Alan's arthropods & trips

Frequently asked questions.

• Are tarantulas venomous?

Yes, all tarantulas are venomous, its how they kill / imobelize they're prey.

• Can you remove the Tarantula's fangs and venom?

No, it will die from an inability to eat.

• Can one die from a tarantula bite?

A tarantula bite has never been proven to cause a human death. However there is always the rare possibility that a person could have an allergic reaction to the bite and go into anaphylactic shock which can be life threatening.
(Note: Watch out for the hairs most new world tarantula's possess on the abdomen. When allergic to those urticating hairs it causes irritation of the skin and in case of contact with the eyes it can cause temporary blindness.)

• What do u feed tarantula's?

Tarantula's only eat live prey, like crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches and occasionaly a baby mouse.

Blaptica dubia as feeder.

• How long can a tarantula go without food?

They can go without food for several months. Some species (like Grammastola rosea) are notorius for going long periods of time without eating. This can be up to 1 or even 2 years. Very important here is that the spider has access to water. All tarantula's will fast a couple of months (or days / weeks for spiderlings / juveniles) before molt and will start to eat again some time after the molting process.

• Can tarantula's be kept together?

No, tarantula's are cannibalistic. Putting 2 tarantula's in 1 cage will end in 1 killing the other and eating it. Exeptions are for mating and some arboreals can be kept together like Avicularia and Poecilotheria species if given enough space.

• Is it a lot of work to clean the terrarium?

No, the tarantula will do that by itself. When it has finished eating, it will mostly drop the leftovers in a corner or a standard place in the habitat. The only thing to do is remove the leftovers (as they attract mites) and fill the water bowl. I never clean out the entire habitat as it stresses the tarantula. Cleaning the entire habitat is only necessary in case of a mite infestation or mold.

• How long will it live?

A massive range of options - anywhere in the 3 year mark for males, females of some species may live in excess of 35 years! Longelivity is generally genus/species dependent.

• How do I know if I have a male or a female?

As spiderlings and sub-adults, it is not easy to determine the sex of most tarantulas, as the two will generally look alike. A reliable method is sending a cast skin to an enthusiast who may be able to determine the sex for you. The abdominal part of the cast skin contains clues as to the tarantulas sex. If there is a bulge at the epigastric furrow you have a female. If there is a flat area with a U or triangular shape patch of fine hair you've got a male.
Mature males on the other hand, are generally quite easy to tell. They are often very "gangly" - long legged and small bodied, with small chelicerae. The colouration may change completely, males tend to be extremely colourful or extremely dull. They may be significantly different in both colour and size to the female. All male spiders possess palpal emboli - shiny "boxing gloves" on the end of the pedipalps that are used during mating. Some males will also have tibial apophyses, which are small spurs located under the "armpit" of the front pairs of legs.

Spermathecae, Brachypelma smithi.

Acanthoscurria geniculata.

• How often and what should I feed my tarantula?

Tarantula appetites vary wildly. I've had adults that will consume several large crickets a day, and spiderlings that will eat less than one tiny cricket a fortnight. Some tarantulas feed very little, some less than every month. It is generally accepted that a couple of crickets a week is sufficient for most tarantulas, large or small. Whilst it is not possible for tarantulas to over-eat, swollen abdomens caused by excessive feeding can lead to a slow and frail spider, as well as sometimes causing moulting problems. An abdomen the same size or slightly larger than the carapace is accepted as "healthy". Bear in mind spiderlings and pre-moult adults will often display swollen abdomens as a matter of course.
Crickets can be ordered online from many suppliers in a variety of sizes, or purchased in most pet shops. Tropical roaches can be bred at home for large collections, and large adults may enjoy locusts or dead mice.

• My tarantula isn't eating. What's wrong?

The likely answer is, nothing. Tarantulas actually need very little in the way of food, and may often go long periods without taking any prey. Some species are more prone to this, notably Grammostola rosea. Be aware that almost all tarantulas will "go off" their food prior to a moult. This may be for as little as a few hours for a spiderling, or months for an old adult.
Other reasons for loss of appetite include excessively low temperature and parasite infection. A good way of spotting nematode parasite infection is the spider constantly holding it's pedipalps beneath the chelicerae and refusing food. Nematode worm infections can be contagious and are unfortunately often fatal.

• Does my spider need to drink?

This is another topic that causes some debate amongst keepers. Some people keep spiders on dry substrate and use a water dish for humidity and drinking, others prefer a damp substrate with occasional misting of the silk and cage furnishings and no water dish. Most tarantulas will use a dish if provided, but generally they can gain all the moisture they need from their food.

Water dish for terrestrial species. Theraposa blondi.

• Why doesn't my spider ever do anything?

I'm afraid that's just the way things are. Unless you are awake in the small hours, you generally won't see your tarantula being particularly active.

• It's on it's back, is it dying?

Dead tarantulas are generally found upright with the legs pulled in tightly to the body. A tarantula on it's back is almost always moulting (see below). Do not attempt to right the spider or disturb it in any other way during this extremely strenuous and difficult time. Always allow your tarantula to moult in peace, and remember to give it at least a week, more for adults, to harden off before introducing food or subjecting it to any other activity.

Grammostola pulchra, molting.

Avicularia bicegoi. Deadcurl.

• How do they grow?

Tarantulas have a rigid exoskeleton. To over-simplify matters, this means the bones are on the outside, like a lobster. To grow, a spider must grow a new skin beneath the old one, before casting off the old exoskeleton and emerging. Before a moult tarantulas lose their appetite, and may become extremely inactive and sluggish. The abdomen may swell, and darken or lose some of it's pattern. If the tarantula is a New World specimen (i.e. from the Americas) a new patch of urticating hairs will grow to replace any bald patches on the abdomen. Any missing legs will regenerate at this time, although they may be smaller than the originals, and any missing bristles or faded colours are restored.
Just prior to a moult many tarantulas will spin a dense mat of silk to moult on. The tarantula will then roll onto it's back, and may lie motionless for many hours while the old skin separates from the new one that has been growing beneath it. The spider will then pop the carapace off, and split the abdomen skin. New soft fangs are withdrawn from the old ones, and the legs are slid out of the old skin. Once free, the spider will remain upside down and flex it's legs and fangs for some time before eventually righting itself. The spider will spend the next few weeks recovering from this somewhat traumatic experience, and will not be hard enough to eat, often for several weeks following a moult. When the fangs are dark and shiny the spider will generally be ready to accept food. Moulting occurs at progressively longer intervals throughout the life of a tarantula. Spiderlings will moult every few weeks, juveniles every few months, and adults will moult annually, or in the case of large old specimens, once every two, three or even four years. Growth rate is dependent on species, amount of food, and temperature. A warm, well fed spider will almost always grow faster than one seldom fed or kept cool. Bear in mind that male tarantulas generally mature much faster than females, and may therefore moult more frequently or undergo more significant amounts of growth every moult.

Molting. Acanthoscurria geniculata.

• Once it's full grown, does it keep moulting?

Adult females will continue to moult. This may be anything from every 10 months or so up to as long as 3 years, possibly even more. Adult males will not moult, they generally die after around 10 months, sometimes more sometimes less. On very rare occasions an adult male will attempt to moult again, but this is generally unsuccessful and the spider dies shortly afterwards.

• What species are recommended for beginners?

Species from family: Avicularia, Brachypelma and Grammostola or the more docile ones. But be aware, there are always exeptions.

• How do u maintain humidity and heat?

The only heating source here in my spiderroom is an additional space heater for cold days/nights during winter. For the rest of the year i stick with room temperature, around 23 degrees Celsius for all species. If you want to use an additional heating source you can provide a light bulb or a heating mat. But remember; spiders don't like bright light so i would suggest to avoid using those 24/7.
In case you use a heating mat, don't place it underneath the tank as it will dry out the substrate. And in case of a burrowing species, it can damage your spider. Place heating mats on one side of the tank.
For maintaining humidity i just put a large water dish in the tank and flood it once a week for the species that need higher humidity.
In case of an arboreal tarantula, the web may be sprayed several times a week. The spider will drink the drops from the web if necessary. Don't spray on the spider as it may stress it. Although i believe they get enough moister from there preys if given at a normal amount.
For the burrowing species i don't place a water dish, in most of the cases they will fill it with dirth. For the burrowers i flood one side of the corner once a week.
Don't believe most caresheets u find on the net, most spiders will do well with room temperature and a water dish.
But be sure to provide enough ventilation. Use tanks with holes on 2 sides so the air can circulate in and out. Some species really need enough ventilation to survive (Avicularia's, T, blondi). If the tank hasn't got enough ventilation this may result in forming of mold (which in large forms can result in the death of a spider).