After years of tarantula handling falling out of vogue, it seems that more and more folks are now holding their eight-legged wards. Why the change? In this episode, we'll break down why there is a resurgence in this practice and discuss the pros and cons of handling vs. not handling. 

First, we discuss the recent tarantula smuggling incident in Peru.

Then, I'll share some tips on how to fix up tarantula enclosures without having to rehouse the spider.  Has your substrate settled and is now too shallow? Does your spider need more coverage? Did the cork bark hide collapse? Here are some things that you can do. 

When did you first start keeping Old World tarantulas? For the first half of this podcast, we'll hear some listener responses to last week's episode.

Then, I've been answering questions about tarantulas for over a decade, and I often get the same questions over and over...and that's okay. I've had folks ask me if I ever get annoyed by that. Truth be told, there are only a handful of questions that I find a bit frustrating. In these cases, it's usually because there is no quick answer. In this episode, I discuss the five questions that tend to vex me a bit. 

First, we discuss a recent article that questions whether spiders can sleep and even dream.

Then, why do many keepers feel so anxious about possibly keeping Old World tarantulas? We'll discuss how keeper attitudes about Old World species have change from the '80s and '90s to now. 

The Tliltocatl albopilosus is one of the most established, popular, and widely-kept species in the hobby. However, ask ten different keepers about their experiences with the growth rate, behavior, and temperament of this species, and you're likely to get ten different responses. In this episode, we'll discuss this awesome species and why there seems to be so much variation in its care and husbandry. 

After some listener comments and spider news, we'll discuss why some tarantulas are so expensive. 

First off, we discuss a story about noble false widow spiders preying upon much larger vertebrate prey.

Then, it's onto listener feedback on the last episode about my most defensive tarantulas.

Finally, this week I received my "Heart Attack Pack" from Fear Not Tarantulas, and I discuss what I received.

FIND THE HEART ATTACK PACK HERE!

First, we start off with some listener feedback. Then, we'll discuss some recent spider news before we get to the main topic. I've been asked many times over the years which species of tarantulas that I've raised have been the most defensive. My answer may surprise you! 

After some listener comments and tarantulas in the news, I breakdown some key points in the paper "Assessing the Risk of Overexploitation to a Tarantula Species in the Pet Trade" and explain why this should be important to informed, responsible keepers.

CLICK HERE to read the entire paper! 

First, we take a few listener comments.

Then, in spider news, scientists think that Orbweaver spiders may have an interesting way of hunting fireflies.

Finally, for the "meat" of the podcast, we discuss the care for one of the hobby's most beloved tarantulas, the Grammostola pulchra (AKA, the Black Lab of Tarantulas). (15:10)