I live with 120 TARANTULAS – they even have their own bedroom… some people think it’s odd but it’s my passion
AN arachnophile has collected 120 pet tarantulas which all have their own bedroom.
Aaron Phoenix, 34, has spent around £1,000 on buying 80 different species, some of which have a leg span as big as 10 inches.
They all have their own enclosure in his spare room in Bristol and he will tend to them every morning and night with food and water.
House removal contractor Aaron said: “They’re my passion and obsession. I find them fascinating.
“I could sit and watch them for hours. They’ve had an incredible effect on me and I’ll never give up owning tarantulas now.
"They all have their individual quirks. One of my first girls comes up to the top of the enclosure when I drop food in, and does this little happy dance to say thank you.
"Another runs to the lid to greet you whenever you walk into the room - it's beautiful to watch.
“People’s reactions are fantastic. They can’t believe it!"
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And some even have their own name. He named his first Eliza, while another is named Hambo after a colleague and a third is called Talos from the Jason and the Argonauts myth.
Others were named after Greek gods like Achilles, Zeus, Aphrodite and Hercules.
The step-dad-of-two also has five other spiders, three scorpions, three praying mantises and a centipede.
He began collecting them in summer 2021 after doctors told him to find a hobby following a bipolar diagnosis.
Around 20 of his tarantulas he got for free by taking them away from people who are trying to get rid of theirs.
Aaron, who lives with partner Jo, 45, and her daughters Dannon, 18, and Lillie, 14, said: "At the beginning, my partner and the kids were a bit freaked out, but they saw the positive effect it had on me immediately and became supportive.
"When I'm with them, whether it's feeding, watering or rehousing them, nothing else in the world matters.
"They have without a doubt changed my life. I've never had something I'm so passionate about before."
He said he never lets them out of their enclosure and luckily none have escaped yet.
But he added: "When I've had new arrivals, or I'm rehousing them, it can be a challenge because they do try to run.
"Luckily it's normally me they run into. I catch them in my hoodie or in a cup."
Aaron has started a YouTube channel to help people see the creatures should not be so feared.
He added: "I can't expect everyone to look at them the way I do, but I would love people to open their mind to what they are.
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"Arachnophobia is one of the most well-known fears on the planet, but there's no need for such a fear of them.
"To me, they're beautiful creatures - they're just so misunderstood."
