Category: Keeper Life + Behind the Scenes

A Small Health Update (And Why Tarantulas Make Great Recovery Pets)

If you have noticed that hompage posts and articles and video uploads have slowed down recently, there is a simple reason for it. I had an appendectomy in February. It started with abdominal pain that did not feel quite right. A CT scan confirmed early-stage appendicitis, and surgery followed shortly after. The procedure was done laparoscopically, which means small incisions and a relatively quick discharge from the hospital. Still, even “minor” surgery is not something you just walk away from as if nothing happened. The first days at home were mostly about resting, moving carefully, and respecting a strict lifting limit. Recovery also included a painful wound infection that needed treatment and antibiotics, which slowed things down a bit more than expected. Open-wound treatment of an abscess? Pain level 10/10, cannot recommend. Slower Pace, Different Perspective Physically, the main limitation was pressure and discomfort in the abdominal area. Reaching, bending, … Read more

- Posted by NF-Stefan

Sometimes the Sling Lottery Just Does Not Love You Back

My Unlucky Streak This post was inspired by a recent streak of spiderlings that reached their ultimate molt and, one after another, turned out to be male. Somehow, it feels like I have been especially unlucky lately. I mean, statistically speaking, the chance of getting the desired sex when buying an unsexed tarantula sling is about 50 percent. Yet sometimes it really does not feel like that. I am fairly sure some cognitive bias is at play here, because losses tend to sting more than wins feel good. Since I track every tarantula I own in a database and small web app that I built for myself, I actually have the numbers. Over the last three years, I bought 16 unsexed slings. Out of those, 9 turned out to be males. On top of that, one tarantula I bought at an invert expo here in Austria as a confirmed female … Read more

- Posted by NF-Stefan

Are Tarantulas Bad Pets?

Arachnophobia is among the most common specific phobias, so it is not surprising that when you tell someone that you keep tarantulas as pets, they raise an eyebrow. People imagine danger and eight legs that are plotting your demise, hidden in the corner of your room. The reality is far calmer. Tarantulas are low maintenance, quiet, and surprisingly captivating animals that make excellent pets for the right kind of keeper. Why Tarantulas Are Actually Great Pets One of the biggest advantages is how little effort they require. A tarantula does not need daily attention, elaborate heating setups, or expensive equipment. Once the enclosure is correctly built, maintenance becomes simple. Sure, if you buy a baby spider (spiderling, in short sling), you will have to re-house it into an adequately-sized enclosure as it grows. But there are plenty of resources out there (e.g. Tom Moran on Youtube), that show you how … Read more

- Posted by NF-Stefan