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 Trinidad Chevron Tarantula is a New World majestic tarantula from the tropical areas of Trinidad and Tobago. Loved due to their great chevron marking on their abdomens these animals spend most of their time up in trees blending in with their environment. They tend to make silk tubes in trees/leaves to live out in. Average growth for these animals tend to be about 4 to 5 inches with males living to be about 2 to 4 years and females living close to 12 years. As they grow from spiderlings (slings) to adults they tend to change colors looking more colorful as juveniles.

Habitat:

The Trinidad Chevron Tarantula is an arboreal species and it spends most of its time suspended on tree limbs and plants. They are not known for being on the ground and we would recommend an enclosure that has more height then it has length or width. Of course we would recommend it being at least between 12 to 16 inches in height. The floor of your enclosure should have some sort of coconut fiber with at least 2 to 3 inches of very damp substrate. Humidity is key as they require 80% or better humidity with a temperature of about 78 to 85 degrees. Beware of stagnant air as this can certainly end up killing your tarantula so be sure to keep the enclosure well ventilated. You should have enough bark or plants for it to climb and spin its web on. As always a fresh shallow water dish should always be overfilled with clean water. A great tip would be to perhaps glue the water dish to the bark on in the enclosure so that your tarantula does not have to climb down to drink.

Feeding:

The Trinidad Chevron tarantula is a decent eater, as most tarantulas all it really requires would be crickets, cockroaches, locusts or even fruit flies. It is highly unlikely that you can overfeed this species but only feed it once a week a couple of insects at a time.

Attitude:

These are fast and aggressive tarantulas and we do not recommend handling them. Though they can sit on their bark all day not moving they tend to be extremely fast. They do not have urticating hairs and rely in their bite and venom as a primary defense. There are even stories of these tarantulas attacking their own molt.  Caution should be applied when maintaining their enclosure.

This would be a great tarantula for the intermediate/expert hobbyist getting their first old world tarantula. They require rather low maintenance and do not cause much problems. However due to their temperament we do recommend not handling them.

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.