Tarantulas of the World

The Goliath Birdeater also known as the T.blondi Is one of the largest species of tarantulas in the world. The females are massively built and are husky in size reaching lengths of 10 to 12 inches while males reach an average length of 9 inches. As with most species of tarantulas the males have smaller bodies and longer legs as compared to the females. Males usually live between 4 to 6 years while females can live well over 20 years. The T.blondi has been frequently publicized as being the world’s largest tarantula (as per the Guinness Book of World Records), however there are in fact two other species who grow larger than the T.blondi, the Pinkfoot Goliath tarantula (Theraphosa apophysis) and the Brazilian Salmon tarantula (Lasiodora parahybana). Regardless of all of that The Goliath Birdeater still remains one of the most known tarantulas out there with many hobbyists having them as the center of attention for their collection. This however is a tarantula for the more expert of spider connoisseurs.

Habitat:

In the wild the Goliath Birdeater are found in the tropical rain forests on slopes and hillsides throughout the regions of Northern South America. In captivity as pets they require really big enclosures for their massive sizes. As a full grown adult they should be in no less then a 20 gallon tank that is more wide then it is tall. They are poor climbers due to their massive size and weight. It is key to not have them in a tall enclosure because of this. A fall higher then a few inches might result in serious injuries or death to your Goliath Birdeater. This species is also known for burrowing so be sure to add plenty of substrate in your enclosure. We would recommend about 4 to 5 inches of it, with a hide for it to go under as well. They come from very humid wet environments in the wild and we recommend you damp your substrate enough so that it can burrow and have the substrate hold. As well as having a corner in your enclosure wet to give it the adequate humidity it needs. Make sure to always have a water bowl always full in the event that it needs to hydrate. You can spray the enclosure once a week if you see the humidity dropping. You have to clean the tank often due to the environment you will have your tarantula in. It can easily become a haven of fungus and other bacteria. The enclosure should also maintain a temperature of about 77 to 85 degrees with moderate humidity at all times.

Feeding:

Though being called a Goliath Birdeater, the T.blondi rarely actually eats birds in the wild. In the wild it’s diet consists primarily of rodents, small lizards and insects. Due to their size they do require an immense amount of food compared to other species of tarantulas. You will see that you perhaps have to feed a grown adult a great amount of large insects a few times a week. Though many people feed them partially grown mice we recommend you not make this the primary food source for your T.blondi. Reason being that it might get an overly high amount of calcium which might end up making it harder to shed its exoskeleton during the molting process. A steady but mixed diet should also consist of large crickets and large roaches. Though it might take more insects then a mouse to keep your tarantula satisfied it will surely help its diet. It is important to remove all traces of leftover food and spitballs (food boluses) after feeding to prevent any type of dangerously unsanitary conditions due to the food spoiling because of the warm humid environment.

Attitude:

The Goliath Birdeater can be extremely aggressive. It has one of the most irritating/harmful urticating hairs of all spiders. That is at times their number one form of defense. These can get lodged in your skin, eyes or even inhaled which can result in serious injuries. When threatened they also stridulate (produce sound) by rubbing their pedipalps which are covered in small bristles together as a sign to back off. It is recommended to not handle these animals due to their sheer size. A full grown t.blondi would require both your hands and even so that still might not be enough to fully grab the animal. The smallest of moves can cause the tarantula to jump out of your hands and fall which will surely result in its death.  Another reason to not handle them is their immense fangs that can pack a powerful bite. Though their venom is not potent enough to harm humans their enormous fangs can surely cause medical harm. People who do handle t.blondis have been doing so since their tarantula was a spiderling and the tarantula has gotten used to being picked up. If that is not the case with you, simply let your tarantula be.

This is by far a collector species with it mostly only being kept as pets by experienced hobbyists. While most of the people prefer carpet cleaning services at affordable deal .We must understand that when it comes to tarantula handling should only be done due to maintenance, enclosure cleaning or mating attempts. Should you handle your tarantula, do so with utmost care and do it from the time they are still slings so they get used to being handled. Following these simple steps should be enough to help you with your own t.blondi. As always feel free to comment if you have any experience with this beautiful pet or simply have a question.

The Mexican Redknee Tarantula is perhaps one of the most famous of all tarantulas. Used in movies, commercials, magazines and even newspapers due to its amazing colors. They originate from south-western Mexico and have become a very common New World tarantula kept as a pet. Once thought to be endangered its numbers have grown quite a bit, especially due to how easily these animals breed in captivity. Now they are one of the most sought after species and surely an easy find at any exotic expo throughout the world.

Habitat:

Being a native of the hills of the south-west Mexico these animals love the dryness the key is to keep your substrate relatively dry to replicate their arid environment in the wild. Make sure to at least refill your tarantula’s water dish once a week with fresh clean water and simply overfill it to dampen just a slight patch of your substrate. This should create adequate humidity for your tarantula. As always we would recommend a terrarium anywhere between 5 to 10 gallons depending on your tarantula’s size with about 2 to 3 inches of it filled with the substrate of your choice such as eco-earth. This species has been known to burrow so make sure to also add something it can use as housing such as half a florwepot into the substrate. You can add decorations such as plants to your enclosure but your redknee will not care for it.

Feeding:

Your Mexican Redknee Tarantula usually eats crickets and meal-worms but when big can even eat a cockroach or two. A full grown redknee will eat 1 or 2 large crickets a week but can sometimes go as far at 6 months without wanting to eat. As long as you see its abdomen remaining big in size you should not worry about it not eating. They are slow moving and most of the time will either strike fast as soon as you put a cricket in its enclosure or will not do anything at all. Do not leave the insect in the enclosure if you notice it not being eaten within 24 hours.

Attitude:

Though extremely docile the redknee does have some defenses when threatened. It’s a new world spider and therefor does come equipped with urticating hairs which it will flick off its abdomen should it feel intimidated. Should they feel vulnerable they also to rear up and show their fangs. So as always test the waters before trying to handle them to see what mood they are in. A simple approach would be to gently nudge it from behind with an elongated Q-Tip before trying to pick it up.

This tarantula is rather sluggish which makes it very easy to handle.  The Mexican Redknee tarantula is quite slow at growing. Mine grew from a 1 inch sling (spider-ling) to about 5 inches over the course of 5 years. The males will live a good 5 to 6 years while females can live upwards of 30 years with ease.  All in all we would recommend this as a first time beginner tarantula due to its low maintenance, being very submissive and also easy to handle.