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Canada becomes leading exporter of Mexican tarantulas
Mexican breeders legally produce between 11,000 and 14,000 tarantulas every year.
Breeders trading more species to meet growing demand

Canada has overtaken Mexico to become the leading exporter of Mexican tarantulas.

According to BBC News, Mexican biodiversity expert Heiquio Benítez said that Canadian breeders were trading 14 species, while Mexican breeders were only exporting around five or six.

He added that growing demand for the arachnid had led Canadians to start breeding their own, instead of buying them from Mexico.

Mr Benetiz is reported to have made the comments at an international workshop on the trade and application of tarantulas, organised by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation and the Mexican Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity.

According to Mexico’s Biodiversity Commission, 14 out of the 24 species of Mexican tarantula live in Mexico. They are highly valued in the international pet trade, where an adult can fetch up to $8,000 pesos (around £300).

Every year, Mexican breeders legally produce between 11,000 and 14,000 tarantulas and individuals are exported to Canada and the United States. Recent demand from China, Japan and the European Union, however, has seen many breeders seize the opportunity to increase production.

To legally export Mexican tarantulas, breeders must obtain a permit or certificate issued by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The document confirms that the individuals come from a sustainable use and does not represent a risk to wild populations.

The Trinational Workshop on Trade and Application of Legislation on Tarantulas was attended by more than 40 experts among producers, importers, marketers, investors, civil society and authorities from Mexico, the United States and Canada.

The event examined a number of ways to promote the legal, sustainable and traceable trade of Mexican tarantulas as a strategy for their conservation. 

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.