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.

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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.

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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. 

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Standard of Care

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• All tarantulas are housed in a temperature-regulated warehouse with an office at front of the location (I do some epidemiology manuscript writing from this location).

• All specimens have their own enclosures that are set-up to resemble their natural habitat (even if they don't care or appreciate our hard work).

• All enclosures have at least one dedicated hide space, whether cork bark, a cave, etc.

• All specimens are watered regularly, and typically fed twice a week.

• We do not breed tarantulas. This is not my intention, however, our aspiring zoologist may entertain this copulatory endeavor in the future.

• We do not sell tarantulas. We buy them and care for them. I am not in this hobby to make money.

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Species-Specific Enclosures

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• In general, our enclosures are set-up for three specific types: arboreal, terrestrial, and fossorial.

• Arboreal: these are obviously tall enclosures of various sizes. Our 9 inch P. regalis is in a 12x12x18 enclosure with an added canopy top. All have at least cork bark with an array of plants (some enclosures are bioactive).

• Terrestrial: these are typically square or rectangular enclosures. The set-up varies based on the species. A species from a drier or scrubland area will have a different set-up than a species from a rainforest.

• Fossorial: these are typically square enclosures with added substrate for burrowing. Again, the set-up varies based on the original locale and habitat of the species. For example, some African burrowing species will have a different set-up than a C. lividus.