A big and hairy business: Investigating the interplay of species traits and trade dynamics in the tarantula pet market

Abstract

Species traits significantly influence pet trade dynamics, affecting demand, exploitation, and extinction risk. We examined the effect of species- and advertisement-level attributes on tarantula abundance and price in online markets, exploring rarely-considered fine-scale traits. Data from 977 ads showing 217 species and 81 ‘trade names’’ were collected from eight e-commerce websites located in six countries and analyzed using Structural Equation Models. Hairy, aggressive, and popular tarantulas were more abundant in commerce. Big, recently described species with ontogenetic changes in color and urticating hairs, with no evidence of captive breeding, had higher average price. Variability of prices in the ads were mainly explained by differences in website, lifestage and sex of the individual advertised. After accounting for these drivers of market abundance and price, we found only weak evidence of direct price-rarity relationships, implying they are largely independently determined. This can have important implications for the future management and regulation of the international tarantula trade. Understanding consumer behavior in the pet trade is crucial for effective conservation efforts and we recommend using online ad data to track and understand supply and demand in tarantula trade. Leveraging marketing insights can enhance conservationists’ influence on consumers, promoting sustainable practices and benefit sharing for wildlife-dependent communities. Hobbyist communities may be the most strategic messenger for conservation messaging trying to reach consumers in the tarantula pet trade.Article impact statementTarantula price and abundance in pet trade are shaped by species traits and advertisement attributes.