Disclaimer: Although I have 8 years of experience in keeping Tarantulas at the time of writing, I do NOT consider myself an expert. To me, there are always new things to learn from this hobby. I’m only sharing my personal opinion based on my experience. *Haters will not be entertained*
Juvenile Ephebopus cyanognathus (Blue fang tarantula)
Tarantulas are easy to keep
– contrary to how they appear, they are in fact safe to keep as pets
– they are quiet
– they don’t need to be fed everyday, poop very little and they are clean
– they don’t need large enclosures; an average adult Tarantula can live comfortably in a 1 x 1 x 1 feet enclosure
– and because of this they are cheap to maintain and do not require much of your time
I have been keeping Tarantulas since 2005 (8 years now) and over these years I have been asked many questions by people. I’ve also been asked to write a beginner’s guide before but I never did. Why? Well one of the reason is because there are already many articles/guides at your finger tips found in the internet. Another reason is because Tarantula species originate from all over the world and each have their own set of requirements (over 900 species) and I don’t plan to cover each one of them. I would rather write a general introduction to the hobby of tarantula keeping. For husbandry guide of specific species, kindly Google them.
2 feet terrarium with live plants for my Lasiodora parahybana
I find that people prefer asking general to specific questions expecting to get straight answers. Unfortunately there are no straight answers simply because there are hundreds of species and they each have different requirements, temperament, attitude, sizes, colors, etc… I believe this is partly because most people do not want to read whole articles found in the Internet.
So my article will be in simple point form and easy to digest because I want to encourage everyone to first understand Tarantulas before deciding whether or not to keep one. Remember, animals are NOT toys. If you are not prepared to love it for life, don’t get one. Here we go:
What are Tarantulas?
– they belong to the Theraphosidae family of spiders
– approximately 900 species have been identified (excluding newly found species)
– large and often hairy
– each species vary in sizes ranging from leg span of 1.5 inch dwarf (eg. Phlogiellus spp.) to 12 inch birdeaters (eg. Theraphosa blondi)
– they are all venomous but their venom potency vary from different species from mild to highly venomous
– different species have varying temperament from docile, skittish, defensive to aggressive (but do note that like humans, they each possess varying individual attitute; ie. an individual from a docile species might display a degree of aggressiveness)
– they are devided into two groups:
1. New world species
– originates from North and South America
– extra defense mechanism like urticating hairs
– Tarantulas flick these hairs by rubbing their hind legs against its abdomen, releasing them into the air causing discomfort and irritation to ward off predators
– another unique defense is by squirting poop at you (only a few species utilise this defence ie. Avicularia spp.)
– bites are last resort and generally have mild venom
Adult female Brachypelma smithi -New world species.
2. Old world species
– originates from Asia and Africa
– do not possess the above extra defence mechanisms
– biting is their only defense and hence they possess stronger venom
– they are generally more aggressive
Haplopelma doriae – Old world species
Understanding Tarantulas
– Tarantulas are NOT your regular cute pet eg. hamsters, cats, dogs etc…
– Tarantulas are considered exotic animals. If you’re looking for a pet you can pet, then this is NOT for you. It is for those who admire exotic animals and wish to observe them. For this reason they are considered display pets. *imagine going to Aquaria KLCC – you don’t go there to pet/cuddle with the animals, but rather to observe and admire their beauty.
– They are all capable of biting you and they will if they so choose to. For this reason it is in my personal opinion that you should never handle them with your hands.
– They will only bite for two reasons: 1. to eat and 2. to defend themselves
– because they have poor vission, they rely heavily on their setae (hairs) to sense vibrations and navigate. This is why you should not touch them because they might mistaken you for prey.
The above are just general knowlegde every would be Tarantula keeper should know. So by now I hope you should understand that Tarantulas are not as bad as people might think. They do NOT bite for no reason and they are NOT dangerous albeit they might look a bit scary to some.
BenK Exotics 