How to Care for a Pet Tarantula

Pets come in all shapes and sizes, but we don’t generally think of a pet as one with eight legs, venomous and eats live bugs or other creepy-crawlers for dinner. Yet, there are others who do have this acquired taste in pets, and for those, it is important to learn about the care of these fuzzy little creatures called tarantulas.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Buy a home for your new pet. A fish tank works well, although many pet stores sell homes specifically designed for tarantulas. Make sure you have a secure lid with air holes, as these creatures can be quite talented escape artists.
2. Furnish the tank with sticks and branches if you have an arboreal (tree-climbing) variety of tarantula. They need these to build their funnel-shaped webs.
3. Cover the bottom of the tank with approximately 4 inches of potting soil mixed with vermiculite and sand for burrowing tarantulas.
4. Buy a humidity gauge for your pet tarantula's home. Tarantulas need moisture (50 to 60 percent) or they will die. Spray the soil on the bottom of the cage to raise the humidity levels to the proper range, when the readings are low. The temperature must be kept at 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and placed in a dark place with no direct sunlight.
5. House tarantulas separately if you buy more than one. They are not social creatures. Not only do they prefer solitude, but they need a place to hide, such as half of a hollowed out log or flower pot. Most pet stores carry the appropriate hidey-holes that tarantulas desire.
6. Remember that tarantulas are venomous, and may bite. Try to handle them as little as possible, both to protect yourself from bites, and to keep them from falling. A fall is quite dangerous to the tarantula.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask for care instructions for your particular pet tarantula, as there are many varieties. These should be available at the pet store when you buy your tarantula.
• Do not buy a tall tank for burrowing pet tarantulas, because of their heavy body weight. They like to climb, and if they fall they could be seriously hurt, or even killed.
• Do not use wood chips for tarantula housing as they can be poisonous to some varieties of tarantulas.