Do you want to get a tarantula as a pet? You’ll need to read this article to get a better understanding of how to care for this unusual, furry animal.

You can keep two types of tarantulas as pets: climbing and burrowing. You’ll need to change the environment depending on what type of tarantulas you have. You’ll also want to know which species of tarantula are best for beginners. There are many good starter tarantulas. Some examples are the Mexican Red Knee, Curly Hairs, Common Pink Toes, Costa Rican Striped Knees, and the Chilean Rose. You should know what breed you are buying before purchasing it. Some species of tarantula should only be handled by experienced owners. Even though they are beautiful, species such as the Cobalt Blue or Orange Baboon can be aggressive and have potentially dangerous venom. You should start with more friendly breeds.

Needed Equipment

A tarantula will require a small aquarium tank or a critter keeper. If you have a burrowing or tarantula tarantula then the enclosure should be twice as long as the leg span of the tarantula. Burrowing tarantulas will injure themselves if the enclosure walls are too high. Tarantulas climb walls, so you don’t want them to fall. You will need sphagnum or potting soil to fill the bottom of the aquarium. A burrowing Tarantula will need a deeper substrate than one that climbs. Use the spider’s leg span as a guideline. You will need to encourage branches and twigs to allow your arboreal (climbing) Tarantula to climb. These breeds need high walls in their container.

Avoid using bright lights around your tarantula. They prefer dimness and darkness. They prefer temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees F. However, any heating required should be done with an under-tank heater pad instead of a light weight.

Feeding:

Tarantulas eat mainly insects, but they also like to eat mice and small reptiles. Crickets are the main food source for most pet tarantulas. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to feed a tarantula crickets because they only consume two to three crickets per week.

Water can be provided in a shallow bowl or lid. The water source shouldn’t be too deep. For an adult spider it is important to keep the water source shallow.