Love them or loath them, nobody can deny just how fascinating giant, hairy tarantulas truly are.
With over 800 recognized species, and ever more of these being kept in captivity each year, keeping tarantulas as pets represents a fascinating opportunity to learn about these much-maligned creatures.
Be careful though – my own experience suggests that once you own more than just a couple of spiders it’s easy to become obsessed and end up with literally hundreds of them. You have been warned!
The Lava Tarantula is the most beautiful species of tarantula in the world as far as I’m concerned. The common name perfectly describes the incredible coloration, consisting of a fiery orange/red contrasted against jet black. It really has to be seen to be believed. The Lava tarantula is still a real rarity in the hobby, …
Psalmopoeus victori is a New World arboreal (tree-dwelling) tarantula. Hailing originally from Mexico, this species is known under two different common names; the Darth Maul tarantula or the Mexican Half-and-Half. Both these names do a good job of describing the appearance of this species. The Darth Maul name springs from the fact that this is …
Molting is one of the single most dangerous times in a tarantula life. The formerly fearsome predator becomes almost defenseless for hours or even days. Even a single cricket accidentally left in the cage can do enough damage nibbling at your tarantula to cause its death. When your tarantula is molting, therefore, you want to …
You finally Googled it didn’t you? You were so intrigued you decided to search for “what does tarantula poop look like?”. Don’t worry – you’re not the only one 🙂 And I’m not going to disappoint you. After 25+ years of keeping tarantulas you’re about to learn everything you wanted to know about tarantula poop …
One common question asked about tarantulas is whether they have 10 legs. It seems a lot of these searches recently are coming from Animal Crossing players, who have noticed that the tarantulas featured there seem to have 10 legs. Why is that? Do tarantulas really have 10 legs? If you’ve ever wondered the same thing …
Old World tarantulas are tarantulas coming from the continents of Africa and Asia. This is in contrast to so-called New World tarantulas which are found in the Americas. Whilst it might seem odd to classify tarantulas based on this very broad distinction of Old World tarantula vs New World tarantula there are some important reasons …
Tarantulas do make spider webs, but they don’t look like the sorts of spider webs you might see in your garden. Rather than spinning a large orb web, designed to catch flying insects that stumble into it, the spider webs laid down by tarantulas are more likely to be laid in sheets. These sheets, in …
Dropping a tarantula can kill it, so this is definitely something to avoid at all costs. This is the key reason why most experts advise against handling tarantulas. A tarantula that is suddenly startled may bolt away from the perceived danger, and in doing so may fall straight off your hand. A tarantula that is …
One major concern I hear from new tarantula owners is how challenging it is to feed tarantula spiderlings. Not only are the spiders themselves tiny, but their prey is even smaller. It’s all too easy to kill the feeder insects by mistake, or have them escape all round your house. As someone who generally has …
Brachypelma boehmei, commonly known as the Mexican Fireleg or Mexican Rustleg is truly one of the most beautiful tarantulas in the world. Hailing from the Western Pacific coast of Mexico, this is a “chunky” looking spider with brilliant orange legs and carapace, contrasted against black femurs and abdomen. Originally described by taxonomists Schmidt and Klass …
The Mexican Red Leg tarantula, Brachypelma emilia, is a chunky, slow-moving and docile tarantula. Closely related to the Mexican Red Knee, Brachypelma emilia is an undeniably stunning spider. The combination of glossy black background, highlighted with bright on the carapace and legs, makes this one of the more colorful species. Combine this with their reasonably …
The Curly Hair Tarantula, Latin name Tliltocatl albopilosum, is considered one of the very best species for beginners. The Curly Hair tarantula is slow-moving and docile, particularly as an adult. It is therefore easily handled. Growing to a legspan of some 5 – 6 inches, it has only modest requirements in captivity. The common name …