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 Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula who is also known as the Striped-Knee Tarantula is tarantula from Costa Rica and central America. They grow to be about 4 to 5 inches in length with females living to be anywhere between 15 to 20 years and males usually between 6 to 9 years. They are great for intermediate hobbyists who have some experience with tarantulas already. Widely sought after due to their black abdomen and white striped legs (such stripes as zebras), these terrestrial burrowers dig deep into the Costa Rican rainforests. They are most certainly a great addition for any collector.

Habitat:

At full adult size you are only going to be needing an enclosure that is going to be about 10 gallons in size. They are terrestrial but also burrowers and they can burrow a lot. Make sure you have about 3 to 4 inches of substrate which should also be a mix of peat moss and coconut fiber. They do require a high humidity level of over 75 percent at all times and so we do recommend you dampening the substrate accordingly in addition to overfilling its shallow water dish to keep humidity levels up. We do not recommend misting as it does not seem to help as much. Temperature wise you will be looking at anywhere between 75 to 82 degrees. They normally do not require a hide as they spend quite a bit of time simply staying in their burrowed hole.But you can decorate with perhaps a piece of bark or plant or even both.

Feeding:

A steady diet of dubia roaches or large crickets should be just fine. Should you have a smaller spiderling (sling) you can try simple fruit flies and small pinhead crickets. As always you should only feed it about once a week as that should be plenty. Should you notice its prey still in the enclosure after 24 hours feel free to remove it. Do not let it cause harm or stress to your tarantula.

Attitude:

They are not as docile as people might think they are. They tend to be extremely skittish and will easily either strike a defensive pose before retreating to thier hide or kick its urticating hairs. They can bite but rarely actually do. Their Venom is not dangerous to humans (unless you have specific allergies) and contain a low toxicity level.

All in all the Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula is a great spider to have. The reason we do not recommend them as a beginner species is due to their skittishness and houdini like capabilities as they are great escape artists. They are low maintenance and would make the perfect pet.

Tell us about your Costa Rican Zebra tarantula or ask us any questions about yours. We would love to hear from you! Comment down below.