Collecting Tarantulas as a Hobby

To be abundantly clear, I am not an arachnologist. I am a professional epidemiologist (study of diseases in humans) with a strong non-occupational interest in arachnids. I am a tarantula hobbyist because I find them fascinating, misunderstood, and scientifically ambiguous. This ambiguity is generated from public perception, misrepresentation by some breeders and dealers, understudy of sound science, and a limited array of insular research groups. With that being said, there are some absolutely wonderful and knowledgeable (far more than I ever expect to have) breeders and retailers out there for whom I attempt to soak up their valuable insight. Furthermore, there are some wonderfully talented scientists and researchers who continue to evolve the field of arachnology.​​
 
This website is intended to be a repository of summarized information on tarantulas that I own, information ascertained from reading scientific studies, the World Spider Catalog, certain breeders, retailers, and hobbyist websites and boards, and review of geography, maps, and natural habitats. I'm fascinated by the natural habitats of tarantulas, their micro and macro habitat diversity, and the surrounding culture from which they naturally reside.​​
 
My wife and I have three children, twins in college, and a senior in high school. One twin is majoring in zoology and the other in marine biology. They are the genesis for this hobby as they have been homing tarantulas for several years. This has been a great avenue to have some much-needed parent-child engagements. I have learned a great deal from them. Our high-schooler enjoys picking things up and setting them down, in other words, lifting weights.