What You Need to Know About Having a Pet Tarantula

Tarantulas, one of the earth's oldest species, are exotic and fascinating. Shy and rather nervous, they prefer being left alone.

Handling causes stress- not for humans eager for closeness, but for the spider. Please think again about owning a tarantula if you have your heart set on lots of one-to-one interaction. If still interested, do look forward to the enjoyment of caring for and observing an intriguing species instead.

Your Tarantula's Home

The large hairy spider's body on average measures 3" or 7.6 cm long with legs extended up to 10" or 25.4 cm across. The environment should be three times the spider's length by two times the spider's width. A 2.5 to 5 gallon aquarium is a good choice. Too large an environment causes stress. You must avoid direct sunlight as well. Most spiders spend 90 percent of daylight hours out of sight, preferring to surface at night. Their home should be quiet, and contain a place to hide.

A tarantula is a loner, preferring a bachelor or bachelorette existence. Forget making a home for two! It is important to know whether your tarantula is a ground dweller or burrower. Is it arboreal? While both require coconut husks, peat moss, potting soil, or pure vermiculite as a 2-4" base at the bottom of the aquarium tank, the burrower's soil base needs misting regularly to keep tunnels from caving in. The arboreal spider wants branches. The spider often redecorates to suit its style, by the way.

The aquarium tank should have a secure lid because your clever tarantula plots its escape the moment it moves in. The top needs to not only be safe, but also have good ventilation.

The 'Bite' FOR the Tarantula

Your hairy little friend eats live prey approximately once a week (or two times a week if growing). Crickets are prime, followed by mealworms and roaches. Small mice or lizards are also on the list, but ensure they are smaller than the spider. Clean the cage a few days after feeding to avoid an unhealthy situation. Water in a shallow water dish is a necessity, near the size of your spider, with pebbles at the bottom for safety.

Tarantula 101

If pondering being a first time owner, a female is the best choice. She lives for more than 20 years while male life expectancy is a little over two years. Buy a captive bred spider from a responsible supplier. Some recommended tarantulas are: Chilean Rose, Costa Rican Zebra, Mexican Redknee, Mexican Redleg, and Desert/Mexican Blonde. The Chilean Rose is more passive and slow moving.

Tarantulas bite, with venom like a bee, a significant piece of information if you or a family member is allergic. They also have barbed hairs on their abdomens. Never rub your eyes after cleaning the cage. The above sentences are very important.

Resources

The British Tarantula Society is one of the oldest associations and a wonderful source of information, as is the American Tarantula Society.

Laura Ginn is the owner of an article writing company called Ink Elves. Her website can be found at http://www.inkelves.com Ink Elves specialise in writing articles, ebooks and pretty much anything that their customers desire. All articles are produced at affordable rates and to the customers set specifications. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Ginn