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Know a good online live specimen seller?

Does anyone else buy live spiders online? I'm looking for a good place that has a decent track record. I checked out Spider Pharm which seems to have just 'popped up' because I don't remember finding it before. Anybody heard of it or used it before? I'm afraid to give them my credit card yet. All I want is a LIVE Hogna carolinensis, and this company claims to have spiderlings, juveniles, & adults.

It's getting harder for me to get around outside lately (back issues) and even before that, I couldn't manage to get or find a large Hogna. So my eyes and heart lit up when I saw this company has them for five bucks! A small price to pay for such a beautiful life, I know.

What are your thoughts? Know any good, trustworthy spider sellers online? Thoughts on the morals and ethics of buying living creatures online can be voiced, too. Please feel free. Keep in mind that I want to purchase this spider and keep it as a pet. I'm not going to kill it, only observe it, feed it, etc...

Thanks in advance, everybody.
Contributed by Mandy Howe on 10 November, 2009 - 2:24am
Last updated 10 November, 2009 - 9:08pm

Comments

Did you get your Hogna? I've
Did you get your Hogna? I've never ordered from them, but SpiderPharm is not necessarily an unknown quantity.

-Kevin
… Kevin Pfeiffer, 23 November, 2009 - 1:14am

 
Not yet
Nope, haven't bought my Hogna yet. :( I'm thinking that I will wait until after Thanksgiving and then go ahead and try out SpiderPharm. Family are coming for Thanksgiving dinner and I don't want to scare them with another live spider in my kitchen, Lol!!

So then you've heard of SpiderPharm before, Kevin? Just the fact that you've heard of them will lighten my fear of buying from them. :)
… Mandy Howe, 23 November, 2009 - 1:26am

 
Yeah; the name I've heard is
Yeah; the name I've heard is Chuck Kristensen: spiderpharm@hotmail.com

But I've never had any direct contact with them (and their contact form on the web site still seems to be broken).

I wonder if one can ship live specimens to Germany? (Probably too expensive.)

-K
… Kevin Pfeiffer, 23 November, 2009 - 2:32am

 
National Geographic News
I did a quick Google search on that name and the first link that came up was a Nat'l Geographic News article that mentioned Chuck and how he's been milking spider's for venom for almost 25 years. It mentions his company, SpiderPharm, too. I'm not so scared to give them my card info, now. Sounds legitimate to me.

At SpiderPharm, it does say that they can ship internationally (but with special conditions and restrictions), and you have to contact them personally...and then the 'contacts' link doesn't work (just like you said). But, yes, I bet it's rather expensive for overseas shipments.
… Mandy Howe, 23 November, 2009 - 3:38am

InsectGeeks.com
You might join InsectGeeks.com. That way you can post to a community of people that know the arthropod pet trade inside and out.
… Eric R. Eaton, 11 November, 2009 - 4:14pm

 
Thanks Eric!
I'll check that website out. :)
… Mandy Howe, 11 November, 2009 - 9:59pm

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