Tarantulas of the World

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!

The Cobalt Blue tarantula of Thailand and Myanmar. Formerly Haplopelma lividum they are now classified as Cyriopagopus lividum. A sure must have for an experienced hobbyist. They are very well loved due to their electric blue colors. Many people might not know this but male species are actually brown in color and most Haplopelma lividium T’s sold are actually female. They are terrestrial/tropical but also burrowers. In the wild they burrow deep into the Thailand/Myanmar rainforests in a maze of deep elaborate holes. The Cobalt Blue grows to be about 9 inches in length with females growing bigger than males. The also grow to be anywhere between 7 to 13 years old. Their temperament is not so good and they are also expert escape artists with that being said we recommend this to be an advanced tarantula for a more experienced keeper.

Habitat:

A full grown Cobalt Blue Tarantula will only need about a 10 to 15 gallon tank with a screen lid. As mentioned before they mostly spend their lives underground and will burrow and spin a lot of webbing. Make sure you give it a good 4 to 6 inches of substrate (depending on the size of your tarantula) for it to burrow. The substrate should be a mixture of peat moss and coconut fiber to retain a lot of humidity. They require a temperature of about 80 to 90 degrees and humidity of 75% or higher. Under no circumstances should this drop so make sure your substrate is always damp and its water dish full of fresh clean water. Being that they spend so much time “underground” you should not have to worry about decorating. You can add a small live plant but it will just be for show as the tarantula will not care for it. They come out of their burrows mainly to eat or drink water. They are also not fond of light so do not add a heating lamp or place your enclosure in direct sunlight, it will surely stress out your tarantula.

Feeding:

This tarantula is a big insectivore and has a large diet of cockroaches, crickets, beetles, meal worms, fruit flies, locusts and just about any other insects you can think of. Make sure you only feed it about once a week or once every other week so you can keep an eye out on it in the event that it molts. As always if you notice your tarantula not eating its prey after 24 hours, remove the prey. Give it a few days and try again, if it remains the same then chances are it is getting ready to molt.

Attitude:

We recommend you not ever handle your cobalt blue. They are known for being extremely aggressive. They have no urticating hairs and normally do not give warning before becoming defensive. The first thing you will notice that your Cobalt Blue will want to do is to run away. You should be careful when you open their enclosure as they tend to be very fast. A full grown Cobalt Blue can pack a powerful bite with its large fangs and deliver a potent venom. Though the venom is not deadly it can induce flu-like symptoms, muscle cramps and all around pain. Should you be allergic most definitely seek medical attention.

We think the Cobalt Blue is a great pet to have but only if you are an experienced handler. Though we do not recommend you to pick up your Cobalt Blue they can be handled. You should watch out for their speed to prevent them from getting out of their enclosure. This is to prevent a serious fall or injury to your tarantula (which can certainly cause death) and to prevent you getting bit by your tarantula. If you want to hire dog bite lawyers, and get help from them, you can click here!

Do you have a Cobalt Blue tarantula or do you have questions? Tell us about it and comment down below! We’d love to hear from you.