At the end of the month our hobby will be affected by the addition of five Poecilotheria spp. to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Responses to this change have been as diverse as the people in the hobby. At this time we hope that tarantula enthusiasts will continue to proceed with a level head and not be sucked into the vitriol and negativity that pervades some online discussions. We hope that talk of circumventing or outright ignoring the legislation is the result of a visceral response to the changes and not the actual manner in which people will behave. Instead of this gut reaction, we encourage hobbyists to act in a responsible manner. Overall, hobbyists did not prefer the new legislation. However, once it goes into effect it will change a small portion of our hobby. If you are working with the five species added to the ESA, please take the time to review the rules and FAQ sections on the USFWS website. The listing definitely changes some things, but it is not an automatic stop to the keeping and breeding of these five spiders. Please read the information yourself and do not rely on Facebook threads to provide accurate information. As we (ATS) learn more about how to proceed after the changes go into place, we will let you know. The hobby is growing. As it grows it will continue to become a larger blip on the radar of the USFWS. Many of the changes, and rumors of changes, we are hearing now are nothing new to the larger facets of the exotic pet industry. However, it is a bit more of a shock to a group that has seen relatively little attention thus far. We as hobbyists should remain vigilant and watch for notices of changes. When USFWS or any other regulatory body asks for comments, please take the time to present your arguments in a sensible and educated manner. Too often we have see phrases like “...pry my (enter species here) from my cold dead hands”. Reactions like this only help present hobbyists as emotional, unconcerned, or unreasonable. In addition, rumors regarding tarantulas endemic to Brazil have been circulating online. Animals, even captive bred, from illegally collected ancestral stock may be the next large issue we must address. As of right now there are many questions and no definitive answers. For now please proceed with caution but all is not lost. Rallying behind the rumors and presenting lists of “forbidden” species is a bit premature. We will keep you all updated as we hear more about this topic. As we rebuild the ATS we will continue to watch for changes in legislation, official requests for statements, etc. As rumors of new legislation are already circulating we ask that you keep a level head. Make sure that you are doing your best to preserve our hobby by making decisions, engaging in public conversation, and proceeding in commerce that cannot be misconstrued by USFWS or other organizations. (fb)

We want to thank everyone for their interest in the ATS conference and their continued support of the ATS. We have been making some behind-the-scenes changes to the board and are putting together a solid group of volunteers to help steer the ATS as we continue forward. We have opted to forgo the conference this year as a result of the preparation and the planning necessary to get the society to the point it can serve in the planned capacity. The conference will return in 2018. We are still going to need a few volunteers to help fill the board positions and will be making announcements on that shortly. We will also be updating the website and details of ATS membership. Again thank you for your support and we hope you will continue to grow with us. Sincerely, ATS Board Members (fb)