What's the DIFFERENCE Between Tarantulas & Spiders?

All tarantulas are spiders, but not all spiders are tarantulas. So what is the difference? What makes tarantulas separate from other types of spiders? What do they have in common? What exactly IS a tarantula? Those questions AND MORE are answered in this video.

How To Buy A Pet Tarantula - Don't Get Scammed!

One question I am asked a lot, especially by new keepers or people wanting to get into the tarantula hobby, is How Do I Buy a Pet Tarantula? So in this video we are covering how to buy pet tarantulas, where to by pet tarantulas, and what to look out for an avoid so you do not get scammed, ripped off, or end up with sick or old pet tarantulas.

How To Research Tarantula Care & Husbandry

Everyone tells you to RESEARCH your tarantula or exotic pet care BEFORE you bring your new pet home, but no one really explains how best to do that research. There is a lot of old, out dated, and incorrect information out there so it can get confusing and overwhelming. So I break down how I research the care and husbandry of tarantula species, or really any arachnid, invertebrate, reptile or amphibian, I am planning on getting in the future. Hopefully these steps will help you in your journey to learn as much about your new pet as possible so you can be the best keeper you can be and give them best life you can.

How To Feed Spiderlings & Scorplings (Baby Tarantulas & Scorpions)

One of the most stressful parts of keeping baby tarantulas, or spiderlings, is knowing when how much to feed them. Maybe you just got your first tarantula sling and you are asking yourself “How do I feed my spiderlings and scorplings?” It can be confusing and a little worrisome and stressful trying to find small enough prey that your tiny spider will eat that will not hurt them. Not to mention figuring out how often and how much to feed them at this small size! So in this video I break down what I use as feeders, how often I feed and how I feed my slings and scorpions. Hopefully this will help take some of the stress out of feeding your new tarantulas or scorpions.

How To Unbox Spiders - DON'T KILL YOUR NEW TARANTULA!

Sooner or later, we all end up buying tarantulas, spiders, scorpions or some other invert from an online dealer. The selection is better, they are shipped overnight to your door, and usually less expensive than pet stores. Many people are nervous about unboxing or unpacking and rehousing their spiderlings. In this video I walk you through every step you need to prepare for and unbox your tarantula spiderling you ordered on line!

How To Rehouse a Tarantula - Terrestrial Species

I have a lot of tarantulas that are to be rehoused and I thought, since I need to rehouse them, I will show you exactly how I go about rehousing my tarantulas. This is specifically how I rehouse terrestrial species of tarantulas, but this is just the first installment of the How To Rehouse Tarantulas series where I will be showing the methods I use for other types of tarantulas as well.

The Anatomy of a Tarantula & Spider Biology

Have you ever wondered about the anatomy of a tarantula? Have you been curious to see INSIDE a spider and get a close look at their organs, circulatory and nervous systems? Maybe you just wondered what a spider brain looks like? We are covering the anatomy and biology of tarantulas and spiders using the 4D Tarantula Spider Anatomy Model!

Urticating Hairs - What YOU NEED To Know About Tarantulas!

Most people know some tarantulas have urticating hairs, but not many know about the different types of urticating setae, which species have which types, and what the differences are between the types of urticating hair. So if you are curious about urticating setae, what they are used for in defense, how they affect you, remedies for itching and rash and if you can even treat urticating hairs. So dive into the setae with me as we cover the 7 different types of urticating setae, what they are and how they are different, and which species of tarantulas have which.

Learning Tarantula Care on YouTube is Dangerous!

In this video I am explaining why it can be dangerous to learn care and husbandry for tarantulas, scorpions, snakes, or really any exotic pet by watching YouTube videos. I breakdown the pitfalls, tell you what to look out for, and how to navigate the platform to find the best, most reliable information to give your tarantula, scorpion or snake the best possible care!

Avoid dangerous care guides and bad advice and always use multiple sources when researching how to take care of your tarantula. The broader your base of knowledge, the higher your point of success!

What is the BEST Tarantula?! Did YOURS Make The List?

The “BEST” tarantula is certainly subjective, but there are definitely some species that rank higher in most peoples opinions. In this video I cover my picks of the best pet tarantula species based on color, personality, ease of care, and how often they are out on display. These are not all species ideal for new keepers, but they are amazing tarantulas none the less.

Lighting Tarantula Enclosures with LEDs!

I have been asked numerous times in the group to make a video about how I set up my lights for my tarantula enclosures and what kind of lights I use. So here is a video that explains what type of lights I utilize in my setups and how I hook them all up together. This video also covers a little bit of the science behind what wavelengths of light tarantulas can actually see. Lighting your tarantula enclosures is not necessary as the ambient room light will provide sufficient light for a day and night cycle. Though many people, like myself, want to light up the enclosure to make them look cool and show them off to their friends. It also makes it easier when viewing them, feeding, or just doing general maintenance. This can be a very dangerous thing as well since most lights put out way to much heat and could easily dehydrate and eventually kill your pet tarantula. So I make sure to show you the lights I use personally that have worked well for me.

How To Keep Your Tarantulas Warm in the Winter - Spiderling Nursery

The temperature is dropping but we are keeping our tarantula spiderlings nice and cozy. In this video I show you how to build an ideal, climate controlled environment for your tarantula spiderlings. This easy Do-It-Yourself project is a cheap and quick way to keep your slings at an optimal temperature, no matter how cool your house gets. Even though this is focused on spiderling enclosures, the same concept can be scaled up for keeping juvenile and adult tarantulas warm in the winter.

TOP 10 Reptile Expo Tips ‐ SAVE TIME & MONEY!

Whether you are going to your first reptile expo or convention, or you just want to save some time and money on your next trip, I have put together 10 Tips that will make sure you get the MOST out of your dollar and time. Whether you are looking to buy new a new tarantula, invert, snake or some other reptile or amphibian, or you just need to pick up some supplies, this video will help you out!

Top 5 Tools for Tarantula Keepers!

New to keeping tarantulas or a seasoned veteran, this is a list of the top 5 tools of the trade for keeping tarantulas. Everything you need to help maintain and care for your tarantula that will keep both you and the T safe and happy.

Emergency Preparation! Having a Plan for your Tarantulas when Disaster Strikes!

Disaster can strike at any time. Whether it is a natural disaster or just a personal one, when keeping pet tarantulas it is always a good idea to have a plan in place in the even something terrible happens. In this video I discuss the importance of having a plan for what to do with your tarantulas or other exotic pets in the event you ever have to leave your home suddenly or the living condition at home changes and is no longer suitable for keeping your tarantulas. No one wants to think about having to evacuate their home or the possibility of relationships ending or the necessity of having to move because of work or school. We should hope for the best, but always have a plan for the worst.

How To Handle a Tarantula

Handling tarantulas can be a controversial topic. Some only keep a pet tarantula because they want to handle it and let it walk around on them. Others keep pet tarantulas and feel they should NEVER be handled because the tarantula receives no benefit from handling and it can possibly stress them out or even be dangerous. In this video I go over the best practices for handling tarantulas, discuss the pros and cons of handling your tarantula, and give you my Top 10 Best Tarantula Species To Handle. Hopefully this Top 10 List will help you if you decide to attempt to handle your tarantula.

TOP 10 Mistakes Keeping Tarantulas & Spiders - DON'T DO THIS!

We all make mistakes from time to time, but when you make a mistake keeping tarantulas, it can really make you feel like a failure. A smart person learns from their mistakes, but a wise person learns from the mistakes of others. So I made a video that covers the mistakes I have made or seen others make frequently so hopefully YOU can avoid making the same mistakes with your pet tarantulas. In this video I cover the Top 10 Mistakes in the tarantula hobby. These are mostly mistakes I made over the years as I progressed in the hobby. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and the mistakes of many others and give your tarantulas and other spiders the optimal conditions for a long and healthy life.

MORE TOP 10 MISTAKES Keeping Tarantulas & Spiders!

There are certainly more than 10 mistakes we can make while keeping pet tarantulas, so I made a follow video to my most watched video ever. We are revisiting some of the BIGGEST Mistakes Keeping Tarantulas with a follow up to the Top 10 Mistakes in the tarantula hobby video. These are mostly mistakes I made over the years as I progressed in the hobby. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and the mistakes of many others and give your tarantulas and other spiders the optimal conditions for a long and healthy life.

VENOMOUS BITES & STINGS - What To Do If YOU'RE Bitten w/ Coyote Peterson

What should YOU do if you are bit by a tarantula or other venomous spider? What about if a scorpion stings you? In todays video I am having a conversation about venomous bites and stings with Coyote Peterson from @Brave Wilderness and ER Doctor and Wilderness medicine expert Dr. Dalal. We discuss what to do if you are inadvertently bit or stung, what to expect, first aid, hospitalization, as well as an overview of venom in general.

Too Hard, Too Fast - Responsible Keeping of Tarantulas & Reptiles

In this clip from The Exotic Pet Collective podcast, I am talking to Dillon from Animals at Home about keeping tarantulas and reptiles responsibly and knowing your limits as a keeper. We discuss the importance of proper husbandry and spending more time caring for your animals and less time shopping for new ones. Some people go too hard, too fast...and what starts as a fire usually burns up in the flames. So avoid keeper burnout and check out this video and learn dangers and pitfalls of adding too many species to your collection to quickly.

How To Build a Tarantula Bioactive Enclosure

Bioactive enclosures are all the rage right now in the reptile, amphibian and invert hobbies. Not all tarantulas will benefit from a bioactive enclosure, but some will thrive in those conditions. In this video I build a Bioactive Enclosure for my Theraphosa apophysis (Pinkfoot Goliath Birdeater Tarantula). I take you step by step through the process of making a bioactive tarantula enclosure. In this video I am using a Tarantula Cribs enclosure with hydroballs as the false bottom. This setup will work for any moisture dependent species like Theraphosa blondi, Theraphosa stirmi, Pamphobetus species and more!

How To Make Tarantula Enclosures for Spiderlings and Juveniles

This is a how to video that teaches how to make your own tarantula enclosures that look great and cost under $10. We take you from start to finish on how to create an aesthetically pleasing enclosure for your spiderlings and juvenile tarantulas. We also show many different types of DIY enclosures and styles for keeping your young tarantulas using AMAC acrylic boxes.

The SECRET to a Large Tarantula & Scorpion Collection

We all want short cuts or to be let in on the secrets of keeping pet tarantulas. There is no better teacher than experience, so I have taken all my experience keeping tarantulas as pets over the years and put it into a video. In this video I let you in on my Top 10 Secrets to keeping a large tarantula and scorpion collection. I will give you some inside information in the tarantula and scorpion hobby and break down how to successfully grow and care for your tarantula and scorpion collection. So if you have a large collection of tarantulas and scorpions or you are just getting started, check out the secret no one else is telling you!

ANT INVASION! How To Protect Your Tarantulas!

Ants can seem harmless, but to a tarantula in an enclosure, they can be DEADLY. And since ants are invertebrates, many of the pesticides and poisons we use to kill ants will also kill your pet tarantula. So in this video I cover the steps I take to prevent ants from finding my tarantula enclosures and possibly killing my spiders. I also go over some methods to get rid of ants if they have already started snooping around your tarantulas.

Top 10 TIPS For Tarantula Keepers!

These are my TOP 10 TIPS for Tarantula Keepers. This is a list of things I have learned over all my years in the hobby, some of them are things I wish I knew early on. Everything from advice, tips, tricks, husbandry, handling, and all things tarantula related. I cover essentially everything you need to know about set up and taking care of your tarantula. So save yourself time and money and learn from my experiences. I hope you found this shortcut helpful!

DEADLY Tarantulas? Top 10 Tarantula Myths BUSTED!

This week I am counting down and BUSTING the Top 10 Myths about Tarantulas! Are tarantulas deadly? Are tarantulas poisonous? Can you defang a tarantula? Remove its venom sac? Join me in this weeks episode of Tarantula Tuesday as we separate fact from fiction. Share this video with your friends that still believe some of these tall tales and have have misconceptions about tarantulas.

Addicted To Tarantulas - Are YOU A Tarantula Addict?

I talk to Patricia from Tarantula Heaven (a trained and practicing therapist) about growing your tarantula or exotic pet collection too quickly, where the line is between an exotic pet collection and pet hoarding, mental health in the hobby, and what to do if you feel overwhelmed. It is easy to get caught up in buying new species, especially if you are getting spiderlings and it can almost feel like an addiction. I have definitely described myself as a tarantula addict or said I was addicted to buying new species...lol.