Tarantulas of the World

The Cameroon Red Baboon Tarantula also known as the Giant Baboon spider is a large tarantula from Africa (Cameroon/Togo). It has a variation of colors which range from black after a fresh molt and then turns to an orange/red coloration which then changes to more of a brown color as it gets ready to molt again. It will repeat this pattern and therefor make it easy for keepers to check up on it at all times and know what happens to their tarantula. It has very weak and small eyes that can only judge light levels. This species does tend to grow to be about 7 inches in length with males living to be about 4 to 5 years old and females living to be up to 16 years old. They are very fast growers and a typical Giant Baboon spider can easily molt 4 to 6 times its first 2 years. Though having hairy legs they do not come equipped with urticating hairs and as most old world tarantulas they are aggressive.

Habitat:

The Cameroon Red Baboon tarantula is a deep burrower and therefor you should have that in mind while setting up his enclosure. A 10 gallon tank should be fine for a full grown H.gigas, make sure to have more floor space then height. About 5 to 6 inches of substrate should be fine for this tarantula as it will burrow to make its own home. They do not produce much silk and only end up webbing the entrance of their hole and inside their burrow. As spiderlings you can keep them in 4 inch vials with a little over half of it with substrate, as they get slightly bigger you can end up housing them in larger containers such as deli cups until big enough to fit in a 5 gallon tank and so on and so forth. As for the substrate itself we recommend you use some sort of damp coconut fiber or vermiculite/potting soil mix. You are going to want to make sure the substrate is firm enough to where the tarantula can dig a hole without it caving in. You will want to reach a humidity level of about 80 to 85% with temperatures of about 76 to 79 degrees. As always a fresh shallow water dish should always be readily available with clean water.

Feeding:

As most tarantulas this is a very big insectivore. A steady diet of crickets, cockroaches, locusts, super worms and meal worms should keep this spider well fed. Though they can and have been known to eat small mice and lizards we recommend not feeding them to your tarantula. There is much debate as to the amount of calcium buildup these animals can end up accumulating (by eating said lizards and mice) in their exoskeleton which can prevent a successful molt.

Attitude:

They are known to attack anything that moves, having poor eyesight also does not help. We do not recommend handling them as they tend to be aggressive as most Old World tarantulas. They do not come with urticating hairs and therefor do not have many warning signals to fend off attackers. The Cameroon Red Baboon tarantula does not hesitate to put up a defense stance, at times even hissing at its attackers. They can pack a powerful bite due to their very long fangs, a full grown H.gigas can definitely inflict some pain in their bite even though their venom is not potent to be lethal to humans. As always should you have certain animal allergies we recommend you seek medical attention right away should you feel any bad symptoms.

The Cameroon Red Baboon tarantula is a known species in the tarantula community though chances are it will most of the time just be a pet hole. Due to its slightly aggressive nature we recommend this to be more of an intermediate to expert hobbyist pet.

Tell us about your H.gigas, we’d love to hear from you! Comment down below and share your story!

The Brazilian Red and White Birdeater Tarantula also known as the Brazilian Striped Red Rump is a large species of New World tarantulas from the rainforests of Brazil and some parts of  Paraguay. A full grown species can reach a size of 9 to 10 inches with ease. Known in the pet trade due to their beautiful coloration which consists of black and white stripes on its legs and red urticating hairs on a very dark/black abdomen. It has a brown carapace, not to be confused with the A. geniculata which has a black carapace. The Brazilian Red and White Birdeater tarantula reaches adulthood in 3 to 4 years and can live to be about 11 years or sometimes older in captivity.

Habitat:

As full grown adults we recommend an enclosure of about 15 gallons or sometimes even bigger depending on how big yours grow. They are terrestrial burrowers and so you should add anywhere from 4 to 5 inches of substrate. A hide can be added as well just in the event your tarantula does not burrow. What we have seen work best is to bury a hide under the substrate with an opening leading to it so that it can be used as a pre-made burrow. As for specific substrate, coconut fiber should do the trick just fine. Your substrate should be damp to dry. You can overfill its water dish to keep humidity levels for your tarantula correct as this will need about 75 to 80 percent humidity. Temperature wise you are going to want it to be at about 75 degrees. You can add an additional hide on the substrate or even plants. Spraying the enclosure is not required but can be done once a week.

Feeding:

Your Brazilian Red and White Birdeater Tarantula though named a birdeater will actually eat a steady diet of insects such as large crickets, large cockroaches, large mealworms and can also eat small rodents such as small mice. A steady diet of insects should be just fine as we do not recommend feeding them rodents, mice can end up supplying your tarantula with too much calcium which can harden its exoskeleton to the point where it can cause issues with its molting.

Attitude:

Due to their size we recommend this species to only be handled by experienced keepers. Its a very skittish and large tarantula that comes equipped with urticaing hairs and at times a bad attitude. We recommend only an experienced keeper to handle these tarantulas to prevent a fall which can certainly cause great injury if not death of your tarantula and to prevent mishandling of your tarantula which can induce him or her to bite. Though their venom has a mild toxicity level and is not lethal to humans it does come equipped with large fangs which can cause medically significant damage if they do bite.

All in all it is an excellent tarantula for that experienced hobbyist who would like to add an interesting tarantula to his or her collection. Do you have a Brazilian Red and White Birdeater? Tell us your story and comment down below!

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!