Good T/spider text?

andrew_w_hill

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Messages
4
Hey guys. I'm looking for a good informative tome on spiders in general or tarantulas specifically. Foelix's The Biology of Spiders looks good, but it has a 14-year-old copyright date. Beccaloni's Arachnids is newer, but seems to be more of a fleshed-out coffee table book (and goes into scorpions, ticks, etc, which I find interesting but not as much as spiders). Does anyone have an opinion on these two books and/or a completely different one in mind?
 

nurunuru

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 22, 2009
Messages
34
Even as I write this I imagine someone else is writing a recommendation for 'The Tarantula Keeper's Guide' by Stanley and Marguerite Schultz. It's a fine book and now in its 3rd edition.
 

B8709

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
194
Even as I write this I imagine someone else is writing a recommendation for 'The Tarantula Keeper's Guide' by Stanley and Marguerite Schultz. It's a fine book and now in its 3rd edition.
Only one you need.
 

Anubis77

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 15, 2005
Messages
281
Foelix's text is still a good reference to have. You won't find micrographs of that quality in that type of organization in many other books.
 

kenzie

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
92
Ditto

We use this book all the time. Whether we want to see a picture of a species we aren't familiar with or just about anything. Very helpful.

Even as I write this I imagine someone else is writing a recommendation for 'The Tarantula Keeper's Guide' by Stanley and Marguerite Schultz. It's a fine book and now in its 3rd edition.
 

Stan Schultz

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 16, 2004
Messages
1,677
First, let me thank you all for your kind words about the Guide. They are much appreciated.

And, Ranier Foelix is now actively working on an update to Biology of Spiders, a third edition. It was supposed to be out in the summer of 2010, but apparently is late. See http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/ge...nvertebratezoology/?view=usa&ci=9780199734825 for details. That's not too surprising. Writing a new book, or even editing a previous edition of a work of that kind is a truly daunting project, especially if you maintain the high standards for accuracy and credibility that he does. I'm sure your patience will be well rewarded!

Lastly, if you read Stan's Rant (http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.html) the other three books listed about halfway down the page are also very good reference books on arachnoculture, though not necessarily on the science of Arachnology. I strongly urge you to add these to your library if you haven't already. None of these books are terribly expensive (by comparison, I've seen some $500 college texts on selected, esoteric medical and engineering subjects), but as a group they provide about as complete a coverage of the subject as you're likely to get anywhere.

Enjoy your 8-legged little buddies!
 

Redneck

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
1,393
You know.. I keep hearing all this good stuff about the TKG.. But I have yet to read it.. I have never read any books on T's since entering the T hobby.. I have however read everything here on AB.. (*Edit* Well not "everything".. But alot.. :D)

Might have to invest in the TKG one day..
 

Stan Schultz

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 16, 2004
Messages
1,677
You know.. I keep hearing all this good stuff about the TKG.. But I have yet to read it.. I have never read any books on T's since entering the T hobby.. I have however read everything here on AB.. (*Edit* Well not "everything".. But alot.. :D)

Might have to invest in the TKG one day..
Oops! Sorry! I just fell off my chair! {D

Yes, you can do it and probably come out okay. But, one can only wonder why so many others who apparently also haven't read any of those books, but have read what goes on here plus all the caresheets on the 'Net are having so much trouble. I think the correlation isn't just accidental.

But then, I have an interest in this argument, I may be prejudiced, and I may be wrong.

Best of luck. Keep up the good work.
 

xhexdx

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 20, 2007
Messages
5,357
I only have the first edition, and haven't opened it in years.

It's a good series, but definitely isn't a requirement to be able to properly take care of your spiders.

People are having trouble because they aren't doing research, period.
 

Redneck

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
1,393
Oops! Sorry! I just fell off my chair! {D

Yes, you can do it and probably come out okay. But, one can only wonder why so many others who apparently also haven't read any of those books, but have read what goes on here plus all the caresheets on the 'Net are having so much trouble. I think the correlation isn't just accidental.

But then, I have an interest in this argument, I may be prejudiced, and I may be wrong.

Best of luck. Keep up the good work.
Well.. I wasnt suggesting not to get the book or nothing.. Infact I plan to get it one day.. I just havent found use for it yet..
 

AR-Tarantula

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Messages
150
My first reference for tarantulas was the TKG. It does provide a good, basic introduction to keeping tarantulas. However, I gleaned probably the same information, probably much more and more up-to-date, from searching these boards (for free, or the cost of my internet service) - an unparalleled electronic resource as far as I am concerned.
 

NikiP

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Messages
539
Well.. I wasnt suggesting not to get the book or nothing.. Infact I plan to get it one day.. I just havent found use for it yet..
Same here. Have yet to read it & haven't had any issues. At some point I will buy it just for the sake of having it.

Avic slings don't even scare me ;)
 
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