This is an issue that many tarantula owners find themselves (especially if you’re a new tarantula owner) is that after spending tons of time ordering tarantulas online, they now have to choose the shipping – and they cringe when they see the price!

More seasoned tarantula owners won’t bat an eye at this and will expect it, but newer tarantula owners should be alerted that shipping a live animal is no easy feat! And some, if they don’t know any better, may be tempted to be patient and choose the least expensive option so they can save a little money – and I want to tell them exactly why they should do the opposite!!!

Tarantula friends, please IN ALL CASES, choose the most expensive shipping option! I don’t want you to spend more money than you have to, but this is really the best way to ensure the health of the spider and your satisfaction with your purchase. Many tarantula owners, if their spider has had a longer shipping process, arrive either dead or injured – and unfortunately, a lot of breeders or sellers will not reimburse you or guarantee a live tarantula unless you chose their most expensive shipping method.

There are several things you want to take into account when ordering a tarantula online. First, that the person you’re ordering from is legit and reputable. Unfortunately it’s very easy for tarantula owners to get scammed in facebook groups. Definitely make sure the company or seller has a reputation and ask other T owners for advice on honest sellers. Any reputable seller should have a LOA (live on arrival) policy as part of their selling and shipping agreement – this guarantees that the seller ensures your tarantula will arrive alive and well, or refund/replace the spider if it doesn’t. Like I said, most sellers will only do this with fast shipping – but considering how much you pay for your spider, have this little insurance policy on your purchase is a good idea.

You also want to think about logistics. Are you ordering a tarantula during a pandemic where the mail might get screwed up (even if you choose fast shipping)? Another thing that might get in the way of your shipping is a holiday like Xmas where the postal system will be overloaded, or terrible weather that interferes with shipments getting where they need to go. You can ease the logistics by finding a seller that lives closer to you and is shipping in similar weather conditions as you, and by ordering tarantulas at a generally stable and comfortable time of year weather and temperature-wise. Of course, we can’t always control everything and accidents do happen – but it’s always best to focus on what we can control and do our best with those things (as we say in therapy). This is not to say that sellers won’t ship during very warm or cold months – experienced sellers have methods of using heat packs safely and insulating their packages. However, you will definitely minimize accidents if you order during a time where there is no need to do that.

Also, another very important thing is to make sure you are home to receive your tarantula! Don’t go on a trip after ordering them if they will be delivered during that time! Tarantulas often need water after they’ve made a trip and may be quite dehydrated or uncomfortable after transit – they should be able to get into their new home, get comfy, and have some water ASAP. You don’t want your Ts out in the sun or in the cold outside your home because you weren’t home to get them set up. Or worse, a package thief could STEAL your tarantula or your package could be returned because you weren’t there to get it.

Take heed and make sure you get the most out of all your online ordering experiences! I hope this was helpful and saves you some trouble!