The Spider Conservatory

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Where fear becomes curiosity

Tarantulas, Invertebrates, Plants! No gate keeping, No judgement, Beginners welcome!

11/13/2026

This is AmongUs…

Meet Edentistoma octosulcatum, a rather unusual centipede with a taste for… other things with lots of legs.

While most people think of centipedes as hunters of insects and other small animals, this species is known for feeding on millipedes.

Just another strange little predator hiding under a piece of wood.

Had you ever heard of a millipede-eating centipede?

11/12/2026

Meet Liphistius jarujini, the Giant Black Armored Trapdoor Spider… a member of one of the most ancient surviving lineages of spiders on Earth!

Unlike modern tarantulas, Liphistius belongs to the suborder Mesothelae, an ancient branch of the spider family tree. These spiders retain several ancestral characteristics, including visible segmentation and hardened plates on their abdomens, as well as spinnerets positioned farther forward underneath the abdomen.

Native to Thailand, Liphistius jarujini spends much of its life hidden inside a silk-lined burrow, using specialized trip lines to detect passing prey.

It’s a fascinating glimpse into spider evolution and a reminder of just how diverse these animals really are.

Would you keep one of these unusual spiders, or would you rather admire it from a distance? Let me know in the comments!

Subscribe to The Spider Conservatory for more spider rehousings, breeding projects, and a closer look at the incredible world of invertebrates.

Where Fear Becomes Curiosity.

11/12/2026

Our Java Black Scorpion (Chaerilus variegatus) had babies, and now it’s time to give all 49 of them their own homes!

In this video, we’re separating and rehousing our baby scorpions while chatting about breeding, raising scorpion babies, and life behind the scenes at The Spider Conservatory.

One of the most fascinating things about scorpions is how they care for their young. Unlike spiders, scorpions give birth to live young, and the babies climb onto their mother’s back, where they remain until after their first molt.

Now that these little ones are ready, we’re getting them settled into individual enclosures as we continue raising the next generation.

Whether you’re an experienced keeper, curious about exotic invertebrates, or just discovering how fascinating scorpions can be, come hang out with us!

Question for you: Would you ever consider keeping a scorpion, or are they a little too intimidating?

Subscribe for more tarantula, scorpion, centipede, and exotic invertebrate breeding adventures!

The Spider Conservatory
Where Fear Becomes Curiosity.

11/11/2026

We spend a lot of time sharing some pretty incredible animals here at The Spider Conservatory, but this time we got to experience something a little bigger!

We had the opportunity to go behind the scenes with the giraffes at Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa!

Getting this close to these amazing animals was an experience we won’t forget, especially seeing the excitement through our daughter’s eyes.

A huge thank you to the staff at Blank Park Zoo for an incredible experience and for everything they do for animal care, conservation, and education.

If you’re in the Des Moines area, definitely check out the zoo and their behind-the-scenes experiences!

Have you ever been this close to a giraffe?

11/10/2026

If only they were all this cooperative!

Have you ever seen a spider make packing look this easy?

11/10/2026

One Chaerilus variegatus 'Lampung' scorpion had babies… dozens of them. Every scorpling needs its own home, so it's one cup at a time.

The scorplings just left the mother's back. Each cup gets substrate, a pinch of moss, and some springtails. Then it's a spoon and a soft brush, the scorplings are way too small and too soft. A few always hide in the dirt, so the whole tub gets sifted before the reset.

Can you believe how many there were?!

11/09/2026

We have a LOT more baby scorpions than I expected!

Our Java Black Scorpion (Chaerilus variegatus) surprised us with a whole bunch of babies, and now it’s time to carefully separate them before they become a meal for mom and each other!

But first, I need your help counting them!

How many baby scorpions can you spot in this video? Drop your guess in the comments BEFORE reading everyone else’s answers!

I’ll reveal the final count in the baby rehousing video tomorrow 😉

11/09/2026

The OBT babies are getting orange hairs 😂🧡

We will be bringing a few of these little ones to the Cold Blooded Expos on Sunday 11/15/26 in west Des Moines, Iowa.

See you there!

11/06/2026

What started as a few pieces of cork bark and an empty enclosure is slowly becoming an entire city of silk!

We’re documenting the development of a communal colony of 45 Neoholothele incei tarantulas, watching how they construct their retreats, expand their webbing, and interact as they grow.

This timelapse captures 14 days of activity, starting one week after the colony was introduced.

While N. incei is known for tolerating communal living under certain conditions, we’re interested in observing how this particular group develops over time.

And they’re just getting started!

Would you keep a communal colony of 45 tarantulas?

11/05/2026

Look at those feet!

Meet our Caribena laeta mommy! She’s a beautiful arboreal tarantula living in what has become her own little jungle.

Her enclosure might look a little overgrown, but I love watching these naturalistic setups develop over time. Between the plants, webbing, and all the little details, there’s an entire miniature world in there.

Would you let your spider’s enclosure grow this wild, or would you trim it back?

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West Des Moines, IA

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https://linktr.ee/thespiderconservatory

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