Spider Unboxing Featuring 3 Eresus and 3 Liphistius species

In this box, I have:
Eresus balcanicus "Turkish Velvet Spider"
Eresus ruficapillus "Italian Velvet Spider"
Eresus walckenaeri "Greek Ladybird Spider"
Liphistius jarujien "Black Armored Trapdoor Spider"
Liphistius Ornatus "Armored Trapdoor Spider"
Lisphistius sp. Khao Luang "Orange Armored Trapdoor Spider"
Tom's Big Spiders Website: tomsbigspiders.com/
Tom's Big Spiders Podcast: tomsbigspiderspodcast.com/
Theme song by Rocket 77 - linktr.ee/Rocket77?fbclid=IwA...

[@DMcC]

I have a couple of E. walckenaeri and they're easily my favourite spiders from a behaviour point of view (of those I keep - jumping spiders are far more interesting but they don't live long so I've stopped keeping them). Velvet spiders are vicious little predators and once I drop a cricket in and they start the hunt, it stuns me how combative they are taking down prey that's as large as, or even larger, than the spider. They'll do things like pin them in a corner and continuously beat the living snot out of it with their front legs while biting at the legs until it's subdued. They're something else those little cuties.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

It's funny that you mention this because the older walckenaeri did almost something just like this when I last fed it. So fun to watch!

[@Tactical_Turtwig]

Am I the only one who saw that hand drawn Among Us character on the label? 😂 I heard the sound effect instantly

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I noticed that while editing. haha

[@christophersamuelson451]

Tom your whole persona and commitment to education elevate the hobby! So over greed culture and those solely in it for profit.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much, Christopher; I truly appreciate that!!!

[@migueltonnies6856]

One of the two I watch religiously

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks so much, Miguel!!!

[@arupian666]

19:00 hahaha, Tom you sound delirious buddy, lol

[@TomsBigSpiders]

It has been a loooonnngggg couple of weeks. haha

[@sarahfritz2183]

I have a young female of the l. Jarujini and she's amazing. They're kind of like little crab spiders in looks, really primitive and they move strange, their legs, especially the back ones are held very oddly, at least when walking on a flat surface where they can't gain any traction. Mine has been very shy, not defensive but she will bolt if disturbed. I made that mistake when checking on her in her hole when I hadn't seen her for a few weeks. Anyways, enjoy. They're such easy species to keep and it's such a treat when you get to see them hunting

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hi, Sarah! I'm jealous! This one is gorgeous, but she appears to be mature. And I agree that they appear a bit alien and primitive. I think that's one of the things that I love about them. Thanks!

[@erikdieterle6586]

Hey Tom just heard your podcast on ordering online. It has a lot of great information that is important in ordering online. I just have to give a shout out to Fear not tarantulas. I had an issue with an order(totally on me and my fault) and they went above and beyond customer service. I'm super grateful to the gang there and they're patience and compassion. I'll out myself as someone who couldn't find a tiny sling( we're talking grain of sand with legs) in the moss. They did a wonderful job and helped me out, even calling me to get things figured out. I for one will be buying from them exclusively (especially since one shop here closed down and the other I'd have to order through anyway.). As always thanks for the great advice and for steering me towards a great invert dealer, and Fear not tarantula people who may read this thank you so much for helping this old fool.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hello, Erik! I'm so glad that it was helpful and that things worked out in the end. One of the reasons I have always recommended them is because they try their best to take care of people. And I actually sent this to them, so they definitely saw it! :) Thanks again!

[@mitch201211]

Some stunning little an big big spiders you got , I alway love your videos Tom, you alway teach an humour is alway what I see when I wacth your videos

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much, Mitch! I truly appreciate that! I always worry that I'm too dry. haha

[@1968tmb]

They are really cute! I have bought from Fear Not a few times after hearing you mentioning them and have always been happy with them.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much! And that's awesome! They've always done a great job taking care of anyone I send their way, which gives me a lot of peace of mind. :)

[@krisw2965]

I ordered a Liphistius Jarujien a couple of weeks ago from Fear Not- such a cool spider! I was thrilled to watch you rehouse these. I'm very much looking forward to updates and feeding videos 😊🕷️

[@TomsBigSpiders]

That's awesome, Kris! Hopefully, I can catch these guys hunting.

[@shallowblue8387]

The liphistius are so beautiful, love the "armor". Also, your podcast episode on the domestication of tarantulas is one of my favorites. Very thought provoking & especially interesting to us biology grads.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I do, too! And thank you so much. I was really worried abou tputting that one out, but I've been getting excellent feedback from those in the field. :)

[@weebro55]

I have a few Liphistius yangae and love them. One thing that I think works well for them is making the substrate a slope. In nature they can be found on steep hills and cave walls depending on the species. Plus having a slope increases the total available surface area for them to lay out their trip lines and makes it easier to film from the side of the enclosure.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much for this tip; I did not read that while doing the research, so that's great to hear. I was able to create a slope in the jarujien's enclosure, so we'll see how that goes. The other two burrowed and made their traps too quickly. In the future, I will give them all a slope. Thanks!

[@joannegalway1226]

Hi Tom and Billie, hope you’re both doing great. Happy Mother’s Day to you Billie😊 Terrific video once again. Real spiders are cool, your wee ones are beautifully marked. The wee velvet spider is so tiny, I’ve seen them before on Tarantula Kat’s channel too. Billie’s camera work was amazing as always. Enjoyed watching 😊 Take care and have a great week ahead too 😊😊

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hello, Joanne! Thank you so much! Yeah, they start off super tiny, and it's kind of intimidating at first (especially because you have to keep them dry). That said, they seem to be very hardy. Have a great weekend!!!

[@Evan858]

Hey Tom! Evan here, glad everything got there safe and sound. Sorry about all the tape, we thought it would be a silly little thing haha!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hey, Evan! Thank so much for the great job packing (I'm sure packing up that jarujini was a lot of "fun", right? ;) ). This was definitely an awesome box of spiders!

[@milofitz400]

Aaaand another to add to the ever expanding wishlist… man, Liphistius are so cool! 🤩

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hahaha Sorry about that! :)

[@kristiannolasco8451]

The man, the myth, the legend!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Ha! Thanks, Kristian!

[@JJDigitalartStudio]

Those are some nice tubes for slings. You sound like you have a cold too. I have had this since the week after we got home from oue vacay. THAT IS ONE BIG sling! This thing needs a real T keeper. Very big. And I bet she is beautiful.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hi, Joyce! Yeah, my allergies have been terrible lately. Lot of fun trying not to sniff through the entire video. haha And I hope that you guys had fun on your vacation! Thanks again!

[@JJDigitalartStudio]

@@TomsBigSpidersYes we enjoyed a week by the sea and then came home with souvenirs. Mike got the cold first from our great granddaughter. Then, being the kind of man he is, he shared it with me. I am still getting over that. Gone but not forgotten. LOL

[@mikepetersen7319]

In Germany We have the Eresus cinnabareus and the Females sometimes have a yellow coloured Face. They live mostly beneath or in between the Heather. But they're endangered and therefore forbidden to collect. Looking forward for feeding Videos of the Liphistius'. I always liked Trapdoor Spiders.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hey, Mike! Awwww...those sound amazing! Hopefully, their numbers start to incease. Thanks so much!

[@MOONOVERMIAMI]

Hello great video information unboxing and rehousing 120 % Tom 😂😂😂

[@TomsBigSpiders]

ALWAYS 120% here, Moon. hahahaha Thank you!

[@Thewidowpeak]

Awesome pickups! I may just pick some of those up myself

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Let me know if you do!

[@briancuprisin4571]

22:22 I won Fear Not's Facebook group drawing for the three Eresus species (balcanicus, walckenaeri, and ruficapillus) and have used the paper towel method with all three. They seem to be doing well and I would use this method again. All three were packed similarly to yours and my moss was dry on arrival. As per your previous Eresus video/podcast, I attempted to get them to scavenge-feed and all three rejected my offerings. I was forced to obtain and use flightless fruit flies (Drosophila hydei) and they have worked very well. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes before feeding to limit mobility.

[@candyscott489]

Was so excited when I saw you had a vid out 🎉 and talk about Excellent !! Congrats on your new spider’s 😊 Just wanted to say in general the true spider thing is going a little crazy in my own opinion.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Awwww...thanks, Candy! And the velvets and jumpers are definitely getting very popular... :)

[@chrisobt]

Hi Tom, I hope you and your family are doing well! I've been really busy lately, as I'm sure you can relate to! Great unboxing video. It's nice to see such a great video with such fascinating spiders. Thx! Eresus species are amazing "little" spiders, and the males have beautiful colors. Liphistius are great too, fascinating to observe, but I find they're not quite as easy to care for over a longer period. You have to pay a bit more attention compared to the common hobby spiders. Among others, I keep Liphistius sp. Khao Luang, Liphistius niphanae, Liphistius ornatus. I keep them all slightly more humid than most tarantula species, and I always build a sort of slope out of soil for the sub-adults and adults, creating an edge where they can build their burrow with a door. I use clay-rich soil for them. By the way, I've been following your podcast. Since you also talked about soil and setting up terrariums here in Europe, I personally mainly use soil from natural, regional sources, like forest soil, clay soil, and sandy soil from uninhabited areas, completely natural and uncontaminated soil. I usually mix this with some sand, peat, or terrarium soil, depending on the spider's origin. The same goes for moss and wood; I gather everything from nature. The only things I buy for the terrariums are cork pieces and water dishes. I've been doing this for over 20 years now and I can say I've never had a problem. Additionally, for each non-dry terrarium, I add a mix of humus soil, leaves, white wood, woodlice, and springtails to the surface. For almost the past 10 years, I've been designing the terrariums in this naturalistic direction; they're very close to nature. I don't use any skull decorations, plastic mushrooms, or toys in my terrariums like some KZbinrs do. I'm not a fan of that. Also, I don't think jumping spiders, just because they look cute, need a home that looks like something out of "Alice in Wonderland"! But that's another topic. So my friend, I wish you a wonderful week and stay save! Greetings Chris

[@pennyrockysmomma4445]

@chrisobt, I agree 100% with you about the enclosures for jumping spiders. I have 13 wild caught, mostly male, Phidippus Audax. I got them out of my pumpkin patch in October before the weather turned cold. I have them in plastic jars and glass canning jars, with about two inches of substrate, and some pieces of bark to climb, a small bit of sphagnum and a couple wild caught isopods. I personally don’t care for the doll house (as I call them) enclosures. But if someone else does, that’s fine, I just prefer as natural as possible to how they live in my yard and garden. With the pieces of bark leaned at an angle, they make their molt and sleeping hammocks on the bark instead of the lid to the container. I also have 3 T’s and keep them in naturalistic enclosures.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hey, Chris! So sorry...I completely missed this comment! Grat to hear from you, and I hope that things calm down for you. I've been quite busy myself, and I can't wait for my upcoming break. I've been making sure to keep the substrate moist in all of the enclosures, so hopefully humidity won't be an issue. And someone else mentioned the slope as well, which I was able to add with the L. jarujien. I will definitely make sure to do that next time. I with that they were a little more tight with pesticide and herbicide restrictions around here, as I would love to use stuff from outside. I'm just always worried that something might have been contaminated. I DO have some woods around that I may venture into in search of materials. Great to hear from you, and I hope that all is well! - Tom

[@georgecardiff1946]

Brilliant as always Tom, two beautiful species of spider 🕷 Tom, looking forward to the updates already, I recently purchased my first T stirmi, I'm very excited about raising that one up Tom.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Congrats on your T. stirmi, George! I will be doing a rehouse and update with all three of my Theraphosa very soon. Stirmi may be my favorite... :) Thanks again!

[@renaeblocker1701]

Hi Tom! I love watching the rehousing videos! I use your method of the lemonade/juice container with holes in it to transfer. I also use your idea of wadded tissue in the corner of the tub when rehousing and so far 💯 for me

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I'm so glad that it's working for you, Renae! :) That's awesome, thanks!

[@vexandivine4036]

Dont know what the odds are, but recently seen the armored trapdoor spider at a show near me and have been doing research with videos that are a few years old, and now a more recent video has cropped up, very cool looking spiders.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

That's awesome! Let me know if you end up picking one up!

[@mister4045]

Always cool to see new additions to the family. Excited to see more of these guys. I’m strongly considering getting a velvet spider soon 👀

[@TomsBigSpiders]

That's awesome! Let me know if you do!

[@jamesprice7470]

Great video tom they are beautiful spiders.i need to branch out and try some true spiders.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks, James! I've been branching out little by little over the past few years, and I'm discovering that true spiders can be just as fascinating as tarantulas!

[@pepperlee2313]

Loved this video. The trapdoors are so interesting.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much, Pepper!

[@LadyKakizaki]

Hey Tom! Great to see you back! 2:39-2:52 is probably my favourite clip from your entire channel, lol! I adore Liphistius sp. but I'm on a holding pattern at the moment, my collection is teetering on the edge of me not having enough room for adults, so I'm holding off on any new spiders for a while til some of these males mature. Speaking of D. tenebrosus and mature males, my tenebrosus just matured male so if you're interested in pairing your female let me know. I know it's your busy time of year and you don't do a lot of breeding anyway but figured I'd toss it out there. The velvet spiders are soooooo cute! Awesome video as always, I love your banter with Billie! Keep up the awesome work! - Charlotte

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hey, Charlotte! Hahaha Despite being exhausted, we had fun with this one. When I'm tired, my filter slips, so I'm always worried about what's going to come out of my mouth. And I completely get that. I was able to pick these up because I had a few mature males and true spiders pass. I try to be very careful to make sure that I never get into a situation where I don't have the room for the adults. And aren't they? I feel dumb for avoiding them for so long. haha I hope all is well!

[@michaeltaylor2449]

AWESOME video Tom

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you, Michael!

[@michaeltaylor2449]

@@TomsBigSpiders Your welcome Tom 😉👍

[@robertapelin5755]

I haven't finished the video yet (and I'll forget if I wait until I do, I'll edit if I have anything to add) but for the little velvets I think the vials are just perfect for a while. You could also take some of the moss out so they have more space to web and it's easier to see and feed them. I raised my Gandanameno sp in a pot with a bit of feather moss and it was fascinating to be able to see him hunt and web, and be able to keep track of molts. Now he's in a grown up enclosure where I don't get to see him as much, but when I do he's just amazing. I can't remember if you've kept Gandanameno sp too or just Eresus, but if you haven't I definitely recommend them, they're delightful and absolutely gorgeous. The G pulchra of the velvet spiders in my opinion, and the MMs have a nice grey mask which makes them look like little old men which I find hilarious. Edit: okay, I see you did rehouse them, oopsie

[@TomsBigSpiders]

No worries! haha And sorry for the late reply!

[@SirBeastlyBossAwesom]

This isnt related to your video but I wasnt sure where else to ask. I sent you an email through your website a few weeks ago and havent seen anything back yet. I know you're super busy! I just wanted to make sure your website contact page is still active so I can resend it elsewhere if not. It was regarding Acanthophrynus coronatus. Love all you do, thank you!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

It's still active, but apparently my responses have been landing in people's bulks. I'm pretty sure that I responded to that one, but I'll double check.

[@jeffreyleslie6222]

I have been a subscriber of your channel for a few years. Your domestication episode is where I get off.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Can you explain why, Jeffrey? I tried to explain my thoughts behind this, said that it was all theoretical, and expressed hopes that folks in the scientific community would chime in. The point was to get a discussion going about the possibility that through decades of captive breeding, we have changed them. I'm not sure why posing that question would elicit such a response.

[@jcmetallica48]

That seems drastic and closed-minded.

[@Thewidowpeak]

@@TomsBigSpiders makes sense to me, several generations of breeding in captivity where normal selective pressures don't apply, and instead the selective forces are the animals that do well in captivity, have the slings that tolerate low humidity. Etc.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Yeah, I was left very confused by this comment and reaction. I posed it as a possible theory, have received some great feedback on it, and that's it. I wasn't telling people to change how they kept them, nor did I say that this was fact. It was something I (and many other keepers) have wondered about. Thanks for remaining open minded! @@Thewidowpeak

[@TomsBigSpiders]

@@jcmetallica48 Thanks, Jcmetallica. In the very least, he could have explained why he was so bent out of shape by me expressing a theory.

[@jhagan5628]

Hello Tom, my name is Jerry and I'm new to the hobby of keeping tarantulas. I think it's been around 6 months ago when i got my first T. But i just wanted to say i really enjoy your content and all the information you put out for not just new people to the hobby but just to show the general population how damn cool and beautiful these dudes are. I've always had a fascination with animals and insects and thanks to watching your vids it's help feel confident enough to try to keep these guys..not due to fear of them but the fact that i knew if i got any that majority would exotic and not keeping them correctly could result in a loss of life in such amazing creatures. But anyways bud i just wanted to say keep up the amazing work and great content...big fan. And thanks again for all the help info...Jerry

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hello, Jerry! I really appreciate the kind words, and I'm so glad that you find this stuff useful. Thank you!

[@jhagan5628]

@@TomsBigSpiders ❤

[@riderscott3304]

Glad to see im not the only one that thought the mainstays containers would be great for liphistuis. Have my sp. Suwat in the exact same container. Different sub mix though though. Used a mix of reptisoil coco fiber and spagnim moss with some leaf litter on the top. 6 month later its still doing great. Curious to see if theres an update ina couple months. I havent caught it out but im pretty sure she comes out at night and does some rearranging. The moss and leaf litter in the enclosure never seems to be in the same place.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Great minds! hahaha And I will definitely do an update in the future!

[@JJDigitalartStudio]

People are strange.But Billie is the math genius. Hi Billie! They are all so cute except for Goliath. She is a big one. So pretty! Armored T's? Can that prevent them from being eaten?

[@TomsBigSpiders]

My math abilities dwindle the longer the day goes on. haha It cannot, unforunately. It's just a primitive feature that they somehow retained.

[@JJDigitalartStudio]

@@TomsBigSpidersAw. I thought of indestructible T's!

[@rain89skarlet80]

i have a ornithoctunus aureotibialis as my first T since 11 months as a sling...and its a GIRL

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Sounds like a wonderful spider, Rain!

[@philcounty1883]

Did I see massive palps on the Liphistius sp. ornatus when it first came out of the pot?

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Ummmm...I don't think so? haha

[@philcounty1883]

At 16:57, I know males are fairly rare but they looked like boxing gloves to me. Was reading a really interesting couple of threads on Arachnoboards by someone who bred them while keeping them communally. Would be amazing if they were bred more often in captivity.

[@MsMoonchild84]

😂 120% love this video! Haven’t finished watching so sorry if you answer this but do you know what the venom is like for the liphistius? I have an opportunity to pick up an liphistius yangae :) I haven’t moved into old world tarantulas but have a few “intermediate” new worlds. Thanks Tom

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Supposedly, a bit would be not be pleasant, but there is very little out there. Honestly, you'd have to be doing something foolish with these guys to get bit in the first place. Hope that helps...and thank you!

[@Lisa-eu9fy]

🕷💙💙💙💙💙🕷

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you, Lisa!

[@chantalspdrlvr]

Absolutely 💯 always, no one should ever be complaining, ever...right❤

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Exactly! hahaha

[@briancuprisin4571]

Tom, I've been in this hobby for almost four years now. I have new worlds and old worlds, fossorial, terrestrial and arboreal. Can you tell me how to take care of them? :D

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Absolutely, Brian...I'll get right on that. ;)

[@kyleholder3785]

i tried to get a liphistius from fnt but by the time they sent me the in stock alert they were long gone

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hi, Kyle! Really? They appear to still have them in stock: fearnottarantulas.com/search?q=liphistius

[@alexwhite6554]

I understand that your a spider guy but do you mess around with any other arachnids like scorpions or vingeroons?

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hi, Alex. I've kept vinegaroons, scorpions, and centepedes.

[@briancuprisin4571]

11:16 Wouldn't the leaf litter interfere with the web "feelers" laid down by the spider? I love the leaf litter but my inexperienced, uneducated brain tells me it would just be a hassle for the little bitty to navigate around.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

It definitely has not. The two smaller ones built their trap doors and have the trip lines going right over the leaves. In the wild, they would have to contend with some leaf litter as well. I worried about it as well, but it worked out fine.

[@JeffR.-ne4zg]

Hi Tom. Great video as always! Quick question; Any tricks to getting to see centipedes? I picked one up recently from my local shop and now I have a nice looking box of dirt. Lol. The crickets disappear but I don’t get to see them do so. I’ve snuck in after the lights go out at many different times but no luck. Thank you

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I usually check on mine at night after the lights have been off for a while. I'll often catch them out exploring.

[@JeffR.-ne4zg]

Maybe mine is molting, idk. The last time I saw it was right after I added it to the enclosure. It slammed a long drink of water and disappeared. It lives under the water bowl. I can just see a leg or two down the burrow. I’ve gone in my spider room at all hours of the night and never seen it outside the burrow since I brought it home. 🤷‍♂️Lol. Hopefully the poor thing is happy

[@jcmetallica48]

Is that a 8x8x12 Kahooti enclosure from Amazon? I have 3 and swear they look just like that. Never see anyone with them though.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

This one is a Crapelles, but they are probably the same types of enclosures under different names.

[@TheSilverSphincter69]

are there any cool weather tarantulas ?

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Some of the high elevation ones like it cooler. Abdomegophobema mesomelas comes to mind as one.

[@briciudan]

Hi Tom. I hope you have enough time to read my comment, and I also hope you answer (help me). I now have three Liphistius Sp. Khao Luang "big black," but all of them are really tiny (a fruit fly is bigger). I don't know how I can care for these little wonders. Can you help me with some advice? Thank you very much. P.S. - You do great work! 👏

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Oh man...that sounds stressful. For my super tiny slings, I have used springtails before. They can hunt those.

[@briciudan]

"Springtails." I hadn't thought about it. It sounds good. Hopefully, with some luck and your advice, they'll live. Thanks, man... and once again, THANKS.

[@jasonjohnson5497]

Hey Tom, have you noticed any lengthy premolts/ slow growth rate of your eresus walkenari? I’ve had one since December (itty bitty sling) and it STILL hasn’t molted and it just keeps being a little piggy and eating fruit flies 😂😂 I’m not trying to absolutely engorge this thing like a tick because I try to not have obese spiders but.. these things seem to prefer it? 😅 Any advice is appreciated so much

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Oh, heck yes. haha I would stop feeding mine for a bit, assuming that it HAD to be in premolt. When it didn't molt, I would drop in food again and it would eat. They definitely take a while in between molts, and they can get quite chubby. That's quite natural for them.

[@RealMelodyBlue]

First

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Well done, Melody!

[@RealMelodyBlue]

@@TomsBigSpiders thanks, I can't tell which one I like till they get a little bigger, but right now, I like the bigger one, although I am not a big trap door spider fan.

[@mail-bg1tp]

Nice video! Liphistius sp are certainly very cool!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you!