About Us
The name says it all - "8 paws". Many people are afraid of spiders and do not think that anyone could like them. Well, we do because we love all kinds of animals! We are especially interested in studying Arachnids, specifically spiders, with a particular passion for the Theraphosidae family, which is made up of creatures also known as "bird eating spiders" or more commonly called tarantulas.
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The hobby began in the early 2000s, as we all found ourselves in the meadows in the summer to observe common spiders’ behaviors, habits, and their extravagant colors. I was not in the United States at that time, but in Costa Volpino, Italy, my hometown. Besides being one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Italy is also lucky enough to have one of the most active arachnological associations in Europe: "Aracnofilia". Thanks to this group of people, my interest has found a way to feed in an increasingly scientific way.
As my interest was growing, the desire (or the necessity) to cultivate this passion with something more "exotic", bigger and consequently less known, also increased. I still remember the range of emotions I felt when I got my first tarantula. Feeding it was a joy, and while anxiety was coming over me during each molt, I was always amazed at seeing the growth thereafter. It was not a surprise that shortly afterwards my collection increased significantly and eventually the first cocoon arrived.
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It was 2009 when I bred for the first time my tarantulas successfully - they were beautiful Avicularia metallica! From there we never stopped and you can probably guess what happened next: The growing numbers of terrariums, the spider friends, the shows... The passion that surrounds this hobby is unique, it manages to make the latent scientific side to grow into what before was a simple "collector". This is inevitable, if in a certain sense it is true that spiders need little attention, it is also true that to understand them thoroughly it takes a lot of time and study, and still there are many mysteries. Spiders are both primitive and complex animals, from the web to the molt, up to the unique reproductive behaviors of each single species.
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After years of experience in the field and considering people’s growing interest in these animals, the need arose to create an instrument capable of spreading this passion and giving everyone the opportunity to embark on the path of keeping these fantastic creatures. It is here that 8paws Tarantulas was born!
