How do you know when you are ready for your first Old World Tarantula? A good beginner OW tarantula should be an adult. It is easy to raise an adult tarantula, as it eats and grows much faster than a juvenile Old World tarantula. This web page will answer most of your questions about tarantulas and make it easy to feel comfortable and confident with an OW tarantula. Here is complete care sheet of old world tarantulas for beginners.
OLD WORLD TARANTULAS VS NEW WORLD TARANTULAS
New World Tarantulas – (North America, Central America, and South America)
Most New World tarantulas are slow-moving, except the genus Ephebopus, which is extremely fast. The main defense of tarantulas is their urticating hairs on their abdomens, which they use to kick into the air when an attacker approaches. There are two exceptions to this rule: the genus Ephepobus, and a few others. The Ephepobus genera have urticating hairs, but they’re not the same kind of hairs as the urticating hairs of other scorpionids.
Avoiding attacks by using a tarantula’s speed and mobility makes it an effective defensive spider species. The next line of defense for NW spiders is to use their fangs to bite. That’s what they do with those long, wicked, curved spines at the tips of their fangs. Normally this is done after a warning has been given so that there’s no chance of being harmed. Most New World Tarantulas‘ abdomens may grow very large, so handling should be kept close to the floor to avoid falling and accidentally rupturing the spider’s abdomen.
Old World Tarantula – (Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe)
Tarantulas are old-world spiders that come from the eastern hemisphere (the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe plus Australia). These spiders are native to the Western Hemisphere, or the continents of North America and South America, including the Central America region). There are several reasons why this division exists today, but the most important reason is that they’ve developed so differently. Old World tarantulas are fast and quick and less hairy than their new world tarantulas. Some OW tarantulas can also deliver a very painful bite. If you’re bitten by one of these, you may need medical attention.
Most OW tarantulas are pretty good at defending themselves. They will also raise their front pair of legs and hit the substrate as a warning. Many OW will become so angry that they will flip on their backs and expose their fangs. Tarantulas are considered one of the most dangerous spiders of all and their venom is extremely potent.
VENOM OF OLD WORLD TARANTULAS
Most tarantula venom has not been tested for its potency. According to the bites that I have read, people’s reactions to an OW tarantula bite are more severe than an NW tarantula bite. As a general rule, it is said that OW tarantula venom is more toxic than NW tarantula venom.
LEARN THE CARE SHEET OF OLD WORLD TARANTULA
Make sure you do your research before you acquire an OW tarantula. If you are interested in finding out what OW’s are really like and what to expect from them, read this website. Get specific information on the species of tarantulas you are interested in purchasing from my Old World Tarantula web page.
SHOULD YOU CHOOSE AN ADULT?
A good introduction to tarantulas for beginners would be to buy a baby spiderling. They’re typically not aggressive, and they’re most likely to run in the event of a confrontation. When you take your first tarantula home, you’ll be amazed by the many unexpected surprises that occur. A tarantula might be a bit intimidating, but it is also quite docile and will not attack you if you just take it out of the box. The best way to get a tarantula is by getting a baby tarantula. They’re very easy to handle, and they’ll let you know if they’re feeling threatened
In addition, the offspring of the male and female tarantula will continue to grow and be active. With the proper care, you should see a steady increase in the rate of your T growing to adulthood.
KEEPING OLD WORLD IN YOUR HOME
If you are under the age of 18, you should tell your parents that you want to buy an OW tarantula. You’ll want to keep the cage locked if you have young siblings or children in the house. You’ll need to check the cage regularly to make sure the species you’re interested in purchasing isn’t becoming sick.
UNBOXING A NEW OLD WORLD TARANTULA
When unpacking your new OW tarantula, don’t expect it to fit all of its usual characteristics. There will be some changes. Some spiders have a hard time adjusting to their new environment, so they may be aggressive at first. Be prepared for the unexpected, even with a spiderling.
Put your tarantula cage on a table or shelf. You don’t want it on the floor where the spider can get to it. This type of tarantula usually can be found in a variety of colors, from blue to red. It’s hard to say what color your spider will be, but you can be sure it’ll be a pretty one. Make sure to have the enclosure ready for the tarantula when you get it home from the local supplier. If the tarantula doesn’t bolt on you, after opening the top, put the container it was shipped in, into the terrarium the tarantula is to be housed in if the terrarium is large enough.
To avoid getting a tarantula bite, you should wear a close-fitting T-shirt that doesn’t stretch. Once the tarantula got inside my shirt and sleeves, it was time to get help. Fortunately, I had someone there to assist me.
FACTS ABOUT OLD WORLD TARANTULAS
The OW Tarantulas are more misunderstood than they’re understood. They are more defensive than aggressive. To understand this is to respect them and give them their space. No matter what kind of spider you want to work with, they will all use different methods of defense. NW tarantulas have long hair that they use to ward off predators, while OW tarantulas have short hair. Understand a threat pose is invasion of their space when you clean out their cage or remove them from it. There are exceptions to the rule, as well.
If your OW tarantula ever goes into a threat display, which means it’s preparing to attack you, then just leave it alone and try again later. Because they want it to come out of its home, they should wait until it comes out of its home before trying to capture it.
REHOUSING OF OW TARANTULAS
Tarantulas will bite you if they feel threatened, so never leave your tarantula unattended. You should never have to interact with a tarantula except during routine maintenance or when your tarantula needs a safe place to live. OW tarantulas should never have to interact with anyone or anything. They’re perfectly happy in their burrows where they can stay and eat. To remove boluses and molts, I use large twelve-inch (30.48 cm) forceps.
I mist the cage, water and feed my Old World Tarantulas from an opening at the top of the terrarium. Never mist your tarantula directly, it will startle it, and may even cause it to attack you. To rescue an OW tarantula, you need as much open space as possible. You should put a deli cup and a cardboard cutout in the enclosure it’s to be transferred into. You should have already prepared the enclosure. This should have a lid on top to protect it from the elements. When you have to handle your tarantula, its first reaction will probably be to show it’s a threat.
Place the container over the tarantula and slide the top cardboard down. You can safely remove the tarantula using the above-described method. Once you have the tarantula on the table, reverse the procedure by putting the tarantula in a cup.
CONCLUSION
Tarantulas are so varied in the places they live, and there are so many kinds of tarantula species. If you’re going to choose a particular species for your new aquarium you have a variety of options. If you’re a serious collector, you’ll need to have several types of OW species in your collection. I believe that every tarantula owner should experience the joy of owning one of the Old World tarantulas.
It’s a good idea to follow these steps and be confident before handling your first Old World tarantula.
HERE IS A LIST OF SOME OLD WORLD SPECIES FOR BEGNNINERS
- Eurcratosclus Pachypus, (Stout Leg Baboon)
- Heterothele sp, “Villosella”, (Tanzanian Chestnut)
- Idiothele mira, (Blue Foot Baboon)
- Pterinochilus chordatus, (Kilimanjaro Baboon)
- Pterinochilus lugardi, (Ft. Hall Baboon)
- Chaetopelma species
- Poecilotheria formosa, (Salem Ornamental)
- Poecilotheria metallica, (Gooty Sapphire Ornamental)
- Poecilotheria miranda, (Bengal Ornamental)
- Poecilotheria pederseni, (Ghost Ornamental)
- Poecilotheria regalis, (Indian Ornamental)
- Poecilotheria straita, (Mysore Ornamental)
- Poecilotheria tigrinawesseli, (Tiger Ornamental)
- Phlogiellus baeri (Phillipine Dwarf)
- Ornithoctonus sp. (Koh samui)
