The striped-knee tarantula, also known as the Costa Rican zebra tarantula, is a beautiful creature. This species is difficult to handle due to its skittish behavior and needs an experienced keeper. It moves fast and quickly. It has a bright black color and white stripes on its legs. This tarantula has dark red hairs and orange spinnerets. There is no extra maintenance required for this creature’s enclosure.
Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula Behavior and Temperament
Costa Rican zebra tarantulas are skittish in nature and move quickly. Due to this behavior, this species is not suitable as a pet for beginners. While they are normally passive in behavior, they can flit rapidly when worried and be very hard to grasp and hold. Sometimes, when you try to pick up the striped knee tarantula, it causes injury. So an experienced keeper can easily handle the white knee spider. For more information and interesting facts about New World tarantulas, visit here.
Size
This Tarantula has approximately a leg span of 4 and 5 inches. The leg span may also increase to 6 inches.
| Scientific Name | Aphonopelma Seemanni |
| Common Names | Costa Rican zebra tarantula, striped-knee tarantula |
| ADULT SIZE | 4 to 5 inches leg span |
| LIFESPAN | 5 years (males), 15 to 20 years (females) |
| Temprament | Skittish |
| Distribution | Western Costa Rica and Central America |
Striped Knee Tarantula Care Sheet
Habitat and housing
For the enclosure, a tank of 5-gallon to 10-gallons is suitable. Ensures that the habitat of your Tarantula should be two to three times wider than its leg span, and the height is according to the width of your pet spider. The substrate of thick material is best because these species love to burrow. Keep in mind that the enclosure should be escape-proof. The substrate contains moss, soil, coconut fibre bedding, reptile bark, vermiculite etc. Don’t use hard stuff in the basement. It affects the skin of your spider. These spiders are skittish and love to climb, so the specially designed spider terrariums are suitable. Some tarantula keepers use terrarium for habitat, which is also the best option.
Decorate the habitat with logs, branches, or cork bark. These things provide the Tarantula with a hiding space. You can also use some plastic or artificial plants and herbs for decoration. The beautiful enclosure makes the Tarantula happy and peaceful. They enjoy and feel comfortable in their habitat.
Temperature of Enclosure
Your strip knee tarantula needs a floating temperature of around 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They require a humidity level of 75 to 80 %. The substrate must be able to provide the humidity. Keep your house cool, so they don’t need any additional heat or cold. But to overcome any common situation, use the specially designed heating pad on one side of the habitat. The other side is used to move when Tarantula need cold substrate. And when this zebra tarantula wants to heat, it moves to the heat pad. Maintaining the humidity level ensures that the water dish gives evaporation. You can mist the enclosure when needed.
Lighting
These tarantulas don’t need too much light and love to remain in the dark. So keep them away from sunlight and give darker parts of the house. The glowing lights can shrivel up a tarantula, so use infrared light to watch your Tarantula.
Diet of Striped Knee Tarantula
These Aphonopelma Seemanni are live hunters and catch the prey. These spiders are found in crickets. They also like to eat other small insects but not bigger than the Tarantula’s body. To maintain the protein level, give the pinky mouse the best food. If you do not know about your pet’s feeding, consult your vet for the information because the zebra tarantulas vary in size and age. Mature Costa Rican zebra tarantulas are normally consumed once or twice a week. And the infantile eat every one to two days. The food also depends on the size and age.
You can provide proper food and drop live prey close to your spider. The unwanted prey causes stress for your Tarantula, so remove the leftover food from the enclosure. The removal o0f leftover food also keeps the habitat clean. Place a proper water dish in the substrate to maintain the drinking needs and humidity level. Keep the level of water below to avoid drowning. Add the freshwater daily to the dish. Don’t overwet the substrate. It causes bacterial and fungal infections.
Reproduction/Breeding of Striped Knee Tarantula
If you don’t know about the reproduction of your stripped knee tarantula, you can consult with local foreign animal veterinarians for information. These animal veterinarians guide and give you the right path to a reputable breeder. The breeders often have a lot of younger animals who are ready for reproduction. They also know how to handle this skittish species. Before selecting the Tarantula, observe the body condition and movement of the young Tarantula. Also, observe the zebra tarantula when it eats, the good appetite is a sign of health. To avoid accidental breeding, keep the different tarantulas at different places.
8 Tips for Keeping Tarantulas as Pets
- Tarantulas usually don’t bite, but if they feel terrorized, they try to bite.
- These species have toxic venom. The effect of the poison is just like the bee sting.
- When these spiders feel threatened around them, they flick barbed hairs off their stomach.
- The urticating hairs of tarantulas cause skin irritation, especially in the eyes.
- Always wash your hands after interacting with your pet tarantula.
- While their speed and protection methods confuse their minds, these tarantulas are still comparatively easy to uphold.
- These spiders don’t require socialization; they love to remain in the holes.
- They are skittish. But they try to live alone.
Venom of Costa Rican zebra tarantula
Zebra tarantulas have a nasty bite. The bite is similar to a bee sting and mostly irritates, especially the eyes and face. In some people, it causes swelling and redness on the bite spot. However, some people might have more severe reactions. And they need special medical attention and treatment.
Common Health Problems
Pet stripped knee tarantulas are typically hard animals that infrequently fall sick. They remain healthy if the right and perfect environment is provided. The proper food and hydration also help to keep them vigorous. If the zebra tarantula is fast-moving, then deadly falls are a threat.
So it’s important to make sure your Tarantula’s enclosure is safe. You must provide your pet with a secure surface like carpet, etc. If you observe your pet deny food, act lethargic and lie on its back in the air, you normally don’t have to worry. These are the symptoms of molting, and your pet is trying to shed its old exoskeleton and form new skin. The process of molting takes a few weeks to complete. So you don’t need to worry about the food and change the behaviour of your Tarantula.
Purchasing of Your Striped Knee Tarantula
Costa Rican tarantulas are easily available at some pet stores. But it would be best if you tried to buy these spiders from some reputable seller or some well-known market or organization. The expert breeder also guides you about the important health issues of Tarantula give you steps by step suggestions for the care and grooming of a pet. The average price of stripped Tarantula is $20 and $40, but it may vary according to size, age, and other factors. Females have a longer lifespan, and they are normally expensive.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Keeping a Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula
These tarantulas are generally interesting and friendly pets. They are shy and don’t need extra space in the enclosure. They normally remain calm and only attack when they are provoked. So you have to be careful about the sudden attack. However, they are easy to handle because they don’t take much time but have fast speed and can be difficult to handle.
