White tarantula spider. The tarantula spider is an ideal pet

Quite large in size, tarantula spiders are distinguished by their bright colors. Adults often reach a length of more than twenty centimeters. These animals are not aggressive and easy to care for. Therefore everything large quantity Exotic connoisseurs breed spiders at home. Females live about 15-20 years, males - three times less, dying after mating.

In this article we will look at the main issues related to caring for these amazing animals.

Habitat

Tarantula spiders inhabit all continents of our planet, with the exception of Antarctica. They are most common in Africa, Oceania, Australia and South America. In Europe, individuals of this species are extremely rare in nature. They can be found in small quantities in Spain, Portugal and Italy. Moreover, both wet and desert areas can be inhabited by tarantulas.

Kinds

Based on their behavior, these representatives of the class of arthropods are divided into burrowing, arboreal and terrestrial. Moreover, during their existence, animals can change their lifestyle. Burrow spiders dig shelter for themselves in the ground. They use cobwebs to strengthen the soil. Ground spiders also dig shallow burrows or use ready-made shelters.

Arboreal ones live in trees, weaving webs among the dense branches of bushes.

Animals feel great in both small and fairly spacious rooms. That is why a terrarium for a tarantula spider can be purchased in any size. The main thing is that it is twice the size of the animal. It is best to keep tree spiders in a vertical terrarium, across which you need to place a thick branch so that the pet can find a secluded place for itself. For terrestrial animals, a sufficiently large layer of substrate, at least five centimeters, should be poured into the terrarium. In addition to the fact that adult individuals crawl well, they are also distinguished by their remarkable strength. Therefore housing for exotic pet The lid should be tightly closed on top. The terrarium should have a ventilation window, but not too large, so that the substrate does not dry out, which can be gravel, peat, sphagnum, sawdust, or lichen. If there are several individuals of the same species, spiders should be kept in separate containers. This will prevent cannibalism. In winter, the terrarium should be heated so that the temperature in it does not drop below 25 degrees. For these purposes, you can use either a thermal bedding under the substrate. Since tarantulas lead predominantly night look life, lighting in the terrarium is not needed. Moreover, bright sunlight is even harmful to animals. The litter should be changed after each shedding. And for adults - once every four months.

The tarantula's home can be decorated with driftwood, live moss or artificial plants. However, all parts must be well secured. For these purposes, you can only use special products; other products may have a negative impact on your pet’s health. Decorative elements with sharp edges should not be placed in the terrarium. You should not handle the animal with your bare hands, as it can be not only very painful, but also very toxic. In addition, the body of the arthropod is covered with numerous brittle bristles. When they come into contact with mucous membranes or skin, they cause inflammation and itching.

What to feed a tarantula spider?

For animal nutrition, it is best to use live insects (crickets, bloodworms, cockroaches, etc.). The food should depend on the age of each individual. Young people need smaller food. Adult animals should be fed less frequently, but more large insects. It is worth noting that on average spiders feed twice a week. Small pieces are also suitable as food raw meat or fish.

Shedding

This process usually occurs in the “lying” position.

The spider turns over on its back and remains in this state for several hours. At this time, his shell slowly begins to crack on his sides. The animal carefully pulls out its limbs and gets out of old skin. Afterwards it noticeably increases in size and brightens. In the intervals between “shedding their skin,” arthropods very often lose protective bristles from their abdomen. It should be noted that a week or two before molting, the animal completely refuses to eat. As a rule, domestic tarantula spiders molt about 12 times during their life.

Breeding

The sex of an arthropod can only be determined after molting. In this case, the spider must be at least four centimeters. To reveal gender, you should carefully examine the inside of the discarded shell using a magnifying glass. In females you can notice a small depression in the form of a slit, and in males - paired “tongues”. Adults are much easier to distinguish by gender.

Male tarantulas (spiders) have rather long legs. In addition, they are much slimmer than females. Sexual maturity of individuals of this species occurs by five years. 14 days after molting, the male begins to make a special nest, which he fills with seed. After this, the spider goes in search of a female. It is recommended to place her in a larger room in advance so that she has time to get used to it and settle into it. A little later, a male ready for mating should be sent there. Upon meeting, the spider begins to perform complex ritual movements. Typically, males and females who are ready to mate use certain signals. Most often this is tapping with the pedipalps, creaking, rustling. Approaching the spider, the male fills her seed pocket with his liquid. After this, it must be separated from the fertilized female as quickly as possible. One and a half to two months after mating, she will begin to reproduce offspring. But before this, the female will weave herself a large cocoon, into which she will subsequently lay about 500 eggs. To preserve the offspring, it is necessary to place the container with the nest in a dark place. Recommended temperature is 24-28 degrees. For the proper development of babies, it is necessary to maintain air humidity in the room. Almost all the time, the female holds the cocoon between the chelicerae, thus protecting it. The larvae, emerging at 4-5 weeks, remain in the nest until the first molt. The surprising thing is that all this time they do not eat anything. To prevent the female from eating her cubs, after the first molt they should be moved to a separate terrarium or placed one at a time in small containers. At the same time, food for the tarantula spider must be special. Newborn crickets or fruit flies are best.

Young animals grow rather slowly.

Safety precautions

After handling your pet, you should wash your hands well with soap. Leaning over an open terrarium is strictly prohibited. All actions in the predator’s home must be performed using special long tweezers. Objects with which the animal has been in contact may only be touched with gloves. It is forbidden to leave the terrarium open unattended. It is very important that it is kept out of reach of other pets. When dealing with spiders, remember that they cannot be tamed or trained.

Even the most calm and sedentary tarantula, sensing danger, can bite its owner.

Lifespan

There is a spider in Mexico that is over twenty-six years old. This is a record case. As a rule, fairly large individuals from desert habitats grow slowly. Moreover, their life expectancy is much longer than that of other species. Tarantula spiders from tropical forests They grow quickly, but, unfortunately, they die early. It has been noted that predators living in captivity live significantly longer than those taken from natural conditions. At the same time, they are less aggressive. Typically, male tarantulas live no more than a year after their last molt.

When purchasing a spider from a pet store, make sure that it is active. Its body should be slightly raised above the substrate. A spider that tucks its legs under itself or constantly lies down may be sick. A healthy animal actively responds to touch. As a rule, the tarantula raises its front legs, quickly runs away or, conversely, attacks. If you look closely, you can see that the fur on his stomach is bristling. In the period before molting, animals are quite slow. They usually lie on their backs with their legs extended. Afterwards, tarantulas also move with difficulty.

One way or another, it is not recommended to purchase a pet that is on the eve of molting. You should pay attention to the abdomen of the predator. It should be round. Many arthropods that live in tropical forests develop a shriveled abdomen when dehydrated. Such tarantulas are not worth purchasing. Broken limbs can grow back in a spider after just a few molts. This is not a serious defect. However, it is better not to buy a tarantula with open wounds on its legs. After all, it may be infected with a fungus or other infections. If, when purchasing this exotic animal, you are pursuing exclusively decorative purposes, then you should give preference to females. They differ longer duration life. You should not buy very large individuals, as they may have

The tarantula spider, or tarantula spider, is big spider, the dimensions of which, including the legs, can exceed 20 cm. These spiders are often kept at home. Tarantula spiders belong to the phylum arthropods, class Arachnids, order Spiders, suborder Mygalomorpha, family tarantulas (lat. Theraphosidae).

Tarantula spiders got their name from engravings created by German artist and entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian, where a large spider is depicted attacking. She saw a spider attack a bird during her stay in Suriname.

In some sources there is confusion due to incorrect translation, where everyone big spiders tarantulas, including tarantulas, are called tarantula. In fact, tarantulas are classified in the infraorder of araneomorphic spiders, and tarantulas are mygalomorphic spiders that have a completely different chelicerae structure, due to which they are distinguished by such large body sizes with a leg span reaching 28-30 cm. More detailed description you will find the tarantula by .

Tarantula spiders, types, photos and names.

Currently, the family of tarantula spiders is divided into 13 subfamilies, including many species. Descriptions of some tarantula spiders are given below:

• Brazilian black and white tarantula spider(lat. Acanthoscurria brocklehursti) It has a rather aggressive, unpredictable character, bright coloring and intensive growth. The body size is from 7 to 9 cm. The spider's leg span is from 18 to 23 cm. The black and white tarantula lives in Brazil, hides between the roots of trees or between stones, and can also dig holes, although it can often be seen outside of any shelter. The lifespan of females is 15 years. A comfortable temperature for keeping this spider is from 25 to 27 degrees Celsius, air humidity is 70-80%.

• Brachypelma Smitha, aka Mexican red-knee tarantula spider(lat. Brachypelma smithi)- a species of spider that lives in Mexico and the southern United States. These are large spiders with a body length of up to 7-8 cm and a leg span of up to 17 cm. The main color of the body of a tarantula spider is dark brown or almost black, individual areas on the legs are covered with orange and red spots, sometimes with a white or yellow border. The body is densely covered with light pink (sometimes brown) hairs. Representatives of the species are especially calm and non-aggressive, and have low toxicity of poison. Females live up to 25-30 years, the life expectancy of males is about 4 years. The diet of spiders includes various insects and rodents. The ideal temperature for keeping a tarantula spider is 24-28 degrees with an air humidity of 70%.

• - a species of South American tarantulas, widespread in Ecuador. The body length of the tarantula is about 5-6 cm. The span of the legs is no more than 14 cm. At a quick glance, the spider looks black, but when caught on it sun rays it can be seen that the cephalothorax, paws and chelicerae are an intense purple-blue color, the bristles on the paws are brick-colored, and the hairs near the mouth are orange-red. Favorite place The habitats of this spider are pastures, tree hollows, as well as gaps under the roof and cracks in the walls of habitable premises. Representatives of the species are non-aggressive, rather fast and timid, unpretentious in care and food, so they are often kept at home. The ideal temperature for keeping a tarantula spider varies between 25-28 degrees with air humidity of at least 80-85%.

• - a species of tarantula spider, common in Guadeloupe and the island of Martinique. Representatives of the species grow up to 5-6 cm in length and have a limb span of up to 17 cm. Young specimens are distinguished by a bright blue body with white stripes on the belly. After 8-9 molts, the entire body of the tarantula spider is covered with thin, bright hairs, and the color may appear in red and green tones with a metallic sheen. Tarantula spiders of this species are quite peaceful, they bite only when squeezed into a corner. Unlike most of their relatives, they do not scratch off poisonous hairs, therefore they are a favorite terrarium species and a source of pride for collectors. At home they eat crickets and cockroaches; an adult needs one frog or a month. The lifespan of females is 8 years, males - no more than 3 years.

• Tarantula spider Aphonopelma seemanni- typical representative fauna of Central America, distributed from Costa Rica and Nicaragua to Panama and Honduras. Usually lives in burrows. The inhabitants of Costa Rica are distinguished by their black color with white stripes on their legs; the spiders of the Nicaraguan population are dark brown with beige stripes on their legs. The body size of a mature spider is 6 cm, the leg span is about 15 cm. These spiders are not aggressive towards people, do not have toxic poison (except for burning hairs), and are characterized by weak growth rates and longevity (females live up to 30 years). Therefore, this type of tarantula is very popular among spider lovers. Comfortable temperature for Aphonopelma seemanni is 24-27 degrees with air humidity at 70-80%.

• lives in Mexico, preferring to live in burrows. The body length of adult specimens with a leg span reaches 15-18 cm, the length excluding the legs is 7 cm. In addition large sizes Spiders are distinguished by their exceptionally bright black and orange color. These tarantulas are calm and unpretentious; in captivity they feed on locusts, cockroaches and worms. The lifespan of males is 3-4 years, females live much longer - more than 20 years. Optimal temperature for keeping these tarantulas - 25-27 degrees with a humidity of 70-75%. Due to unauthorized trapping and trade, the tarantula Brachypelma boehmei is included in Appendix II of CITES (Convention on international trade species wild fauna and endangered flora) as endangered.

• - a Mexican species of tarantula spiders, whose representatives are distinguished by a massive body and short powerful legs with a span of 14-16 cm. This type of spider has a black-orange color, like Brachypelma boehmei, but is distinguished by the presence of thick orange-red hairs covering the stomach and legs . Tarantula spiders of this species live in Mexican semi-deserts and high mountain forests. They are distinguished by an even, calm character. Female tarantula spiders live up to 20-25 years. Comfortable air humidity for these spiders should be 60-70%, air temperature – from 26 to 28 degrees. The tarantula Brachypelma klaasi is endangered and is therefore listed under CITES.

• - one of the smallest tarantula spiders, the maximum leg span of which is only 12 cm. But, nevertheless, in terms of body size it is in no way inferior to its relatives: females grow up to 5 cm in length with a leg span of 10-12 cm, length males are 3.5 cm with a paw span of up to 9.5 cm. The body of spiders is painted in dark tones with a reddish tint: the cephalothorax is red or brown, the belly is black with red stripes, the legs can be gray, black or brown. The favorite natural habitat of these tarantula spiders are rainforests Costa Rica and Guatemala. At home, the tarantula spider can be quite nervous and aggressive. The comfortable temperature for keeping the tarantula Cyclosternum fasciatum is 26-28 degrees with an air humidity of 75-80%.

• Chilean rose tarantula(lat. Grammostola rosea)- a very beautiful tarantula spider, one of the record holders for the number of sales among representatives of its family. The total size of an adult spider, including the legs, is 15-16 cm. The color of the body has different variations. Brown: brown, chestnut and pink in places. The body and paws are densely strewn with light hairs. The species' range covers the southwestern United States and Chile, including the Atacama Desert. Comfortable daytime temperature for this type of tarantula is 25 degrees during the day and 18-20 degrees at night, with an air humidity of 60-70%. The spider is non-aggressive and scratches its hairs very rarely. The lifespan of females is 15-20 years.

• Theraphose Blond, aka goliath tarantula(lat. Theraphosa blondi)- the largest spider in the world. The Guinness Book of Records included a specimen whose leg span was 28 cm. The body dimensions of a female goliath tarantula reach 10 cm, for males - 8.5 cm, and the weight of an adult spider can be 170 g. Despite their impressive size, goliath tarantulas have modest in disposition, brown in color, and the legs of the spiders are densely strewn with red-brown hairs. Goliath tarantulas inhabit the tropics in the territories of Suriname, Venezuela, Guyana and northern Brazil, where they hunt mice, small snakes, lizards and frogs. Thanks to the ban on the export of animals from their habitats, goliath tarantulas are a huge rarity not only for terrarium enthusiasts, but also for collectors. The comfortable temperature for keeping the goliath tarantula is 22-24 degrees with an air humidity of 75-80%. The spider is quite aggressive and can bite its offender.

This article is of a light informational nature and is intended to introduce the reader to some facts and features of tarantula spiders, without going into details.

Habitat of tarantula spiders:

I would like to immediately note that tarantula spiders live on all continents globe, excluding Antarctica. But still the main habitats are Africa, Australia and South America. Tarantula spiders are also found in Europe, for example in Portugal or Italy.

Types of tarantulas:

There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of species of tarantula spiders, and every year they become more numerous, thanks to the work of scientists studying and systematizing them. There is an incredible variety of colors that tarantula spiders come in, from bright red to jet black. There are also many incredible patterns on the abdomen and behavior of spiders.

Divided into three main types:

Tarantula spiders are divided into three large type:Terrestrial tarantulas, burrows And woody tarantulas. Terrestrial tarantula spiders spend most of their time on the surface of the ground, using the natural terrain for camouflage. Burrowing spiders dig deep holes, entwining them with a strong web, and only at night they go hunting. On the contrary, tarantula tree spiders build nests on tree trunks and hunt there.

What to feed the tarantula:

Contrary to the name "tarantula", birds are not included in the diet of spiders, except in extremely rare cases. Spiders mainly feed on small and not so small insects that live side by side with them. Small frogs, mice, snakes, and lizards can also be eaten. It is worth noting that tarantulas can refuse food for a long time without harm to their health.

How long do tarantulas live:

The lifespan and growth rate are, of course, different for each type of tarantula spider, but since they do not fluctuate very much, one can say in general terms. Males of most species reach sexual maturity at 1-1.5 years of age, females at 2-2.5 years of age. Males do not live long after reaching sexual maturity, from several months to a year, but females can live 15-20 years, depending on the species and conditions.

Tarantula at home:

I won’t go into detail about these or those points, because the article is introductory, but in the future we’ll talk about keeping and breeding tarantulas in more depth.

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Tarantula spiders, or tarantula spiders (Theraphosidae) - a family of spiders, the adults of which are characterized by large sizes, in some cases exceeding 20 cm in leg span. The world's largest tarantula spider today is considered Theraphosa Blondie ( Theraphosa blondi).

Distribution

Tarantulas inhabit all continents except Antarctica. The range includes entirely Africa, South America, Australia and Oceania. Tarantula spiders are rare in Europe and their range includes the southern half of Italy, Spain and Portugal. Occurs as moisture-loving species that live in crowns equatorial forests, For example Avicularia versicolor and drought-resistant semi-desert, for example .

Behavior

Tarantulas are obligate (strict) predators. Contrary to the name, their digestive system not designed for constant feeding on meat (poultry). The main diet of tarantula spiders consists of insects or smaller spiders. Spiders are quite omnivorous and can eat a variety of food: flies, cockroaches, bloodworms, frogs, small rodents, birds, fish and much more. Tarantulas ambush prey, rather than using webs to make traps and homes.

Based on their behavior, tarantulas are also informally divided into arboreal, terrestrial and burrowing. It is worth noting that they often change their behavior patterns throughout their lives; if the larvae behave like burrowers, then the adults can spend most of their time on the surface, which is typical for terrestrial and semi-arboreal species. Burrowing spiders dig shelters in the ground, using webs to strengthen the soil; arboreal ones weave tubes from cobwebs. In most cases, spiders are active only when it is clearly necessary. Even hungry spiders can sit completely motionless for a long time, stalking their prey in ambush. Well-fed spiders tend to be even less active: adult female tarantulas often do not leave their hiding places for months.

All species of tarantulas are poisonous to one degree or another; if we are talking about non-poisonous species, then this implies relatively low degree of toxicity of the poison. A tarantula bite is not fatal to a healthy adult. Most often it is absolutely safe; the bite of some species is painful, but no more than a bee sting. But there are a few species whose bite can cause more significant problems (acute pain, fever, delirium, muscle cramps, etc.). There are no confirmed cases of death as a result of a tarantula bite, however, amateur spider breeders have noted cases of cats dying from bites of their pets. In light of this, some tarantula spiders should be considered deadly for small children or people who have a hypersensitivity to this poison - an allergy to the poison. When biting, poison is not injected in all cases; a “dry” bite often occurs. Moreover, even dangerous species Most often they do not behave aggressively and allow themselves to be touched or crawl into the palm of their own hands, without even thinking about biting the owner. Hobbyists most often keep species that are absolutely safe for humans.

In addition to poison, protective poisonous hairs, which many species of spiders comb from the abdomen, can serve as a source of irritation. Spiders comb hairs out of stress (in captivity), but in nature, in case of possible danger or for the purpose of self-defense, spiders also weave hairs into webs, thereby protecting their nest. If hairs come into contact with the skin, eyes, or lungs, it may cause allergic reaction: itching, pain in the eyes, suffocation, general weakness. Symptoms usually disappear after a few hours. Amateur spider breeders note that hairs are most developed in terrestrial and semi-arboreal species, slightly less so in burrowing species, and are practically absent in a number of arboreal species. Tree spiders do not shake off protective hairs from their abdomen, but use them only upon direct contact. For people who are not allergic to tarantula hairs (and, as practice shows, the absolute majority are), they are absolutely harmless.

Reproduction

Males reach puberty mature age before the females. Signs of adult males of most species are “bulbs” (special containers located on the pedipalps) and tibial hooks on the front legs. Sexually mature males weave a sperm web onto which they secrete seminal fluid and fill the cymbium with this fluid.

In captivity, spiders are given a so-called “wintering place.” So, in the jargon of breeders, they call keeping spiders at several low temperature. Breeders note that wintering is a necessary condition for the reproduction of a number of tarantula species.

When a mature male and female meet, they perform a series of "ritual" movements designed to demonstrate that they belong to the same species. During mating, the male holds the female's chelicerae with tibal hooks and, using pedipalps, transfers seminal fluid inside the female. During mating and after mating hungry female can be aggressive and eat the male; if mating is successful, the male tries to leave the female as quickly as possible. After a few months, the female lays a cocoon containing from 50 to 2000 eggs, depending on the species. The cocoon is guarded by the female for 6-7 weeks. All this time the female remains near the cocoon and is very aggressive. The female also “hatches” the cocoon: she carries it and turns it over from time to time. Next, the eggs hatch into nymphs, who leave the cocoon after a few days.

The eggs hatch into newborn spiders, which in conventional terminology are called nymphs. In most cases, nymphs do not feed and because of this, nymphs can live together for some time - there is no threat of cannibalism. Next, the nymph molts twice and turns into a larva, that is, an almost full-fledged young spider of the first molt. Accordingly, nymphs are of the first and second stages. Externally, nymphs differ little from larvae. Spiders are called larvae until they reach pre-adulthood.

Tarantulas hold the record for longevity among all terrestrial arthropods. The lifespan of spiders depends significantly on gender. Females live many times longer than males. In most cases, male tarantulas, after reaching sexual maturity, never molt and die within a year (months if they manage to mate with a female), while females can live for many years, or even decades. It is noted that some specimens (for example, representatives of the genus Brachypelma) can live up to 30 years or more.

Otherwise, the life expectancy of spiders depends on the temperature of the content and the abundance of food - by delaying feeding, you can slightly increase life expectancy; in the cold, metabolism also slows down, which contributes to slower development.

Shedding

Molts are key stages development of spiders. During molting, spiders shed their old exoskeleton and can increase in size by approximately one and a half times in a matter of hours. All the hard parts of the tarantula increase, including the legs, while at the same time the relatively soft abdomen decreases somewhat; the abdomen grows between molts.

Considering that the lifespan and growth rate of spiders significantly depends on conditions, primarily on temperature and the abundance of food, the age of tarantulas is usually measured not in years, but in molts (written as the letter L and a number). While young tarantulas can molt every month, as they approach adulthood, the period between moults increases. Adult female tarantulas molt approximately once a year. In Russia, when numbering moults, it is not customary to take into account the moults of spider nymphs; in other countries, the numbering may differ slightly.

Spiders usually moult while lying on their back. Sometimes when molting, spiders are unable to extend one or two legs or pedipalps and are forced to discard them. Lost legs are restored over the next 3-4 molts.

Between molts, spiders often lose protective hairs from their abdomen. They also tend to refuse food some time before molting; in young spiders - a week before the upcoming molting; in adults - from 1 to 3 months.

Signs of an upcoming molt:

• darkening of the abdomen
• general darkening of the spider
• in brightly colored spiders, for example Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, between the fifth and sixth moults, blue paws are also observed.

The skins shed by females during molting have a characteristic imprint of the genital organs (elements of the spermatheca); these skins serve for the most precise definition sex of early instar spiders.

In recent years, it has become fashionable to keep tarantulas at home as exotic pets. Some tarantulas are caught in the wild for these purposes, but most are successfully bred in captivity. Spiders are becoming popular due to their relative unpretentiousness and ease of maintenance, as well as their very affordable prices on food and the spiders themselves (especially spider larvae).

Almost all the information about the biology of tarantulas known to us today was obtained as a result of studying those spiders that were kept in captivity, and only a small part of it was obtained from observations directly in their habitats.

When choosing a tarantula, a fairly extensive set of factors are taken into account, including the following:

• Floor. The lifespan of male tarantulas is significantly shorter than that of females, and due to their longer life, females grow noticeably larger (if measured by body size). However, males differ somewhat more bright color and larger in paw span.
• Character. For beginners, you should choose species whose individuals are calm in nature and with low toxicity of the poison; these are primarily tarantulas of the New World.
• Type. Tarantulas are divided into three types: burrowing, terrestrial and arboreal. Each type requires different habitats. For a burrow spider, you need a deep layer of substrate, and for an arboreal spider, something like a stick or a piece of bark.

It is recommended to keep tarantulas in terrariums, the size of which exceeds the size of the tarantula (in terms of leg span) by 2-2.5 times. The use of both too cramped and too spacious terrariums is highly undesirable. Each spider should be kept in a separate container, as the risk of cannibalism is high. An exception can be made only for nymph spiders, as well as for pairs of tarantulas during mating. In most cases it is used as terrarium soil. coconut substrate(crushed coconut bark) or expanded vermiculite. A burrowing spider requires a deep layer of substrate, since this type spends most of its time underground, but in this case you will rarely see the spider. There is an alternative option. You can fill the terrarium with a less thick layer of substrate, but you must provide the spider with shelter, for example half a flower pot, but in this case the spider will not feel normal, and because of this, outbursts of aggression are possible due to fear and lack of natural shelter. The arboreal species requires a stick or piece of bark as a shelter. Spiders easily move up glass, for this reason the terrarium must have a lid.

The main species bred to feed spiders are cockroaches various types(the most famous are the marbled cockroach and the Madagascar hissing cockroach), zofobas larvae, crickets and mealworms. The possibility of feeding tarantulas frozen meat is often discussed. I personally know people who raised spiders on meat or bloodworms or worms alone. In the absence of any food, as a last resort, you can feed it with low-fat meat (preferably white poultry meat) and always raw. Also, if you don’t have insects on hand, you can give the spider earthworms, maggots or bloodworms. The meat and worms must be sprinkled with calcium, since the spider will not have enough of it with such a diet. The spider is reluctant to consume this kind of food, so it is best to give it the most complete natural food - insects. The body length of the food object should be significantly less than the body length of the spider (from chelicerae to arachnoid warts). If food items of the required size are not available, tarantulas can be fed insect parts. There are some types of insects that not only will not take meat with worms, but will also refuse the usual cockroaches if they crawl on the ground or, moreover, lie motionless. Tree species, for example, prefer flies and crickets, often ignoring cockroaches and other terrestrial insects. If you have nothing but cockroaches, you can feed them by throwing the cockroaches into the web, but if the cockroach falls down before the spider notices it, most likely the spider will not pick it up again.

Tarantula spiders may refuse food for a period of time for no apparent reason. long time, according to confirmed data for a year, and according to unconfirmed data - for 2 years. Such hunger strikes take place without visible harm to the health of spiders.

Tarantulas cannot be trained or tamed in the usual sense of the word. This is neither good nor bad. Any spider will easily climb onto any hand if you push it from behind with the other hand. At the same time, they don’t even understand where they got into. For spiders, the hand is the same substrate. They are too “short-sighted” to understand what hands are. It is not recommended to pick up tarantulas in your hands or squeeze them between your fingers. They themselves should both enter your hand and descend from it. You can only help them by giving them a little push.

photo can be enlarged

Tarantula spider- belongs to the family of spiders from the suborder migalomorpha. Adults are characterized by large sizes, in some cases exceeding 20 cm in leg span. The use of tarantulas as exotic pets is widespread.

These spiders are obligate (strict) predators. Contrary to the name, their digestive system is not designed to constantly feed on meat (poultry). The main diet of tarantula spiders consists of insects or smaller spiders. They are quite omnivorous and can eat a variety of food: flies, cockroaches, bloodworms, maggots, frogs, small rodents, birds, fish and much more. These predators ambush prey rather than using webs to make traps.

In many European countries, keeping tarantula spiders is gradually catching up with aquariums in its popularity. There are many reasons for this phenomenon. But in our opinion there are only three main ones. Firstly, these animals are beautiful, which is clearly visible in the photo, spectacular, exotic. Secondly, they are very easy to maintain and thirdly, the costs of their acquisition and maintenance are very low.

All tarantulas are poisonous, but most are not dangerous to humans. The following species may pose a threat: Poecilotheria, Stromatopelma, Chilobrachys, Citharischius, Haplopelma, Pamphobeteus, Phormictopus, Pterinochilus and some other genera, especially from the Old World. In fact, there has not been a single documented case of death from a tarantula bite! It is believed that Old World tarantulas have more toxic venom than New World animals, but there has been no real research to support this belief. The wounds at the site of the bite can be large, because... Such pets with a paw span of more than 20 cm have chelicerae about 2 cm long! People who are allergic to bee and wasp stings need to be extremely careful, although there is not a single case of anaphylactic shock after a tarantula bite, and based on the composition of the tarantula's venom, it is not allergenic. “Clean” bites are often possible, that is, the animal does not inject venom when bitten.

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There are only two ways to defend a tarantula: scraping hairs from the abdomen with its hind legs and biting with chelicerae with or without the introduction of poison. In the first case, the spider combs hairs from the abdomen with its hind legs. Getting on the skin, mucous membranes, and into the lungs, they cause itching, burning and tearing. But it is enough to rinse as much as possible hot water affected areas (except the eyes) and symptoms go away. Sometimes symptoms go away after 2-3 days. Combing hairs mainly concerns burrows and terrestrial species. The second option is a bite. Under certain circumstances, any spider can bite, even the calmest one, but this is especially true for burrowing and arboreal species. Sometimes an animal can only hit with its front paws to scare it away. It is necessary to take into account the fact that not always with a real bite, the predator injects poison. Most bites, especially non-aggressive types, are “clean”, that is, they do not contain poison, but only pierce the skin. Any tarantula spider can bite, both with and without “hairs”. Therefore, when communicating with such an animal, you must be careful, calm, and not make sudden movements, and then the likelihood of an attack decreases.

Molting, or replacing the old exoskeleton, is a critical period in the life of spiders. When an animal is about to shed, it becomes sedentary and stops eating. For about 24 hours before shedding, your pet may not move at all. Most tarantulas molt while lying on their backs. The animal should not be disturbed at this time. Juveniles molt regularly; in adults, the period between moults extends to several weeks. Sexually mature females molt up to once a year. During molting, the old exoskeleton is separated from the body and a new one is formed under it. It is quite soft, and therefore after shedding its old “clothes” the spider is defenseless and easily damaged. During this period very important has air humidity: the new exoskeleton is permeable to moisture and the animal becomes severely dehydrated if it is lacking. Sometimes spiders have difficulty molting, which may be the result of injury or illness. Such individuals do not shed their cover completely and may die. After molting, these predators do not feed until the exoskeleton hardens, this period can last up to several days.

Tarantula spider - contents

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Glass terrariums are usually used to keep tarantula spiders. Moreover, unlike other domestic animals, the size of the home is small. It is enough that the size of the terrarium is twice the size of the spider. For example, if you have a pet measuring about 15 cm, including legs, then a square terrarium 30x30x30 cm is suitable. Naturally, the room needs to be bought or made for growth, taking into account the maximum possible size of an adult spider. It is even better to reduce the height to 20 cm; it happens that a spider that has eaten its fill, climbing onto a slippery wall, falls and injures its abdomen. Larger terrariums should not be used; when feeding with live food, it will easily hide in corners far from the spider and will be unnoticeable to it, since it is used to hunting from ambush at a short distance.

For arboreal species of these animals, it is better to use higher terrariums, securing them with a piece of bark or a thick piece of branch. For burrowing spiders, it is better to pour more soil - 5 - 10 cm. As a soil, it is better to use a coconut substrate slightly moistened with water. You can also use peat and vermiculite. There should always be water in the terrarium; a small flat saucer or rosette will do.

The main species of animals bred to feed spiders are various cockroaches (the most famous are the marbled cockroach and the Madagascar hissing cockroach), zoophobas larvae, crickets and mealworms. The possibility of feeding tarantulas frozen meat or some other food familiar to people is often discussed, but this is extremely undesirable and in most cases can cause the death of spiders. The body length of the food object should be significantly less than the body length of the spider (from chelicerae to arachnoid warts). If food items of the required size are not available, tarantulas can be fed insect parts. It is advisable to use food available to tarantulas in natural environment habitat, otherwise refusal of food is possible. So, woody species prefer flies and crickets, often ignoring cockroaches and other ground insects.

Tarantula spider - reproduction

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Reproduction of tarantula spiders in captivity is quite difficult and a lover of exotic animals should not do this, unless he plans to breed these animals for sale. But let us briefly describe this unusual process for humans. Male spiders usually reach sexual maturity earlier than females. In most species, the male becomes adult at 1.5 years, and the female at 2–3 years. But it must be taken into account that under poor conditions of detention, low temperature, lack of food, the animal’s maturation is greatly delayed.

The difference between the sexes in tarantula spiders is clearly visible. The male is usually brighter colored, smaller, more mobile, and has longer limbs relative to the size of the body. Before mating, the male weaves a special web, which serves to transfer sperm to bulbs with hooks. This usually happens at night and it is sometimes possible to judge that the male is ready for mating only by the remains of this web, curled up into a roll.

Now the behavior of the male changes dramatically, he looks for a female, becomes restless, and tries to get out of the terrarium. In nature, in such a situation, a spider is capable of running several kilometers during the night. By this time, the spider should already be comfortable in a special, large terrarium, with soil and shelters. That is, equip yourself a shelter there. The terrarium should have a bottom area several times larger than where spiders are usually kept.

It is believed that it is better to place a male with a female, although this is not clear. With an aggressive partner, it is better to do the opposite. In the new room, the tarantula spider feels more constrained. In any case, having placed animals in one terrarium, you need to monitor them very carefully and be ready to intervene at any moment in what is happening. The fact is that if the spiders are not ready to mate, then one of them will attack the other, and this can lead to serious injuries and even the death of one of the animals. If you suspect that the pets are about to enter into a fight, then they need to be seated immediately. A benevolent attitude towards a partner can be indicated by the tapping of paws on the ground by both males and females. Immediately after mating, the father tries to quickly run away from his partner and at this moment he must be removed immediately.

This is interesting.

Tarantula spider versus wasp.