(COLORADO SPRINGS) — For many families, a bark or meow greets them at the front door. For one household in Colorado Springs, there’s multiple pets inside that are much quieter, but will immediately get your attention.

Liz Lopez was determined to conquer her Arachnophobia and began to research all things about tarantulas. Soon after, she was confident enough to confront her phobia and adopt her very first pet tarantula.

“I bought my very first tarantula back in August of 2020 in my local reptile shop down at Scales ‘N Tails,” Lopez said. “She is an Arizona Blond Tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes) that I still own today.”

Research brought reassurance as that spider would start the pack and pave the way for many more.

“I wanted to overcome my fear. Of course, I did research, plenty of research first before buying one,” Lopez explained.

Liz Lopez got her first spider to help her get over her arachnophobia. She would realize that her fear would turn into a passion.

Once a fear, now a fascination, Lopez cares deeply for these eight-legged companions who each receive her affection.

“My favorite thing to do is getting them out of that plastic container that they usually come in and just getting them settled into their brand-new enclosure,” Lopez said. “I love setting that up… it’s like a basic just substrate, hide, and a few plants for coverage and a water dish always. But it’s just always fun to get them settled into their new enclosure and just putting them in a good spot.”

Shelves in the living room are filled with each of these enclosures, as Lopez has a total of 68 pet tarantulas.

Liz Lopez points out her collection in her living room. Each spider is named with love and has its own enclosure.

When asked if she had a favorite, Lopez would not reveal.

“I want to say they’re all my favorites, but of course, we all have our ones that we get a little bit more excited to look at more than others,” she said.

Thanks to research and a newfound understanding the characteristics of these eight-legged creatures, a connection would form of spider sentiment.

“They’re just so, so shy and it really did give me a completely different look to them,” Lopez said. “What became a fear, turned into a complete passion, just knowing that there’s so many different types from all over the world, so many different colors and patterns and sizes. There’s dwarfs and then you have your Goliath bird eaters. They’re just so incredible and beautiful.”

If you are interested in learning how to care for tarantulas, Lopez will be teaching a class on Dec. 2 at Cronk Art and Curiosities. Sign-up information can be found here.

While spiders may freak out many, Liz Lopez discovered she had conquered her fear and found a new pet to love.

These tarantulas are replacing Lopez’s fear with happiness, creating a collection that’s far from itsy-bitsy and far from being over.

“I am not stopping,” Lopez said. “I don’t know what a limit is right now. I think my body will tell me, like if I’m too tired or my lifestyle will let me know.”

One of the spiders could be seen crawling on the container side.

These spiders have spun an extraordinary strand of significance, finding a special place in the heart of Liz Lopez.

“They’re unique, they’re beautiful,” Lopez said. “I don’t expect everyone to love them or have a care for them, but to respect them and if you ever see them, leave them alone, they do play a major role in our ecosystem.”