How often do you picture your pet in terms of what’s inside rather than what’s outside? Other people don’t think of these things, but they’re just as dangerous and just as funny. Tarantulas are not only unconventional pets, but they’ve been popular for a reason. They’re fun to watch and interact with, but they require much less work than, say, a dog. Pet tarantulas can be a lot of fun, as long as you’re prepared to provide your own care and feeding. This guide provides everything that you need to know about how to care for pet tarantula.
Facts about how to care for pet tarantula
There are more than 800 varieties of spiders, and each has its own unique pattern, color, and habits. So it’s impossible to accurately portray all of them in one sentence. Most commonly, they’re very large spiders – how large will depend on what variety you choose. Their length can vary between 2 to 10 inches, and male snakes are often larger than female snakes. Tarantulas are exotic pets, and while they’ve been kept as pets for many decades, they’re still considered to be exotic. You don’t have to get in a fight to make them like you. Simply stay safe, treat them with kindness, and they’ll accept your presence, even if they don’t love it.
It’s true that people who own a tarantula often do so to keep it as a pet for a short period of time. The fact of the matter is that if these spiders are well cared for, they can live up to 30 years in captivity. Owning a tarantula is a commitment, so make sure you’re prepared for that before buying one.
Are Tarantulas Good Pets?
The right pet for you is not necessarily the same as what you’d consider a good pet for someone else. Dogs and cats are not the most convenient animals to keep as pets, and they’re often pretty indifferent to you. The best thing you can hope for from them is their indifference.
Tarantulas are pets for people who like to watch them for hours on end. Pet reptiles are so much more manageable than dogs and cats. They’re fun to watch, whether they’re eating or just exploring their enclosure, and are a lot lower maintenance than other pets. Yes, they are nocturnal, and may even hunt in the morning, but don’t worry if your spider vanishes during the day as long as you keep your windows and doors shut.
If you’re too busy for a conventional pet, then a tarantula makes an excellent substitute. The tarantulas are very simple and docile pets. All you have to do is feed them, clean their tank, and ensure they have lots of water. They might not be the best pets for everyone, but if you don’t want to develop an emotional attachment to your pet, then these tarantulas might just be perfect for you.
Where Can I Get a Pet Tarantula?
Tarantulas are most often purchased from your local pet store. It’s convenient and fairly inexpensive, but it does come with a few moral considerations. There are many commercially sold tarantulas on the market that are bred en masse or even captured illegally.
Tarantulas are one of the most commonly sold animals in the pet trade and are often mass-bred in captivity, or sometimes captured illegally. It’s easier to buy tarantulas from breeders or rescues than it is to raise them. Spider experts will be able to fill you in on the spider’s history and answer any questions you may have about owning one. You’re also sure you aren’t contributing to the illegal trade of tarantulas. Spider breeders can also tell you whether your tarantula is male or female, and more importantly, whether the tarantula is pregnant.
How Much Does It Cost to Own a Pet Tarantula?
Tarantulas aren’t the cheapest pets to own, but they are certainly less expensive than other common options. This spider itself will cost between $25 and $100, depending on the breed and where you buy it from. You’ll need a place to put your pet, but it’s usually the most expensive part of the puzzle. A large cage is needed for a tarantula that needs plenty of space to grow, so make sure to get the right size cage. Tarantulas need to climb, so you’ll need to provide decorations that will allow them to do so. We also need to provide our bears with a good place to hide if they start behaving badly.
They’ll need smaller cages, and you’ll also want to keep them in their own area while transporting them somewhere or cleaning their primary cage. It may cost $100-500 to put all this stuff together, but don’t forget that you’ll only be using it once or twice. As far as recurring costs are concerned, food is the biggest issue. However, crickets are inexpensive. There are also other spider suppliers online where you can buy your own spider for less than $20, and they’re relatively easy to keep alive, so that should last your spider a few days. Sure, you’ll need to feed the crickets you buy for the indoor colony, but there’s no doubt you’ll save money by building a colony instead of purchasing live crickets.
Housing for a pet tarantula
Tarantulas are usually kept in glass terrariums with a mesh screen top. This product is great because it gives your pet access to fresh air while still making it difficult for them to escape, and this product also makes it easy to secure your pet in place. The aquarium doesn’t require any more equipment than a heat-controlled fish tank.
As the internal temperature gets lower, your body’s temperature is dropping. You need to raise your body temperature so that your blood stays warm. You don’t need any special lighting to keep your pet tarantula. Remember, tarantulas are nocturnal (meaning active at night). You can use a red light to help them see better, but make sure the red light doesn’t burn them and make them dry out. Humidity is the best for keeping plants healthy. If you need to keep the tank damp, use a misting system. The tank needs to be at least a 5-gallon tank and could be bigger if possible.
Substrate for Pet Tarantula
Add a few inches of organic material such as bark chips, pine shavings, coir (coconut fiber), or recycled newspaper. If you don’t have enough substrate to support decorations that your tarantula can climb on, buy more substrate. They really like to climb, and many feel safer and less stressed when up high. Don’t worry if you don’t know where your spider is. It will come out of hiding as soon as you open the tank.
Water Bowl
Tarantulas need a large enough water bowl to keep them comfortable. The size isn’t a huge issue, but it should be heavy enough to prevent it from tipping over if your spider is inside. It’s best to put a bowl of drinking water for spiders in a sunny area of your home. Many spiders won’t drink from water bowls at all, preferring to get their moisture from droplets on plants. Your tarantula needs to be carefully watched over because it’s going to be important to remember to mist their cage every day.
Feeding of Pet Tarantula?
You can feed your pet tarantula most things that it’s likely to eat, including crickets, mealworms, Dubai roaches, and silkworms. Crickets are the cheapest and easiest food source. They provide everything your tarantula needs to grow up big and strong. Cricket is a nutritious food that your spider will eat up fast, and it’s the perfect addition to your spider’s diet. That means giving the bugs vitamins and minerals to give the spider. Cricket feed typically contains every ingredient you need to gut-load the insects, but most pet stores already sell them gut-loaded.
Most juvenile tarantulas need to be fed once a week, while most mature ones can be fed as often as needed. How big a cricket your spider will eat will depend on how much it weighs. You can expect to feed it two to six crickets per week. That’s when the spiders are more active. Tarantulas only eat when they have a single insect in their tank, as a sudden bunch of crickets would make them nervous. A general rule is, don’t put any bug in their container that’s bigger than the container.
Remove any bugs that have been left in the house for more than an hour. They may injure your pet tarantula. You can’t overfeed your tarantula; he will eat until he’s full, and then he’ll stop. It’s time to empty the bowl and take the last remaining crickets back into the hive. If you notice that your tarantula’s abdomen is looking shriveled, you should give your tarantula food and water.
Care Sheet of Pet Tarantula?
Handling
It’s unwise to handle a tarantula. They can bite if they feel threatened, and it takes very little to scare them. Their bite is not fatal, but it is painful, similar to a bee sting. When threatened, many spiders will flick their hair to help deter predators. This doesn’t sound that bad, but a lot of people get a reaction to this particular hair and may experience skin irritation. You could accidentally drop a tarantula while you’re trying to make them comfortable.
Grooming
Do not be worried, you will never have to brush your tarantula. That means you have to deal with molting when they shed their old, outgrown exoskeleton. This behavior happens roughly four times a year in young spiders. Adults might only do it once or twice a year. If you notice that your spider is no longer eating their food, it could be preparing to molt. You should remove their food and not put them back until the process is complete.
Your tarantula might be in jeopardy right now, but crickets are a threat to other creatures that you might not have thought about before. They can harm your tarantula, and they could even threaten your own life. Tarantulas crawl up onto their back and relax after eating. They are just like a bug that is dead and they are not able to move. This isn’t shocking, but it is something to keep an eye on. Spiders shouldn’t be handled when their old skin is still present. Wait until it’s gone before you touch them.
Cleaning the Habitat
Tarantulas aren’t messy pets. You don’t have to clean up their droppings or anything like that. They just secrete a fluid that dries quickly, leaving no odor. To make a more secure home for your spider, put them in their smaller cage, then remove any old cricket parts, wash the glass, and replace the substrate. You’ll need to clean their water bowl daily, but you don’t want it to get moldy.
Red Slate Ornamental Tarantula
Salmon Pink Birdeater Tarantula
Colombian Lasserblack Tarantula
