What You Need to Know About Pet Tarantulas

We used to be able to buy a few species of tarantulas from large, chain pet stores. Most commonly, the Mexican Red Knee was available. Some still offer Rose Hairs and a few other species, but not as common as before. Typically, these will be available as adults or near adults. Online dealers and hobbyist traders are the best sources. Of those, dealers with good reputations and long duration in the hobby are ideal.

It can be difficult to purchase a healthy animal, sight unseen over the internet. Upon arrival, the abdomen of the tarantula would ideally be moderately plump. A recently molted tarantula would be typically thinner, but shouldn't be shipped for at least a few weeks following a molt.

As mentioned earlier, tarantulas can be divided into two major categories---terrestrial and arboreal. There are a number of species that sort of fall in between, but the distinction is still helpful in discussing most species. Simply, terrestrial tanks will be horizontally oriented, while arboreal species will have cages that are taller than they are long or wide. The latter facilitates the natural tendency of these spiders to climb and lay down thick layers of web.

Tank size is important. If the cage is too large, the tarantula may have difficult coming in to contact with its prey. If the cage is too small, it may have trouble molting properly. Terrestrial tarantulas should have a floor as three times as wide and long as their leg span. Arboreals should have this minimum in the vertical direction.

Substrate is an important element of proper cage setup. A few inches in an arboreal tank acts as a buffer against desiccation (drying out) if it is wet down from time to time. Many terrestrial species prefer at least 3 inches of substrate, but will gladly burrow down a foot or more if given the room to do so. Of course, the deeper the substrate, the less likely you are to see your pet.

Thinner substrate levels are often used by hobbyists to increase visibility of their pets. Coconut shell or cork bark or bark rounds are placed in the cage in sturdy fashion to provide hides. Whatever combination of elements you provide your pet, make sure that they are not prone to collapsing within the cage, accidentally pinning your pet.

A water dish is often provided in the cage, particularly for keepers that are housing terrestrial species in screen-lidded cages or applying heat through lights on top or heat mats underneath the cage. Tarantulas are very prone to drying out, so these additions must be applied and maintained very carefully.

Plants and various other decorations can be added to the cage, but it is important to remember that the more time your hand is in the cage moving items around while cleaning or maintaining the cage, the more likely your pet may misinterpret your intentions. While there is much truth to the tendencies toward aggression in the various species, the individual temperament of a single tarantula can deviate drastically from the species' norm.

Young spiderlings start on fruit flies or the smallest crickets. The size of the crickets or roaches or other feeder insects grows as the tarantula grows. The goal is a nice, plump abdomen. A tarantula will usually indicate interest in its food fairly quickly upon introduction of the feeder.

If the tarantula shows no interest in the food after several hours, or especially days, it is a clear indicator that it is not interested in feeding. Some individual tarantulas are prone to stress. A lacking feeding response can also indicate that the tarantula is preparing to molt. Feeder insects can actually prevent or interrupt a tarantula from molting by stressing it out or, worse yet, nibble on the soft, freshly molted exoskeleton of the tarantula, resulting in death.