DORSET’S very own Spider-Man boasts a huge collection of more than 400 arachnids, making him one of the UK’s largest collectors of the creepy crawlies.
Charlie Grim, 28, of Poole, became “besotted” with a pet spider he bought for his daughter and in the space of two years grew his collection of tarantulas, scorpions, centipedes and praying mantises to become on the largest in the country.
The ‘Arachnid Alien’ now breeds the creatures and also teaches others in the hope they get treated with the respect they deserve.
Charlie said: “I was so besotted with the spider, I sat for hours and hours watching it.
“I got rid of my games consoles, I got rid of anything taking a large focus and the spider alien and now I have one of the biggest collections in the UK.
“The postman hates me. The spiders come in polystyrene boxes, it’s all warmed up.
“My favourite is one of my first. I got her as a little baby, she’s now a monstrous blue spider and I am breeding her over the next few days.”
Charlie said the spiders cost anywhere between £2 and £1,000 and he sends and receives them from all over the country.
The arachnids stay in Charlie’s “alien zoo” in his bedroom with his girlfriend, and they are looking to move house so he can keep a larger collection.
Speaking of how large the collection can become, Charlie said: “I have no self-control at the moment.
“I am known as the arachnid alien and tarantula teacher. I get questions from all around the world, it doesn’t bother me. I have family as I call them all around the world and I’ve met some really great people.
“My best friend is still very dubious about it, he’s an arachnophobe, we go to the pub rather than coming to my house.”
Charlie added his daughter loves to help him maintain the alien zoo, and said he was sure she’ll be a “creepy crawly” girl.
He said keeping the collection is about “respect and research, lots and lots of research”.
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