Tarantulas of the World

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 Red Slate Ornamental tarantula is a species from India that spends most of its times up in trees or plants of the Indian forests. It is a very rare species to come across due to the rare breeding of it, spiderslings tend to be very delicate and require a lot of maintenance until reaching full adult size. In addition they are scarce in the wild due to their natural habitat being threatened due to cutting of trees and plants and deforestation in India. They are most definitely a species for the more experienced of hobbyists. They tend to grow between 7 to 9 inches in length and get to be anywhere from 4 to 9 years old.

Habitat:

The Red Slate Ornamental Tarantula is an arboreal species who likes to spend its time up in trees in the wild. You will need an  enclosure of about 10 to 15 gallons that is more tall then it has floor space. About 3 inches of substrate should be used. We recommend a coconut fiber and peat moss mixture, make sure it is heavily damp. A nice piece or pieces of bark should be added for your tarantula to climb up on. It will end up webbing its home at the top of your enclosure. A fresh water dish should also be available and always overflowing with clean water. Misting is not needed but you can still do so once or twice a week. Just be sure to not spray directly on top of your tarantula but more towards the panels of the enclosure. You should have a temperature of about 68 to 75 degrees and a humidity level of about 75%.

Feeding:

The Red Slate Ornamental Tarantula is an easy eater and will devour pretty much any insects you can mix up its diet with. You can feed them either crickets, cockroaches, locusts and moths. A feeding of once a week should be just fine. As always should you see that your p. rufilata has not eaten its prey within 24, remove the prey. It could be that it has no appetite or in some cases could be in pre-molt stages. Do not stress out your tarantula by having the prey stay in the enclosure.

Attitude:

These are very skittish animals and can easily get startled. They are quite fast as slings or juveniles and only slow down as they reach adulthood. They do not come with urticating hairs and their primary line of defense is their bite. Though their venom is not lethal it still has a medium toxicity level that can cause moderate pain, muscle cramps and sometimes fever like symptoms. They are not as aggressive as other old world tarantulas but will easily go on the defense should they feel threatened.

We would not recommend this species for a beginner tarantula keeper but for more advanced and experienced hobbyist. It is very rare and great species to have.

The Curlyhair tarantula also known as the Honduran Curlyhair is a type of tarantula from Central America, primarily found in Honduras and Costa Rica. This tarantula is loved due to its dark color and golden/bronze hairs all over its body that is more wavy then it is curly. They grow to be about 5 to 6 inches.They are docile and can last you quite a bit with females growing to be as old as 10 years. They are slow moving and easy to handle.

Habitat:

The Curlyhair tarantula is a terrestrial tarantula but also an opportunistic burrower. A full grown tarantula will require a 10 to 15 gallon tank that is about twice the width of its leg span and should be just tll enough for it to be able to flip over when in premolting stages. Your enclosure should have about 4 inches of substrate, preferably a peat moss/coconut fiber mixture that should be lightly damp. They should do just fine with about 75 to 85 percent humidity and a temperature of about 80 to 85 degrees. a hide should also be present in the enclosure should your tarantula need it. In addition a fresh shallow water dish that is always overfilled should also be readily available. Spraying is not needed however you can still do so from time to time. Do not spray directly onto your tarantula.

Feeding:

A steady diet of crickets and cockroaches should be fine for your tarantula as they are easy eaters. As always do leave prey in its enclosure for more then 24 hours.

Attitude:

They are by far a docile species. Easy to handle but be careful to not startle your tarantula. They do come equipped with urticating hairs which they will use should they feel threatened. This spider will use either its urticating hairs or defensive posture before it would try to bite. Its venom is only mild and in most cases does not give any side effects.

The Curlyhair Tarantula is a great beginner tarantula and great care should be given to keep yours living for a long time. As always, though easy to handle, be careful not to drop your tarantula as it can be fatal.