5 Alternative Inverts I Recommend!

[@Almonte-e8q]

Millipedes and Isopods are great pets. We take care of several species beside our tarantulas- we startet this first as a kids' project but meanwhile these animals are definitively the hidden stars of our collection. Mantides and Phasmides are a further suggestion to deal with.

[@annaanchondo]

Centipedes are amazing inverts! Even if you don't see them that often, it's always rewarding when they do come out and you get to see them. They are beautiful and fascinating creatures. It would be great if you got a centipede and showed it on your channel!

[@Inverts4Introverts]

Agreed. I'd say they are some of the top best inverts I've had. My huge dahaani was always out. Had him I'm a 40 gal breeder filled with plants and small millipedes. He was 8 inches and built like a tank and would just mob around all night. You could hear his legs taping across his cork bark. Rip Mr.Wiggles. you'll always be missed.

[@Spiderdan-59]

Siouxsie and the banshees❤

[@AB-zm4mj]

Wow the black and white isopod are gorgeous! I think I want some blue death beetles though ❤

[@D-me-dream-smp]

For some reason I kept hearing “tailless whip” scorpions as Taylor Swift scorpions and was quite perplexed as to why a species of scorpions might be named after a pop singer.

[@great-grandmakirk8828]

I think that the Rubber Duckies are the cutest and are my favorites.🥰👏🏼 you are also my favorite 😂🤣

[@pennyrockysmomma4445]

I have 14 wild caught Bold jumping spider males, one female Apache jumper, I found her as a greenish brown sling and was surprised when she molted into the beautiful Apache! And one old man Carolina jumping spider. All my male Bolds are mature or juveniles, I get them out of my pumpkin patch. I figure they have done their jobs with the girls and have spent all summer eating squash bugs and cucumber beetles, and deserve to spend the cold months inside with me, being fed yummy crickets and mealworms. If they are still with me when the weather warms up enough, I’ll release them back out in whatever I grow next year! And I have a juvenile Hogna Antelucana wolfie, and a curly hair T!

[@TarantulaHaven]

Very cool! How kind of you for bringing them in during the cold. I think we have Bold jumpers here in Florida but I have never seen one. It’s difficult to find the Regal as it is. I wish I had known they were at my mother-in-law’s all this time. 😂

[@dustind4694]

Don't know much about much, but I show up when I see Siouxsie and people looking after unusual critters in the same place.

[@Stayfnay42]

I was hoping vinegaroons would make the list. I bought two different species at an expo last year and fell in love. They're so docile and harmless, yet still prone to bouts of dramatic posturing if you disturb them. We have 7 known species in the US, including Florida, so you may be able to find some in your own back yard. Mine have been no more difficult to keep than the easiest of tarantulas, and they are VERY active at night

[@laurendobelbower2713]

I was also really hoping vinegaroons would be on this list -- I was thinking it would be #1!! They are SO easy going, handable (if you are into that), and entertaining to watch as they excavate or catch prey. Simply the best, next to Ts!

[@TarantulaHaven]

I’ve kept a couple of Vingaroons. I ended up giving both of them to my son who enjoys them. We caught one in our backyard once many years ago that we kept as a pet and apparently it really made an impression on him. I view them pretty much like a scorpion without the sting. I may keep one again but I don’t really get excited about them. Maybe it’s because I hate the smell of vinegar. 😂

[@candyscott489]

I said the same thing

[@laurendobelbower2713]

@@TarantulaHavenHa! That's awesome. I'd love to see one in the wild!

[@joshuarosenblatt]

Great vid. I actually got into isopods several months ago while putting together a bioactive leopard gecko enclosure. P pruinosis- Ordered them from Rus@Aquarimax (whom I adore). Have since gotten a few more species A gestroi, A klugii (Montenegro) and A maculatum. They are all starting to expand. Through Rus I found Rich at TC and you and now my T collection is growing :) BDFB are on my list. Will set up a 20 gall breeder for a community this year I expect :)

[@reptiletailz108]

I breed Dubias and I took a small lot of them 1 male and the rest all sizes of nymphs and I set them up with moss and wood and bark and it's the coolest setup

[@BuddyTheBudgie200]

I have a Brilliant jumping spider (also called Phidippus Claris) her name is Nona.❤❤❤❤ I LOVE JUMPING SPIDERS!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@edgufler1122]

Awesome video as always Alex. My Favorite in your list... I don't have any .. are the Isopods. Happy you have so many variations of the Isopods

[@thexGRIMMx1]

I enjoy true spiders (Phoneutria, Heteropoda, Ctenus) I've kept quite a few. I need to get into whip scorpions.

[@SeverusSnape12345]

Millipedes are another neat one. I have a colony of bumblebee millipedes and love watching them walk around. The way their legs wave as they walk is so mesmerizing! Their care is similar to an isopod, though they need more substrate to dig in, don't really need much in the way of protein sources and you dampen the entire enclosure rather than give them a gradient.

[@TarantulaHaven]

I keep some millipedes but I’m still figuring them out. I haven’t had much luck with them. They keep dying on me. 😔

[@SeverusSnape12345]

@@TarantulaHaven Oh no. That's not good. I hope you can get them figured out and have them start thriving.

[@sunshinecarnivores1919]

Gues isopods are like Pokemon, gotta get them all!

[@MOONOVERMIAMI]

Hello great video information Alex

[@TarantulaHaven]

Thank you! 😊

[@natashamalpusthamesartnail1228]

Thanks Alex, great video as always 😊

[@TarantulaHaven]

Thank you Natasha! Glad you enjoyed it. 😊

[@ChantalsCritters]

Great list. Isopods I lovem they are crustaceans.

[@TarantulaHaven]

Thank you! I think it’s cool that they are little crustaceans. I can’t get over all of their beautiful colors. 😄

[@RogerRotofer]

Isopods ISOpods ISOPODS!!! I love ISOPODS....Ive always been a bug guy (I became an artist after teachning my self how to draw because I wanted to draw beetles) But in the last 4 years it was isopods that rekindled my passion for bugs and now ive got a large collection of spiders, scorpions, isopods (obviously) some whip spiders, millipedes, mantids, assasin bugs, and the crown jewel of my collection...my VINEGAROON....I think you should have mentioned pystalla Horrida instead of death feigners but I guess you need a kid friendly option somwhere

[@thesteelbutterfly]

Great recs Alex! Also I approve of the Siouxsie shirt as well!

[@TarantulaHaven]

Thank you! Love Siouxsie! I got to see her a few times growing up. I missed her this time around. I was really surprised to see her touring again. 🤓👍🏼

[@Nicky-gv9mm]

Good video and great t-shirt mate 😊

[@TarantulaHaven]

Thank you! Yes! I love Siouxsie. I would have loved to have seen her when she toured this year but The Cure took all my money. 😂

[@Nicky-gv9mm]

@@TarantulaHaven I know the feeling well mate 🤣

[@reptiletailz108]

Idk if roaches are on the list or not but there really pretty awesome and I absolutely want a centipede so bad

[@seansspoods9521]

Hi Alex, great video as always, got scorpion, well, since it had babies scorpions lol, still want more though, just the black ones i think for now, not got into the tailess whips....yet....who knows, centipedes, nope, no thank you, yeah like you, find them interesting but they freak me out lol, millipedes id have again though. Jumpers, ive had regal before and bred them, yes heartbreakers agreed. Blue feining beetles, been thinking about for a while i will admit, love those spider beetles though lol. Isopods, now ive not bit the bullet on those.....yet, i have been keeping some native ones just to see how i get on, so who knows, im surprised you didnt have mantis or stick insects in there lol. Always great to see videos from you, my channels growing.....albeit slowly lol. Keep well 👍🏻

[@TarantulaHaven]

You have to get tailless whip scorpions. I think you would love them. Same with death feigning beetles. I wasn’t too sure when I got isopods but when I started keeping and next thing I knew they started making lots and lots of babies It got me wanting to keep more. 😂

[@seansspoods9521]

@@TarantulaHavenI've got a friend who breeds different isopods, I'm tempted to get a party mix see what different morphs come out of it. If I get the feigning beetles I'll have to get a dessert hairy scorpion too, I've seen a few people do that and they look and get on pretty well.

[@LadyKakizaki]

Hey Alex! Tom Moran recommended you! Great video! I am an absolute centipede lover and can absolutely confirm they really do spend most of their time burrowed but when you see them out it's kinda like seeing a unicorn! I love my one scorpion, H. laoticus, and I'm hoping to keep T. stigmurus in the future! Really love the setup of this video, I appreciate that you included both pros AND cons. It's always important to know what difficulties you may face ahead of time especially when it comes to the life of an animal. My friend has a D. medius tailless whip scorpion and he loves it! I absolutely need to get one in the future, they look SO cool! I wonder/worry about hybridisation in tailless whip scorpions, I assume as arachnids they are similar enough to tarantulas that different species can reproduce at times and I worry that the lack of proper description both on websites and in pet stores could lead to possible hybridisation in the future. I can't wait to get some A. varrucosus, I have had my eye on them since before they were commonly kept and I absolutely love my darkling beetles and superworm beetles that I breed, so I definitely look forward to keeping these in the future! I had NO IDEA the spider beetles existed, thank you so much for putting them on my radar! They are adorable!!!! Totally agree that jumpers are heartbreakers; those and black widows. I love them so much but they're just so short lived! Isopods are awesome but terrify me lol, I started with like 20 each of powder blue, powder orange, and dwarf white and now I have like 3 of each powder and 5 million dwarf whites just a few months later. I love them but the way they can explode is pretty wild! Awesome video, glad Tom Moran recommended you! - Charlotte

[@TarantulaHaven]

Awesome! I love Tom, he’s one of my heros. I would definitely look into the whip scorpions. I don’t know how likely they are to interbreed but I would definitely know what species you’re getting. I think they don’t get enough credit. They are reclusive but I do get a lot of enjoyment out of them.

[@tarantu-leah]

Hey Alex! Great video. Thanks for all information and an awesome list! I do still keep mantis species even though they only live a year, but they're just so cool to watch them eat!!

[@TarantulaHaven]

I love mantises. I’ve kept them but they always break my heart. I would like to keep some orchid mantises at some point. They are amazing and so smart. 🤓👍🏼

[@MCReptiles]

Only one from the list I have yet to get are scorpions YET. One I have been trying so hard to find are assassin bugs. They seem so amazing and would love to setup a bio active enclosure for a group of them.

[@TarantulaHaven]

I had assassin bugs but I didn’t do too well with them. They eat a lot and when they start breeding they breed like crazy. It’s tough to keep up.

[@MCReptiles]

@@TarantulaHaven heard that from someone else to lol. I have three pretty big colonies of red runners I need help feeding off. My reptiles can't keep up due to me also having dubia roaches, crickets and super worms.

[@whatsthetemma1308]

Isopods really have become popular. Have you got any rubberduckys? Ants like leaf cutters are also making an appearance in the invert community in the UK. How about Inthe USA?

[@TarantulaHaven]

Yeah, I had rubber duckies on the video. 😂 I couldn’t do ants. Don’t have the room and I wouldn’t want to get into all of those little attachable, expandable enclosures. I think ants are pretty restricted around here. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Xiporah]

I once survived a vicious attack from a magic potion isopod who tried to eat me alive. I had one out on my wrist for a picture and it started chewing on me. 😂

[@TarantulaHaven]

LOL! They do nibble! I thought that P. haasi was gonna start chewing on me. They are too cute! 😊

[@kacykidwell480]

This is the first video of yours I've seen. Subscribed too. But i had a quick question? What kind of lights do you have above the enclosures behind you? Do you possibly have a link or something to them?

[@TarantulaHaven]

Thank you. I really appreciate the sub. Yes, the lights are LED puck lights available on Amazon. They come in different light amounts. a.co/d/9uez6NF

[@kacykidwell480]

Thank you so much for the info. Love the content, great information and some awesome creatures you have.

[@TheScolopendraMetuendaMan]

Centipedes are fun! just consider how you preform under pressure and do your research

[@TarantulaHaven]

I may consider one someday. I hear they are masters of escape. Is this true?

[@TheScolopendraMetuendaMan]

@@TarantulaHaven Its sorta overblown but honestly its not that hard to prevent, I would love to see you keeping some but I understand not wanting to lol

[@amysweb4815]

I keep my blue death feigning beetles with my desert hairy scopion

[@TarantulaHaven]

I want to do that. I think next expo I go to I’m gonna pick up a desert hairy. I’ve never had one. 🤓👍🏼

[@amysweb4815]

@@TarantulaHaven you have to be careful to take the beetles out when the scorpion is molting as the beetles may nibble on the scorpion but appart from that they are quite easy. Mine hasn’t molted in my care but apparently molting can go wrong in captivity

[@phleb069jw]

Ended up grabbing a 10 count of isos from Petco about 2 months ago... Now I have like 50. 😂 And all I was trying to do was go bioactive with my box turtle lol.

[@TarantulaHaven]

Sounds like you’re doing a good job keeping them. Do you know what species you have?

[@beccapenny]

Same! I bought 10 dairy cows and now I have...a lot lol! I love seeing the little babies! ❤

[@phleb069jw]

So I think I just ended up with a mixture. I've got orange, purple, gray, some multicolored. Definitely not sure on species but I've got Skittles. Lol so that's kind of cool to me.

[@electladynanci]

Im with you on the centerpeds. Tho I love spiders and taranhulas I find them far too creepy for my taste. I think it has to be all of those legs.....

[@TarantulaHaven]

LOL! Those pointy legs give me the creeps. When I see them wrap them around their prey they seem like they would hurt. I do worry about their venom. Not that I would be handling but they’re much less wieldy than tarantulas when it comes to rehousing or dealing with out of their enclosures. 😬

[@tonylott8167]

If you have an explosion of isopods could you use them as feeders?

[@TarantulaHaven]

Not with tarantulas. The bigger ones won’t pay attention to them. I think spiderlings may have a difficult time with them. Maybe with the porcellio species that don’t roll up into a ball. 🤔

[@amysweb4815]

Great video

[@TarantulaHaven]

Thank you! Any other inverts you keep?

[@amysweb4815]

@@TarantulaHaven I keep scorpions, death feigning beetles lots of different types of roaches a whip scorpion and in the past I've had mantis isopods and millipedes. Centipedes are not something I will ever keep

[@thexGRIMMx1]

I love centipedes. I like the "downright deadly" scorpions as well. But I won't keep mantids. I like them but the lifespan is too short. I won't keep millipedes, or dairy cows and other isopods. I like predators, so that's my big draw.

[@china_sickness7005]

If only mantids and scorpions lived 20 years like tarantulas. My biggest reason for not getting into other invertebrates is the shorter lifespan. My favorite insect group is the mantids, but they live such short lives that it’s hardly worth keeping them in my opinion. Even dwarf tarantulas can supposedly live to 8 or more years. That’s as long as most large dogs like Saint Bernards and Great Danes

[@jemrobertoacosta]

I took care of a spiny flower mantis in the beginning of 2022, by Dec same year She was already on her final molt. She lasted till February this year but the last month was horrible her limbs started to go black and she had trouble climbing and had to crawl on the ground

[@TarantulaHaven]

Yep. I love mantids but it kills me that they have such short life spans. I don’t have the space to breed and keep the offspring so I don’t keep them anymore. If someone sends me one I’ll keep it and love it but it always breaks my heart when they die.

[@china_sickness7005]

@JoseManuel-ds2bm maybe because you don’t even have enough time to properly enjoy the animal before it’s dead. If I’m going to be spending money on enclosures, food, and the animal itself, it seems pretty logical that I would want something that will live longer than two years

[@clnfreakone8486]

You keep isopods in with any of your tarantulas? Love the videos keep up the great work

[@naomie2870]

ive heard mixed things about doing this but I wouldn't risk doing it because if a tarantula is hurt or sickly the isopods will eat them

[@TarantulaHaven]

I don’t. I tried it but it didn’t work out. The enclosure dried out and the isopods died. Larger isopods can overwhelm your tarantula when it’s vulnerable and I wouldn’t want to risk losing a tarantula to them.

[@MrGreensweightHist]

Black lights are bad for the scorpion. it may look cool, but it stresses them out and is thought to cause damage to the carapace.

[@amysweb4815]

My emperor scorpion passed away a few days ago

[@TarantulaHaven]

Aw. Sorry to hear that. They’re still a little scarce in the hobby right now since their importation has been banned.

[@pepperlee2313]

I caught my jumping spider in the house she laid 2 egg sacs and I keep 2 and put the rest outside.

[@TarantulaHaven]

That’s the way to do it. I did that with some of the babies I raised. Unfortunately I haven’t seen any around the house. I may try to breed pumpkin when she gets old enough and release the babies again. I would love to have them living around the house. I think the lizards eat them up though.

[@MaliciousMollusc]

Man, I wish H. Swammerdami is more available. (The biggest scorpion today)

[@TarantulaHaven]

Me too. I get frustrated with them because it’s always Asian Forest Scorpion but no species name. I’m just assuming the one I have is spinifer based on appearance and it being common but I really am not sure. The emperor I’m sure of.

[@MaliciousMollusc]

@@TarantulaHaven I personally like P. Cavimanus to the Emperor. They're a bit more active and less glacial.

[@jakerubino3233]

Our Aussie scorpions won’t be too willing to be handled without pain. Most of our desert and arid rock scorpions are downright cantankerous at the least.

[@candyscott489]

No vinegaroons

[@TarantulaHaven]

Yeah, I don’t have any. 😅

[@Doki_Doki_is_peak]

You forgot about mantises ,stick insects and land crabs

[@ceopet]

I totally understand why some people like centipedes but they personally creep me out too much lol

[@johnsantos9108]

Hate how those big magnificent rhino and stag beetles live only like a few months as an adult.

[@KittyBittyBoo]

SIOUXIE SHIRT SIOUXIE SHIRT

[@TarantulaHaven]

YES! I love Siouxsie! I can’t be a Cure fan without loving Siouxsie as well. I wish could have seen her on tour this year but I did get to see plenty of video of her performing. 💜

[@billbolton7108]

Pet Ants are easy

[@TarantulaHaven]

I’ll settle for watching Ants Canada. I know myself. I would jump in whole hog. 😂

[@billbolton7108]

@@TarantulaHavenants are really misunderstood

[@ariframli1343]

Madagascar hissing cockroaches should be in here!

[@Inverts4Introverts]

My list not that anyone cares. 5) scorpions 4)centipedes 3)Ants 2)mantids 1)centipedes