Archive-name: arachnids/alt-faq/Tarantulas Posting-Frequency: Fortnightly URL: http://chekware.simplenet.com/burrow Maintainer: Martin Overton *** alt.pets.arachnids - Tarantula FAQ! *** Version 1.04, Last Updated: 11th December 2000. alt.pets.arachnids Tarantulas & Scorpions, chat and info exchange. Administrivia ============= Maintenance of this FAQ is done by the following: Martin Overton Contributors: Diane Blackman diane@dog-play.com http://www.dog-play.com Anyone may choose to suggest edits, additions and subtractions to/from the FAQ(s). They can send it to the above, and it will be used subject to it being useful or clarifying a point raised here. For the present, the authoritative version of the FAQ remains the one at http://arachnophiliac.com/burrow/home.htm Disclaimer ========== This document is primarily concerned with covering the basics of keeping tarantulas and answering some simple but common questions. Other FAQs posted, will attempt to address many of the issues which are frequently discussed on alt.pets.arachnids, but these do not claim to represent all shades of opinion among the users of a.p.a. - in particular, it does not include information which, in my estimation, is likely to be of more help to those interested in the spreading of malicious information than to those who wish to be protected from it. This document is an honest attempt to help, it can *not* be regarded as being in any sense authoritative, and has no legal standing. The author accept no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any ill effects resulting from the use of any information contained in this document. Not all the views expressed in this document are mine, and those views which *are* mine are not necessarily shared by my employer. -- Martin Overton Copyright Notice ================ Copyright on all contributions to this FAQ remains with the authors and all rights are reserved. It may, however, be freely distributed and quoted - accurately, and with due credit. It may not be reproduced for profit or distributed in part or as a whole with any product for which a charge is made, except with the prior permission of the copyright holders. To obtain such permission, please contact the author of the FAQ. Availability ============ The latest version of this document is available from: 1. http://arachnophiliac.com/burrow (this is the primary source) If there's any interest in non-English versions, perhaps people would let me know and I'll see what I can do. There is now a Norwegian version of this FAQ (Thanks to Dan). This can be found at: http://arachnophiliac.com/burrow/tfaq_norwegian.txt This FAQ is a small subset of the Searchable Tarantula FAQ at: http://arachnophiliac.com/burrow/faq_search.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- How do I keep a Tarantula? ========================== This section deals with housing and maintenance of your tarantula and it's home. What size tank should I use? ---------------------------- This depends on whether you are housing arboreal or ground dwelling species, and to a lesser extent the requirements of a particular species. The guidance below is suitable for the vast majority of tarantula species. Tarantulas should ALWAYS be housed alone as they will fight and could kill one another (Breeding is the obvious exception, although this is usually fraught with danger (for the male) itself). If you have a larger tank, you can place a divider in the centre to enable you to keep two in one container, but make absolutely sure they cannot get through to the adjoining area. There are some species that can be housed together, but this is strictly for the experienced keeper as this could otherwise be a very costly mistake. Remember that tarantulas neither like nor do they need bright lights. The spider's home should be in a darkish corner making sure that the sun does no pass over the tank. ALWAYS keep the tank out of reach of young children. Ground Dwelling Species ----------------------- A fish tank, or equivalent 12x12x12, inches or 12x12x9 inches with a secure lid is adequate. The lid must be secure, as tarantulas are great escapologists. If the tank has a plastic lid then to secure it I suggest that you use Velcro! You can buy a type of Velcro that is sticky on one half and plain on the other half. Simply cut eight sticky parts of Velcro, attach four to the lid, one on top of each corner, and the remaining four on the corners of the tank (inline with the four bit on the lid). Cut four long (3 inch) pieces of the plain Velcro side and attach these pieces to the pieces attached to the lid and the side of the tank. This, if done properly will make the tank escape proof. Don't forget to place a piece of cork bark or whatever you use as a hide for the spider, some will use it, others will dig a burrow. Arboreal Species ---------------- The tank should be a little taller than that for the Ground Dwelling Species, but otherwise the same lid fixing, etc. The tank needs to be taller to enable the spider to climb. The spider needs a small branch, twigs or some artificial equivalent to anchor its tubular web in which it lives. Substrate? ---------- Cover the bottom of your chosen escape-proof tank with 2-4 inches of damp vermiculite or a combination of vermiculite and peat, be warned peat may encourage mites, fungus and mould! Basically, unless you can't get vermiculite or your spider hates it, then use vermiculite as it is the ideal substrate. Heating ------- A heating pad, such as those available at pet shops for snake and lizard keepers, placed at the rear of the tank will keep the temperature to around 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Some species require higher temperature. If in doubt, ask. I have also used wine heating trays wired to a thermostat! I will re-iterate place the heating pad on the rear of the tank, not underneath, as the tarantula will naturally burrow to get away from heat. Don't use lightbulbs or hot rocks as these will more likely cook the tarantula. If in doubt of the actual temperature then get a good thermometer. The LCD internal/external ones are ideal as they have a sensor that can be placed in the tank with the unit outside the tank. Humidity -------- For most species, it's important to supply a water dish. This will help to keep the humidity high enough. If the spider spends a good deal of time hovering over the water dish, consider misting, a spray of the tank using one of those plant misters should be ample to keep the humidity to the correct levels. Spray the web of an arboreal spider tanks. Tarantulas require a minimum of 55 percent humidity, the average should be around 60-70 percent, and some of the rainforest species will prefer even higher levels of humidity. Get a good humidity gauge from a good garden centre, as this could stop a costly accident at the next moult! Feeding ------- Food for tarantulas should consist of crickets, locusts, cockroaches etc. Spiders will also take giant mealworms and arboreal spiders enjoy a large moth. There is no need to offer Pinkies or other mammals as most spiders will rarely consume these in the wild. How often? Some people feed their tarantulas one cricket, once a week, others stuff them with food any time they'll take it (known as power feeding). The feeding schedules are nearly as different as the number of keepers. It depends upon your objectives. Examples: 1. If you have an adult female and are not going to mate her, you won't need to give her much food. 2. If you have immature, sub-adults or spiderlings that you want to grow quickly, feed them as much as they'll eat and keep the temperatures high. These animals will tolerate a very wide range of feeding regimes. Maintenance ============ This section deals with tank maintenance and related subjects. Cleaning Tanks -------------- You should change the substrate if mould or too many dead cricket body parts are mixed in with it. It does not really need changing unless there is an odour, or it is contaminated by something that can cause potential harm to the tarantula. Once a year is usually more than sufficient. Health ====== This section deals with health and related subjects. Hair Loss --------- Most tarantulas in the New World (North, Central, and South America) have what is known as urticating hair on parts of the abdomen. When disturbed, these tarantulas may rapidly rub their hind legs over the abdomen, tossing up a small cloud of these hairs, effectively bombarding a potential attacker to deter it. Don't worry about the hair loss. After the next molt, the bald spot will be sporting a brand new batch of urticating and other hairs that were previously rubbed off. Moulting -------- Does your tarantula have it's feet in the air? Has it stopped eating? If the answer is yes to either of these questions then it may be moulting or about to. When moulting is about to begin a web is spun as a mat to lay upon to shed the skin. The spider will usually not have fed for several weeks before the moult and a bald patch upon the abdomen will have turned blue-black. The spider will flip over onto its back - DO NOT TOUCH IT - but make sure there is no live food in the tank which can disturb or even nibble the moulting spider. The moult itself can take several hours and once complete the spider will flip back onto its legs and remain stretched out for several days. You should not touch it at all during this time or indeed until it begins to feed once more. DO ENSURE THAT THE HUMIDITY IS HIGH ENOUGH! Don't offer food until after three or four days have passed, but once this has passed do not worry if it does not immediately snare its prey. Total number of moults is going to be dependent on species and on other factors. Rough figures of the number of moults to adult for all tarantulas is between 10 and 30. Males, of course, won't moult again, once they mature and females will usually moult once a year often skipping a year now and then as they get older. A side issue with moulting is that if your spider has previously lost a leg, then it will be regenerated over a number of moults. Parasites --------- Peat, wood products, such as wood chips, bark, logs, or branches, may cause mite outbreaks. Unless you really hate it, vermiculite is your safest substrate bet. Overly damp substrate will also encourage mite growth, as well as fungus and moulds. Do not use soap or alcohol to treat a mite-infested individual. They are lethal to many or most tarantulas. Pesticides are also considered too risky, since often the cure will kill the patient. Therefore they should never be used. There is a biological control alternative: predator mites, Hypoaspis sp. (Acari: Laelapidae). These are sold by many biological control agent supply companies. Half a tablespoon full of mites per cage or less will probably be enough for mite control. Longevity --------- Female tarantulas live the longest, and for most keepers are the preferred sex. Males should be avoided unless you are planning to breed, as they will when matured spend the last few months trying to get out of the tank, much to your and their consternation. Handling -------- Most keepers have some way they've developed to move spiders around. Most involve a smaller container of some sort in which they trap them. Tarantulas do NOT need to be handled. Many keepers do occasionally handle their spiders, but this can cause problems either through accidents, the spider is dropped or jumps and breaks a leg or ruptures its abdomen. Or the spider is startled and takes defensive action, flicking hairs or biting! Also on the subject of handling, do NOT let your tarantula on to carpet or other fabrics, as they may have been treated with pesticides or other chemicals that may kill your pet. Good Beginner Species ===================== The ground dwelling species are generally the most docile (although there are notable exceptions!) The most popular of the ground dwellers is without doubt the Mexican Red Knee (Brachypelma smithi) which has become somewhat hard to come by as a protected species. Two good alternatives are the Chilean Beauty (Gramastola cala) and Chilean Rose (Gramastola Spatulata) or the Costa Rican Zebra (Aphonoplema seemani). These are fairly easy to come by through dealers and are fairly docile, although the Costa Rican Zebra can be skittish. They are very attractive. Among the many arboreal spiders, the South American Pink Toe and its various cousins are very popular. Avicularia sp. are extremely pretty and the South American Pink Toe (Avicularia avicularia) is the most docile. Like most arboreal tarantulas, they can move quite quickly at times and can jump when suddenly surprised. The arboreal species are generally more difficult to keep. Good as a second tarantula, not as a first! More details for good and bad choices can be found at my web site: http://arachnophiliac.com/burrow/home.htm Other Common Questions: ======================= Aren't Tarantulas Poisonous? --------------------------- No, tarantulas are not poisonous, they are venomous, as are bees, wasps and snakes (amongst others). Aren't Tarantulas Bites Deadly? ------------------------------ No, in general their bites are not considered to be anymore dangerous than bee or wasp stings. They *may* be more painful. The few people I know that have been bitten are still here to tell the tale, indeed one person has been bitten more than 20 times by a variety of tarantulas. He has handled thousands of tarantulas and admits that these bites in the vast majority of cases were caused by mis-handling. Most tarantulas would rather beat a hasty retreat than have a go. There have been no substantiated deaths caused by the bite of tarantulas. Indeed more people have died from bee stings and snake bites than by any type of spider. There are some African, Asian or Australian species that have higher venom content. The worst reaction to one of these species I have heard of is a victim suffering temporary partial paralysis. This may a been a particular individual that suffered a specific allergic reaction to that particular venom. The bottom line is that tarantulas are not a medically significant problem anywhere in the world. Minor and occasionally more severe problems do occur with some of them include sensitivity to the urticating hair, and sometimes allergies to venom, known as Anaphalactic Shock. Arachnaphobia, How can I control it? ==================================== Well, if you are trying to get your arachniphobia under control you are walking down the right path. If just reading about spiders makes your heart pound, then that is the right place to start. When your heart is ready try looking at pictures - start with one that are so close up that all you can see are the beautiful body patterns, but not the whole spider - or so far away that it feels safe - a small spider on a big web. Have you gotten that far - get some plastic spiders. Don't push yourself - keep them in their bag for a while, take them out when you are ready. Next step is to be in a building where you know there are live spiders. When that feels comfortable be in the same room with them, when that feels comfortable go and see the real thing. Does the thought of that make your heart pound? If it does the focus in on it and think of being calm and at ease. Learn what if feels like to relax and untense yourself - then you can work on knowing that you are in control of - not your fears - but how you react to those fears. You have started working on your fears just be recognising that they are for "no particular reason." Almost all of us have such fears - but most of us are lucky enough that whatever it is we are afraid of we don't have to face very often. Where can I find out more? ========================== There are many good books available, so try your local library. Here, ask a question in this newsgroup. Join one of the many recognised arachnological societies, such as: The British Tarantula Society Mrs. Ann Webb, 81 Phillimore Place, Radlett, HERTFORDSHIRE WD7 8NJ UNITED KINGDOM Membership Rates: UK/EUROPE 10 UK Pounds per year. Elsewhere 16 UK Pounds per year. The American Tarantula Society Robert Gale Breene III, PO Box 1617 Artesia, NM 88211-1617 USA Membership Rates: US $15 per year, Canada $20. Elsewhere $35. *** END OF DOCUMENT ***