Litter substrate
Bedding lining the bottom of your spider's tank allows it to burrow and also reduces the harshness of a smooth glass or plastic floor. The substrate can be two to three inches of peat moss, soil, vermiculite or shredded coconut husks.
Try to choose a material that can be compacted. You can add a little water to achieve the perfect consistency, but choose a material that will dry quickly if water spills. Wet substrates are sure to cause anxiety in the tarantula.
Content
When choosing a terrarium, pay attention to the fact that you need to focus on area, not height. Another advantage of rosea is that it is completely undemanding when it comes to humidity. Small spiders should be given water 2-3 times a week in small portions, but adults can simply be given a drinking bowl. To be precise, the optimal humidity should be 40-60%.
Terrarium 30*30*30 cm (25 liters) (spider)
Temperature
Desert dwellers, this species of arachnid is very hardy and less sensitive to temperature fluctuations; Warm desert days and cold desert nights are the norm in their wild habitat. Generally, your tarantula will suit any temperature you feel comfortable with.
Additionally, Chilean rose tarantulas do not like humidity and may become agitated if they find a damp spot in their cage. Maintaining a dry environment (but not too dry) is critical to the proper management of this desert species.
Grammostola rosea RED
Grammostola rosea red (Red Chilean tarantula)
Our tarantula lives in the territories of Bolivia, Argentina and, naturally, Chile. In nature, the spider digs deep holes, in which it lives most of its life. However, its behavior in captivity is very different. In terrariums, the spider is a typical terrestrial species, which occasionally drags the substrate across the expanses of its home. A pleasant feature of this species is that the spider has difficulty moving on smooth surfaces due to poorly developed scopulae. And why does he need them if he lives underground? By the way, if you want to catch a spider from nature, you will be in big trouble, because the spider is protected under CITES Appendix 2. However, on spider farms, Grammostola is bred on a large scale. As for the size, the spider reaches 5-6 cm in body, 15-16 cm in the legs. It is quite difficult for a spider to reach sexual maturity; males can grow for 2-3 years, and females for 3-5. The fact is that the lower the temperature in the terrarium, the longer the spider will grow. The content limits are from 22 degrees to 27-28, but I don’t recommend too much heat either.
Food and water
Chilean rose tarantulas prefer live crickets and other large pesticide-free insects as their main food source.
Therefore, feeding them properly also means keeping the crickets near the spider and providing them with a diet that maximizes your tarantula's nutrient intake.
Adult tarantulas usually eat once or twice a week, while immature spiders may be fed more often.
Some owners suggest giving an adult spider an occasional pinky mouse, but the calcium in the mammal's bones may suppress the spider's nutritional needs. Therefore, supplementation of this food source in captivity is not recommended.
Sometimes the Chilean rose tarantula will go through a period of fasting, depending on its dietary needs. If your spider goes without food for longer than a few weeks or has a shriveled abdomen, consult with your exotics veterinarian to make sure it is not injured, dehydrated, exhausted, or stressed.
A small water bowl placed in your pet arachnid's enclosure and changed daily should keep it adequately hydrated. When updating, be careful not to spill any liquid.
Description of the species
To understand the reason for the popularity of this type of pet, it is worth considering its distinctive appearance features.
The main characteristics of spiders are similar to other representatives of tarantula spiders:
- Individuals are of medium size; the body length can reach 15–17 centimeters with straightened limbs.
- The body, excluding the legs, reaches 5–6 centimeters in length.
- The entire surface of the animal is covered with hairs of different lengths, which form a cover. Thanks to this cover, spiders are pleasant to hold and stroke.
- The hairs have a pleasant brown tint; some representatives may be darker or lighter compared to the classic color option.
- A distinctive feature of this variety is considered to be its characteristic pink color, which is not found in other species. It is this feature that gave the species its name and made it so popular among lovers of exotic pets.
General health problems
If your spider is climbing walls, acting erratically, or spending most of its time at the top of the cage, something is wrong, and it could be as simple as too much humidity in the environment.
Maintain an ideal humidity range of 65 to 70 percent using a relative humidity meter or sensor.
All tarantulas go through periods of molting. This is often a difficult time for your spider. He may not eat and remain motionless for a long time; he may even roll over and lie on his back.
If this happens, don't be alarmed. Your tarantula is not dead; it is simply undergoing a natural but precarious growth process which, if disrupted, can be fatal.
After shedding is complete, you should avoid touching your pet for a few more weeks as his new skin has not hardened and may tear. Any damage will be permanent and potentially fatal.
What do I feed the gramostola?
Well, a few words about the diet. Since I’m not yet ready to have my own colony of marbled cockroaches, I feed my entire spider colony with whatever I have. That is, what will be caught. And since Rosochka is still young and inexperienced and may not be able to cope with bread ground beetles or millipedes, I feed her exclusively with moths and mosquitoes. He also threw small cockroaches, but, like a true woman, she is afraid of them and eats them with great reluctance. The last cockroach lived with her for a couple of weeks and, in my opinion, is still crawling around alive and well.
Buying a Chilean pink tarantula
Purchasing a Chilean rose tarantula from a pet store is acceptable as long as you are confident that the new pet is being kept in excellent conditions.
However, it is wise to find a breeder as they are usually more conscientious than retail stores. Additionally, purchasing from a breeder ensures that you are not supporting an industry that is depleting this species in the wild.
Note that most pet stores only sell short-lived males because long-lived females are much more expensive.
As adults, male spiders will search for a female to mate with and, if one is not available, will die shortly after their first year. You can identify a male tarantula by its enlarged pedipalps (the second pair of legs from the front).
If you want a very long-lived pet or want to eventually breed one, start by purchasing a healthy female.
First molting of gramostola
Grammostola rosea is a slow-growing spider and, accordingly, rarely sheds. I don’t know how many molts Rosochka had before me, but in the second month I already began to fear for her health. However, everything went smoothly. Almost exactly 2 months after moving in with me, Rosochka faded, leaving a weightless skin of a delicate shrimp color as a keepsake.
Thinking out loud: but if people were arthropods or reptiles that tend to molt, then, for sure, this would be somehow reflected in the rules of behavior and labor legislation. For example, a shedding employee would be given a day off. And in transport they would announce “Be mutually polite, give up your seats to passengers with cubs, females with eggs and citizens in a state of molting . It is also possible that it would be prohibited to drive a vehicle in a molting state.
But that’s okay... Now, if we developed like insects with complete transformation... However, this is a topic for a separate story. However, nothing is new, for example, Pelevin has a book “The Life of Insects” .
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Nutrition
The Chilean predator eats mainly insects that live on the surface of the earth. The pink tarantula spider can wait for prey for a long time, sitting at the entrance to its burrow. He usually hunts cockroaches and crickets, and on good days his food can be scorpions and even small mammals. The spider captures the victim with its powerful pedipalps and subdues it by injecting a small dose of poison into the bite site. Venom glands are excreted through a channel located in the chelicerae. Sometimes a predator does not consider it necessary to use poison on its prey, then it simply destroys the prey with the force of its jaws.
Peacock spider (Maratus volans)
The title of the most beautiful spider in the world also belongs to the jumping horse, it is called the Peacock Spider (Maratus volans)
The peacock is a small, brightly colored spider. The length of its body does not exceed 5 mm. Males are very bright, females are pale, unpresentable and very aggressive towards the opposite sex.
During the mating season, the spider selects a bride and begins to dance in front of her, raising its abdomen and spreading its third pair of legs. He tries, moves energetically and hopes for reciprocity. If he can arouse the interest of a representative of the fairer sex, he may survive. Otherwise, the female will catch and eat the annoying suitor.
Ultramarine tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica)
Like other tarantulas, Poecilotherium metalica is a fairly large spider, the body can reach a length of 7 cm, and the paw span is 21 cm.
The ultramarine tarantula is endemic to the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where its habitat is only 100 square kilometers. km and is highly fragmented as a result of human agricultural activities. The beautiful blue spider was first described in 1899, then unseen by scientists and was considered extinct until it was rediscovered in 2001.
In nature, ultramarine tarantulas live in groups on old trees, adults in the crowns, and young spiders at the foot or in burrows under the roots. They feed mainly on insects. They hunt at night. In cases of very close cohabitation, cannibalism is observed.
Pecilotheria metallica is a very rare and desirable spider among keepers, even despite its complex temperament and poisonous bite. It is considered the most toxic of all tarantulas, the venom causes pain and muscle spasms that can recur for two to three weeks.
Should you be afraid of tarantulas?
It has been fashionable for some time now to have colorful Theraphosidae in your home. Before buying, people ask whether the tarantula spider is really poisonous or not to humans? This one is the largest representative of its class, like the others, poisonous. But it releases a toxic substance only in two cases. Firstly, to defeat prey, and secondly, in case of danger. If a person does not threaten him, then he is of no interest to the spider.
Bites
What happens if a tarantula spider bites you? This happens when keeping protostomes in home nurseries. The bite is not fatal to humans. There is fever, irritation of the skin, and if you are allergic to the toxin, swelling and severe itching may occur.
Burning hairs
In response to threats, spiders rub the bristles on their legs, spread their stomachs with their hind legs and release hairs. They are a serious irritant to the skin and delicate mucous membranes. This bristle can be poisonous to humans.
Why is this happening? Urticating hair is one of the defense mechanisms. They cover the dorsal and posterior surface of the abdomen. When threatened, tarantulas eject bristles from their abdominal cavity, directing them toward potential intruders. When hairs come into contact with the skin or eyes, they cause irritation.
Excrement attack
The arthropod's natural waste products can be used as a defense mechanism. They pose no danger to humans or animals. When threatened, the spider throws them out of the anus, trying to blind a potential enemy.
Reproduction
If you decide to breed Grammostola rosea, then get ready for the fact that you will have to create seasonal fluctuations, just like in its homeland. After successful mating, the temperature should be lowered by 4 degrees, and after a while raised, which will create the illusion of wintering. After mating for about 3 months, the female prepares to weave a cocoon, then the larvae develop in it for about another 2 months. There are about 300 small spiders in the cocoon.
Author: Artem Zenkevich Editor: Tatyana Potapenko Source: [[https:/https://planetexotic.ru/]
Lifespan
It is important for people who decide to keep this animal at home to know how long tarantula spiders live in captivity. Females, regardless of conditions, can live up to 30 years
As for males, their life expectancy is much shorter. They usually stop molting after reaching reproductive age, in most cases they die in the same year or after mating.
When maintaining a home, it is important to choose an arthropod suitable nutrition system and optimal temperature. If fed infrequently, the spider will live longer
Cold causes the metabolism to slow down, so the birder's development will slow down.
What does a tarantula spider eat?
The lifestyle of different species is somewhat different. Some representatives of the genus do not form trapping nets, they watch over prey from shelters, others weave a huge web with a diameter of up to 2 m. The web is so dense that it holds birds, small rodents, lizards, frogs, and snakes. The main diet consists of insects, beetles, and small spiders.
The tarantula infects the victim with poison, paralyzes it, and injects saliva, which liquefies the insides in a few minutes. The spider sucks up the contents, leaving only a chitinous cover of the prey. The toxic substance affects the nervous system, causing spasms and suffocation.
Interesting!
From the name you might think that spiders eat birds and feed on meat. In reality, this is not entirely true. It is difficult for tarantulas to digest solid food, so they still prefer insects.
Danger to humans
Tarantulas do not threaten the health and life of their owner
But when carrying out any activities to care for your pet, you must adhere to precautions. All species of spiders are poisonous to one degree or another.
If we talk about non-poisonous species, then we mean a low degree of toxicity of the poison.
Females in the active stage of motherhood show increased aggression. But in other cases it is impossible to predict the reaction of an arthropod to any, even the most harmless, actions. That is why it is not recommended to touch them with your hands. Before purchasing a tarantula, you need to acquire a special terrarium, as well as long tweezers for carrying out all kinds of manipulations.
Whether the venom is toxic or not depends on the type of spider. For an adult, the danger of a tarantula bite will be equal to a wasp sting: a burning pain is felt and swelling appears. With increased sensitivity of the body to toxins, an increase in body temperature, fainting, muscle cramps, vomiting and even mental disorders are observed. When a tarantula bites through the skin, venom is not always injected; most often, so-called “dry” bites occur.
The danger comes from the hairs covering the legs and body of the arthropod. When under stress, the spider is able to quickly pull out fibers with its paws, trying to throw them to the enemy.
When hairs come into contact with human skin, they cause burns and allergic reactions. Contact with the mucous membrane of the eyes causes severe burning and itching that does not go away for several hours, and in some cases, days. Sometimes toxins lead to deterioration in the quality of vision for the rest of your life.
The tarantula spider really poses a danger to humans. If the potential owner of such a “pet” animal is not afraid of a health threat, the exotic appearance of the arthropod is not repulsive, but attracts, you can safely keep it at home. But at the same time, we must not forget about the rules of keeping a pet and safety precautions.
Jumping spiders
The huge family of jumping spiders includes more than 610 genera and 5,800 species, which are found everywhere except in cold latitudes
Jumping spiders got their name from their ability to jump far and high. Recently, the mechanism of their jumping has been studied more thoroughly. It turned out that the problem was a well-developed internal hydraulic system. Spiders can expand their limbs by changing the blood pressure in them, and this allows them to make a very strong push. Jumping spiders usually hunt during the day. They do not weave hunting webs, they sneak up, suddenly jump on prey and bite it, paralyzing it with poison.
Interestingly, before jumping, spiders insure themselves with a silk thread, attaching it to the place from which they are going to jump. It can be high to fall.
Jumping spiders have good vision, they can see up to 40 cm away, and the viewing angle of 8 eyes is almost 360 degrees. Unlike other spiders, they climb glass easily thanks to their small hairs and claws. In case of danger, they will prefer to hide; if this does not work out, they take a typical defensive pose: they raise their front paws and begin to quickly wave them, trying to scare the aggressor.
