Tarantulas of the World

The Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula who is also known as the Striped-Knee Tarantula is tarantula from Costa Rica and central America. They grow to be about 4 to 5 inches in length with females living to be anywhere between 15 to 20 years and males usually between 6 to 9 years. They are great for intermediate hobbyists who have some experience with tarantulas already. Widely sought after due to their black abdomen and white striped legs (such stripes as zebras), these terrestrial burrowers dig deep into the Costa Rican rainforests. They are most certainly a great addition for any collector.

Habitat:

At full adult size you are only going to be needing an enclosure that is going to be about 10 gallons in size. They are terrestrial but also burrowers and they can burrow a lot. Make sure you have about 3 to 4 inches of substrate which should also be a mix of peat moss and coconut fiber. They do require a high humidity level of over 75 percent at all times and so we do recommend you dampening the substrate accordingly in addition to overfilling its shallow water dish to keep humidity levels up. We do not recommend misting as it does not seem to help as much. Temperature wise you will be looking at anywhere between 75 to 82 degrees. They normally do not require a hide as they spend quite a bit of time simply staying in their burrowed hole.But you can decorate with perhaps a piece of bark or plant or even both.

Feeding:

A steady diet of dubia roaches or large crickets should be just fine. Should you have a smaller spiderling (sling) you can try simple fruit flies and small pinhead crickets. As always you should only feed it about once a week as that should be plenty. Should you notice its prey still in the enclosure after 24 hours feel free to remove it. Do not let it cause harm or stress to your tarantula.

Attitude:

They are not as docile as people might think they are. They tend to be extremely skittish and will easily either strike a defensive pose before retreating to thier hide or kick its urticating hairs. They can bite but rarely actually do. Their Venom is not dangerous to humans (unless you have specific allergies) and contain a low toxicity level.

All in all the Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula is a great spider to have. The reason we do not recommend them as a beginner species is due to their skittishness and houdini like capabilities as they are great escape artists. They are low maintenance and would make the perfect pet.

Tell us about your Costa Rican Zebra tarantula or ask us any questions about yours. We would love to hear from you! Comment down below.

The Antilles Pinktoe Tarantula or better known as the Martinique Pinktoe is a species of tarantula found in the Caribbeans. It’s well liked due to its beautiful colors which start off as bright blue as a spiderling (sling) and slowly changes to green and red with purple hairs and pink toes. They are more colorful version of the common Pinktoe family (Avcularia avicularia). Males usually live to be anywhere between 3 to 5 years old while females can live up to be 9 to 12 years old. In addition males actually have a much brighter color than females. A full grown adult will grow to be about 6 inches in length. This tarantula is perfect for a novice/intermediate hobbyist.

Habitat:

The Antilles Pinktoe tarantula is an arboreal species just like its cousin the common Pinktoe. They like to spend most of their time on a piece of tall bark or plant. They will spin a web at the top where they will sit in. Your enclosure should have just enough width and length and more height. A full grown Antilles Pinktoe only requires a floor space of about 8 inches in width and length and about 14 to 16 inches in height. Being from the Caribbeans it will require a temperature of about 72 to 80 degrees with about 75 to 80 percent humidity. Your substrate should be about 2 to 4 inches and should be damp not wet. Misting the enclosure is recommended to keep humidity levels but you should only mist the sides of the enclosure, never directly on your tarantula or the enclosure floor. They rarely come down and walk on the enclosure floor. A water dish should be supplied with fresh clean water at all times which you can overfill to keep the right humidity levels.

Feeding:

While most of the people contact experts from pest control maine to get rid off pests in their garden. To our surprise research has revealed that a steady diet of insects will be just fine, feeding them once a week. They are not very picky eaters and will do just fine with nutritious pinhead crickets, a.dubia cockroaches and even small moths. We do not recommend you feeding this animal small lizards or pinkie mice. Though it could eat these it might end up being an issue when trying to take down its prey which can end up in your tarantula injuring itself. In addition eating said animals can end up adding an overage amount of calcium buildup in its exoskeleton which can end up in a bad molt.

Attitude:

They are docile tarantulas but are extremely skittish be careful when handling as they have no problem trying to run away and or jump. In addition they also spray poop as a means of getting away and have great aim with it. They come with urticating hairs but rather flee before trying to use them. Handle with care to prevent your tarantula from jumping out of your hands and injuring itself. Though they can bite it is very rare as they primarily try to escape before trying to bite. Their venom is not potent for insects but harmless to humans (unless you have certain allergies).

The A. versicolor is a great tarantula to own but be careful of its speed and jumping capabilities to prevent your tarantula from harming itself or plunging to its death. It is a great beginner to intermediate tarantula and its bright colors will surely be an attraction.

Do you have an Antilles Pinktoe Tarantula? Have any questions? Tell us about it! Comment down below. We are eager to hear from you!

The Brazilian Salmon Pink Birdeater tarantula is a New World species coming from eastern Brazil. They are velvet black with pink hairs all over their bodies. They are actually the 3rd largest tarantula in the world (getting beaten by T.blondi “Goliath Birdeater” and T.aphophysis “Pinkfoot Goliath”) growing anywhere from 9 to 12 inches. They are fast growers being able to grow to full size within 18 to 24 months. They also get to live to be anywhere between 6 to 12 years. Quick fact is that the female can actually lay an egg sack of 1200 spiderlings (talk about a BIG family). They are relatively passive sitting still for display in their enclosures.

Housing:

This is the type of tarantula that you will need a big enclosure for. At full growth you are looking into needing a 25 to 30 gallon tank. Be sure that this tank is has more width and length then it has height. You are going to want to give them ample space to crawl and just enough height to turn over (in the event they need to molt). They are poor climbers due to their large size and weight. They rarely climb and if they do it can be dangerous for them. A fall can certainly cause injuries (visit https://halelaw.com/south-venice-ammunition-explosion-causes-injuries-and-airlift/ to get lawyers help to file compensation), bleeding and worse even death. We do recommend you give this tarantula at 3 to 5 inches of substrate. Being from Brazil they are used to a very warm and humid environment and we recommend a temperature of about 76 to 84 degrees with a humidity level of 75 percent. They are not known for using a hide though you can always place one in its enclosure, chances are it will not use it. You will also want to add some bark as something for it to climb and stand on. A fresh shallow water dish should be available with clean water at all times.

Feeding:

The Brazilian Salmon Pink Birdeater Tarantula has a very big appetite. They eat constantly and can easily get overfed. You are going to want to feed them only once a week and a large cockroach or locusts should be fine. You can also feed them crickets, moths and occasionally a small lizard, pinkie mice or even small frogs, (they actually do not mainly eat birds) however we do not recommend a steady feeding of lizards/pinkies or frogs due to the potential calcium buildup it can produce in your tarantula’s exoskeleton which can possibly harden to much and become an issue during molting. However there should be no other issues feeding this specific tarantula.

Attitude:

Your Brazilian Salmon Pink Birdeater Tarantula is not known for being aggressive at all. They do have one of the worst of urticating hairs which can induce horrid rashes. They are not quick to bite but if provoked will certainly do so. A full grown  Lasiodora parahybana can have fangs up to a full inch in length which can certainly induce some damage should it bite you. In addition they have potent venom which can prompt muscle cramps and pain.

You can most certainly handle your Brazilian Salmon Pink but please be careful in doing so. Not being able to hold them properly (due to their size) can make the tarantula flick urticating hairs and worse case scenario bite. You also do not want to drop such a large tarantula as it can certainly be fatal. All in all a must have and definitely great for an intermediate hobbyist who wants a showcase pet.

Do you have a Brazilian Salmon Pink Birdeater? Do you have a question or just want to share your experience? Tell us about it! Comment down below!