How Fast Do Tarantulas Grow?

One of the things that surprises many people is just how slowly tarantulas actually grow. Unlike many of the arthropods crawling around our gardens, tarantulas don’t reach maturity in a matter of weeks or even months. Tarantulas can take several years to go from spiderling to adult spider.  In a Nutshell It’s very difficult to …

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Do Tarantulas Eat Mice?

Tarantulas are carnivorous invertebrates that survive by catching and eating other animals. In nature tarantulas most commonly eat suitably-sized insects, however they are known to eat almost anything that comes within range and is small enough to subdue. This can sometimes include lizards and baby birds if the opportunity arises. But do tarantulas eat mice? …

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Cheapest Pet Tarantulas

Pet tarantulas can vary widely in cost, with more expensive species costing many times that of the cheapest pet tarantulas. When you consider the other initial start-up costs, such as a tarantula cage and heater, finding a cheap pet tarantula ensures you can afford the whole setup – especially if you’re on a tight budget. …

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Do Tarantulas Drink Water?

Tarantulas do drink water. Without suitable moisture tarantulas can become dehydrated and may in extreme circumstances even die of thirst. In nature tarantulas may drink water from puddles or from the bases of plants. Alternatively many smaller tarantulas can drink from raindrops that have settled on plants and other surfaces. In captivity it is important …

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Do Tarantulas Like Being Handled?

One of the first questions I get when people find out that I keep tarantulas is whether I handle them. The answer to that is almost exclusively “no”. And part of the reason for that pertains to whether or not tarantulas actually like being handled. Broadly speaking tarantulas don’t like being handled. Some calmer and …

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Neoholothele Incei (Trinidad Olive) Tarantula Care Sheet

N incei

The Trinidad Olive tarantula is a popular pet tarantula, despite its diminutive adult size. There are a couple of reasons for this… Color Forms Neoholothele incei is found in two different color forms. Firstly there is a traditional form consisting primarily of an olive background color with attractive striped markings on the abdomen. The carapace …

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Ybyrapora diversipes (Amazon Sapphire Pink Toe) Tarantula Care Sheet

Y diversipes

Ybyrapora diversipes must be one of the most colorful tarantulas currently available in the hobby. From the metallic green/blue base color to the red/pink stripe on the abdomen this is really a spider for people (like me) who appreciate really vibrant tarantulas. It’s little wonder their common name is the “Amazon Sapphire”. Understandably such a …

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Hapalopus sp. Colombia Large (Pumpkin Patch Tarantula) Care Sheet

H Colombia Large Juvenile

Hapalopus sp. Colombia Large is a small ground-dwelling tarantula with unusual orange markings on the abdomen. These markings have led to the surprising common name of “Pumpkin Patch”.  Hapalopus sp. Colombia Large has yet to be properly scientifically described, hence the rather unwieldy “scientific” name it is normally given. Hapalopus means “soft foot”. The Colombia …

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Cyriocosmus elegans (Trinidad Dwarf) Tarantula Care Sheet

C elegans juvenile

Cyriocosmus elegans is a dwarf burrowing tarantula species with a unique and most attractive appearance. Cyriocosmus elegans is the total opposite of what most people think a tarantula should be. Big? Nope. Brown? No way. Aggressive? Negative. It’s the very fact that Cyriocosmus elegans is so “different” to more common species like Curly Hairs or …

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Thrixopelma ockerti /Peruvian Flame Rump Care Sheet

T ockerti

Thrixopelma ockerti, sometimes known by the common name of the Peruvian Flame Rump, is an unusual and interesting New World tarantula.  While there are numerous tarantulas that possess red hairs on the abdomen, Thrixopelma ockerti is in my opinion the most visually stunning of all. This is because the colors are so much brighter than …

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Do Tarantulas Need Heat?

Tarantulas are cold-blooded creatures that are unable to produce their own body heat. Instead, they absorb this warmth from the environment around them. For this reason, most tarantulas are found in warmer parts of the world.  This warmth is important for a variety of biological processes, and a tarantula that is kept too cold for …

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