Is The Tarantula Hobby Coming to an End?

[Cas S]

The recent ban on Poeci selling between states, and the lacey act honestly scare me that the hobby is beginning to come to an end. Anyone else feel the same way?

 

[BoyFromLA]

I am rather opposite.

 

[Noah Blades]

Ya seems to me that 10 or 15 years ago there where a small handful of the species available and no such thing as YouTube, and now there are several tables of vendors at every REPTILE show doing Ts. I didn't care for Ts until I realized how much the hobby has grown. When I was a teen way back when there was only imported adults of a handful of species so it seemed boring. Now there are thousands of people watching petco and Tom Moran just feeding Ts. Im thinking the hobby has never been better and that's why the government is putting their hands into it. It has caught their attention

 

[Ellenantula]

I can't imagine the T hobby declining. And if I decide to buy add a pokie, I am confident I can find someone within my state to purchase from.

Ts are very calming -- easy care -- the ideal pet when others pets make one weary. [Not that I don't love traditional pets, but I have a BP right now who refuses to eat following a weird 50-piece shed (complete shed -- just not in one piece -- moisture levels & warmth totally normal add usually adequate!). A cat whose snoring requires steroid shots. A BD who has decided that only waxworms are edible right now.]

Ts are an ideal pet -- can't imagine the hobby will suffer. Simple needs and care -- big rewards for minimal effort, imo. Those not willing to jump through a T few hoops probably aren't all that dedicated anyway.

 

[Vanisher]

Yes everything is coming to an end! If not by natural disaster, world war 3 or a zombie apocalypse, i can inform you that the sun is going to die in 5 million years!

 

[Serpyderpy]

I really don't understand why people feel as if this hobby is declining. Maybe I shouldn't comment because I'm still very much a greenhorn, but I've seen more and more people worried that it's fading. From what I've read the hobby has come leaps and bounds from where it used to be, and there are now more species than ever to collect and care for. Maybe central hubs of activity are fading, but forums aren't exactly what people use nowadays. Places like Reddit, tumblr and Discord are pretty active with tarantula enthusiasts and communities, and you can get a steady stream of content from sellers and hobbyists alike on places like Facebook and Twitter.

There's also the fact that people who were in this hobby ten, twenty, thirty years ago are getting old and don't want to continue, maybe they can't continue, it's just how things change, but just because it's changing doesn't mean it's coming to an end. Maybe there are some unwanted eyes on the hobby because it's growing and people are doing dumb stuff in its name, but for every moron there's hundreds of sane people who are just happy owning, buying, selling tarantulas. I think the hobby can only go up from here.

 

[PanzoN88]

Never, as I PanzoN88 AKA orejas will not let that come to pass.

 

[Patherophis]

The recent ban on Poeci selling between states and the lacey act

Panic and paranoia around these is far worse than the regulations themselves...

 

[Introvertebrate]

I wasn't aware of that Pokie ban. Apparently it only effects the cheaper Sri Lankan species. This might force me to shell out more money and buy the one I really want - the Gooty.

 

[CommanderBacon]

The recent ban on Poeci selling between states, and the lacey act honestly scare me that the hobby is beginning to come to an end. Anyone else feel the same way?

No-?

 

[Ellenantula]

Just seeing new faces on AB convinces me the hobby is still flourishing.

I feel confident, working within the law, I can still build a very decent and respectable collection here in USA. At least for now.

 

[Liquifin]

Apparently it only effects the cheaper Sri Lankan species.

No, all Sri Lankan species are affected by this. This includes vittata, ornata, smithi, subfusca (both high/low land), and fasciata.

This might force me to shell out more money and buy the one I really want - the Gooty.

I assuming P. metallica? Those aren't too expensive now, you can buy one around $70-$80 if you look around good enough. Indian pokies aren't affected yet, so I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[nicodimus22]

No. I see more interest in it now than ever.

It's always going to be somewhat niche, because a very negative view of tarantulas has been programmed into most people by family, friends, TV, and movies, but that's OK. It's not for everybody.

 

[Liquifin]

The recent ban on Poeci selling between states, and the lacey act honestly scare me that the hobby is beginning to come to an end. Anyone else feel the same way?

The pokie ban only affected the Sri Lankan species, but not the Indian species. The Lacey Act has been around forever (over 100 years) . No, the hobby is not at an end. I would've done some research before creating this thread if I were you .

This hobby has increased with the internet coming to rise .

Any how, if you're here (or anyone in general) reading this thread. It means they're interested in T.'s or inverts just as much as you are. There's no need to worry about a hobby ending if they're people flocking into this hobby/forums. There isn't any end to any hobby I know of as long as there is a passion.

 

[CommanderBacon]

Just seeing new faces on AB convinces me the hobby is still flourishing.

I feel confident, working within the law, I can still build a very decent and respectable collection here in USA.

I actually enjoy US native species quite a bit, and loving them more every day. My dream to establish a good collection of them once I have more room and use them for educational purposes.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

I wish people would stop saying there is a "pokie ban." The Sri Lankan Poecilotheria species are considered endangered and have been put on the endangered species list. When one or more species makes it to the endangered species list, there are going to be restrictions on imports and interstate trade. There is no outright ban however. People in the USA can still breed and trade Sri Lankan Poecilotheria species, but making money off of it is a no-no.

The enforcement of the Lacey Act for Brazilian tarantula species is another matter and I don't have all of the facts on why Brazil decided to make a fuss about it with the USFWS so I can't comment.

People are funny in that drama and controversy overshadow all of the good things and progress being made in the international tarantula keeping community. One big accomplishment no one ever seems to talk about is how Mexican tarantula keepers and scientists are working with their government to produce captive bred spiderlings for export specifically for the international pet trade. That's a big deal not only from a wildlife conservation stand point but from a hobby perspective as well. We have more Mexican species available now than ever before. While people are whining and crying about a few species of Poecilotheria or Brazilian tarantula species, we have Aphonopelma mooreae and Aphonopelma sp. "Diamondback" in the USA! That's huge!

As time passes for a tarantula keeper, one will notice species disappearing then reappearing in the hobby over and over. It's nothing new and what is common today will be gone tomorrow. If anything the tarantula keeping community is getting larger and larger every year. More scientists are studying them and more people are wanting them as pets. Both are a double edged sword.

 

[Greasylake]

If the restriction of trade on a handful of species of tarantula (a very small percentage of those we have available) is enough to kill an entire community then that community wasn't very passionate. I can guarantee people will still be keeping pretty much no matter what. I mean look at Australia, they can only keep native species and there's a community over there. The tarantula hobby is here to stay.

 

[Paul1126]

The hobby is very popular, look at youtube and how many people watch exotic lair. It is booming right now.

 

[Goopyguy56]

The government has been getting involved with reptiles for a long time. It was only a matter of time before they started to get their fingers into t's. The hobby is not coming to an end but we have to do what we can to keep lawmakers and the general public from being ignorant.

 

[Rigor Mortis]

Not in the slightest. Give it ten or fifteen years and we might see more regulations like the pokie deal but in no way is the hobby ending.