going to buy a wild caught animal you MUST breed it to help establish a captive population and especially if its one that doesnt have a captive population yet. The white cloud mountain minnow is a fish that went extinct or very nearly in the wild, luckily they were pretty and got into the aquarium hobby where they are now a very common pet fish that is easily bred.
The idea of a White List (or Positive List) could potentially destroy the (and not only) Tarantula Hobby. There were discussions in Germany about that and as far as I know the EU is thinking about it. Petitions against it were signed at Czechian Reptile Shows.
Hello great video information Richard
Thank you so much for this video! 😭🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
My wife said no for 15 years. She had no issues with bearded dragon, snakes, roaches, isopods, etc. Spiders was the line.
She recently said yes, and i dont force it on her. But, she now will sit and watch it with me lol.
Thank you so much for this video ♥️🙏