U.K. Man Has Over 700 Tarantulas!

Following a bipolar disorder diagnosis, Aaron Phoenix began adopting tarantulas after his doctor told him that a hobby could help improve his mental well-being. Now, he has over 700 of the large spiders. However, many Animal rights organizations, including PETA, advocate against the keeping of tarantulas in captivity. 

Phoenix is not the only person who has a large collection of tarantulas. In Colorado Springs, Liz Lopes has adopted 68 tarantulas after her first spider helped her overcome her arachnophobia. Despite this large number, Aaron Phoenix has obtained more than ten times the arachnids. 

Phoenix resides in the United Kingdom, where he has a special room in his home that houses the tarantulas. The room has been dubbed the “tarantula cave” and is equipped with habitats for each of the creatures. Dozens of tarantula species are represented, the largest of which is a burgundy goliath tarantula. Also called a goliath birdeater, these tarantulas are the biggest spiders in the world. Their leg span is around the width of a dinner plate. 

Although breeding his own mealworms and crickets saves him money, Phoenix still spends over 100 pounds sterling a month on care costs for the tarantulas in his care. He buys special substrates including leaf litter, cork bark, and sphagnum moss. 

Some of the tarantulas under Phoenix’s care are rescued. Female tarantulas can live for up to 25 years. This can be shocking to some people, who decide that they no longer want to care for these exotic creatures. Phoenix says that many times, people message him asking if he will take in tarantulas they no longer want. He has also stated that he saved some of his spiders from the street, where they were left in their enclosures after their previous person moved. 

Eventually, Phoenix hopes to open a spider shop. For now, he and his tarantulas sometimes visit children’s parties. There, children and their parents can interact with the large spiders.

Since tarantulas have poor eyesight, they sense vibrations through their legs and body hairs. For this reason, handling tarantulas is often considered harmful as it limits their ability to “see” their environment. When tarantulas become scared, they may bite in self-defense. Since they are venomous, this can lead to dangerous situations for both the person bitten and the tarantula.

Although Phoenix feels that adopting tarantulas has helped his mental health, it is important to note that many tarantulas sold as pets were captured from the wild. Indeed, the Mexican red-kneed tarantula is not listed as threatened due in large part to the pet trade. The pet trade also often mishandles tarantulas. This can cause the arachnids undue stress and suffering. 

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