Whether you’re a tarantula enthusiast hunting for new information, an arachnophobe trying to educate yourself about spiders to help conquer your fear, or simply interested in learning a little more about the wonderful world of spiders, I wanted to put together a list of resources and places to start. This list will be a work in progress, and I’ll add to it over time as I come across new and updated information. It will be mostly online but I’ll also include some books, and I’ll link to those whenever possible.
Tarantula web sites
RFUK Invert Forums – The spiders/inverts section of Reptile Forums UK, packed with info and people to answer your questions
Arachnoboards Forums – Another great forum packed with useful info
The American Tarantula Society
Tarantula books
The Tarantula Keeper’s Handbook by Stanley and Marguerite Shultz
Tarantulas and Other Arachnids by Samuel D Marshall
The Legacy of Annie Rose by Carolyne E Swagerie – a great story of a lady who, like myself, overcame her arachnophobia through tarantulas
Spider/arachnid web sites
The British Arachnological Society FAQ – Not just a FAQ, but also a WIKI giving a ton of information about spiders in general (both domestic and worldwide), specific species and info on other arachnids.
The Society Of Biology – What Spider Do I Spy? – Small but helpful PDF guide to help identify the most common spider species in the UK.
The Natural History Museum ID Help – info and forums to help with spider IDs
Do Spiders Have Super Powers? – a multimedia fun facts list from the BBC
Spider/arachnid books
Spiders: Learning To Love Them by Lynne Kelly
The Private Life Of Spiders by Paul Hillyard
Biology Of Spiders by Rainer Foelix
Spiders : The Ultimate Predators by Stephen Dalton
Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe by Lawrence Bee