Tarantulas for Beginners: Easier Than You Think - Josh's Frogs Podcast #73

Tarantulas don't need much space, money or time, but they do need the right setup. Jayzun Boget, our Curator of Arachnids, helps walk you through everything a first-time keeper should know, from sizing an enclosure to what a bite would actually feel like. Jayzun was extremely arachnophobic when he started working at Preuss Pets in Lansing, until exposure turned that fear into fascination. Now, after 26 years with tarantulas, he's never been bitten. He also shares how much the hobby has changed: by his estimate, wild-caught tarantulas went from about 95% of the hobby 15 years ago to around 30% today. Chapters: 00:24 Meet Jayzun, our Curator of Arachnids 00:47 From arachnophobe to tarantula keeper 01:57 How the tarantula hobby has changed 05:32 Why tarantulas are great for beginners 06:51 Step one: arboreal or terrestrial? 08:49 How big should the enclosure be? 10:19 How much space they really use 12:04 Hides and substrate depth 13:43 Bioactive substrate and springtails 15:13 Moisture, humidity and field damp 16:36 Live plants and isopods 17:34 Making the enclosure a display piece 19:44 Chaco Golden Knee: great first spider 21:31 No vet visits, no shots, no spaying 22:13 Are tarantula bites dangerous? 23:53 Urticating hairs explained 25:44 Lightning round Learn more: Getting started with tarantulas: https://joshsfrogs.com/blog/Getting-Started-with-Tarantulas Arachnid BioBedding: https://joshsfrogs.com/c/habitat/substrates/joshs-frogs-biobeddings?query=arachnid Tarantula Cribs enclosures: https://joshsfrogs.com/c/habitat/enclosures/tarantula-cribs-enclosures Shop tarantulas: https://joshsfrogs.com/c/live_insects/pet_insects/spiders/tarantulas #tarantula #tarantulacare #exoticpets