On our own shores, the growing interest in tarantulas means that regulations within Australia around keeping tarantulas are subject to change and often unclear. Here’s a basic run-down of these regulations as I understand them at the time of writing (definitely check up on any changes before diving in):

• In Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT, you do not require a permit to keep a pet tarantula or to move one across state/territory borders.

• In Queensland, as of August 2020 you will need a license to keep tarantulas. A ‘Standard Licence’ is suitable – more information can be found here. An online record keeping system will be replace the current paper system enabling animal purchases/transactions to be logged electronically.

• In Western Australia, you don’t need a license to keep tarantulas, but you do need a permit to import tarantulas across the border.

• In the Northern Territory, you need a license and proof of purchase from a licensed supplier to keep tarantulas native to the NT, or a permit to move them across the border. You don’t need a license to keep tarantulas not native to the NT.

• In Tasmania, it is currently not possible to obtain a permit to import Australian tarantulas for private keepers. Since Tasmania has no native tarantulas, it is therefore illegal to keep tarantulas as pets. Since many other Australian invertebrates have been added to the allowed list after requests from invertebrate sellers and enthusiasts, it’s worth letting the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment know if you think tarantulas should be added to the list.

And that’s all for our breakdown of the laws and regulations around tarantula keeping in Australia. Come back next week for part two of our guide, where we strip back the confusion about the different kinds of Australian tarantulas and their names.