Frequently Asked Questions

Every species of tarantula is venomous. They rely on their venom to subdue and start the digestion of prey. The venom of some species such as Old World tarantulas is more toxic than other species such as New World Tarantulas.

Tarantulas need to feed on live prey. Crickets, meal worms, tropical roaches, silk worms, fruit flies are the most readily available live prey within the pet market. Most of these live feeders can be found in various sizes and are all acceptable as feeders for your tarantula. You will want to provide a live prey item generally no bigger than the carapace of your tarantula to feed on.

You should definitely make a fresh water supply always available for your tarantula. A bowl of water somewhere in their enclosure is fine. They will not drown; no sponge is needed to prevent that. You may also mist the side of the enclosure a few times a week for arboreal species, or apply a few drops to webbing a few times a week for heavy web producing species.

You don’t need a very expensive enclosure for your tarantula. A plastic container with a secure lid and ventilation holes will do just fine. An enclosure should be at a minimum 3 times the length of your tarantula wide and long. Height for a terrestrial tarantula should allow 3-4 inches of substrate to burrow in with no more than 1.5 times the length of your spider in height. Always provide a cork bark or similar natural hide for your tarantula to feel secure in. Height for an arboreal tarantula can be 2 or 3 times the length of your tarantula as long as there are plenty of anchor points such as cork bark or spider wood branches for them to web on. Always ensure that ventilation holes are not large enough for your tarantula to escape through.

No. As long as your tarantula has a hide, enough substrate to burrow in, or enough anchor points to web upon; you do not need live plants. You may decorate their enclosure with silk or plastic plants as long as they do not emit any chemicals that would be unsafe for an invertebrate. If you want to add live plants to your tarantulas enclosure you can absolutely with a few considerations. If your tarantula comes from a dry environment, the added moisture of a plant that requires regular watering could be detrimental to your arid tarantula. Live plants require light to grow. If your tarantula’s enclosure has a light shining on it for the waking hours of the day, they will likely hide more until the lights are shut off in the evening. Please consider the possibility that any live plants you buy may have been treated with pesticides by the supplier and can be unsafe to your tarantula until you rinse them very well.

The majority of species of tarantulas are fine at the temperature range of the typical household. I follow the “If you are comfortable; your tarantula is comfortable” rule. If the room you keep your tarantula in is between 68 to 78 degrees; they do not need any additional heat sources.

New World (NW) tarantulas are naturally found in the western hemisphere from North America to South America. They typically posses a mild venom and their main defense against predators is highly irritating urticating hairs on their abdomen they can shed or kick. New World tarantulas are sometimes docile and easier to care for. There are many NW species that are recommended as beginner tarantulas. Old World (OW) tarantulas are naturally found in the Eastern hemisphere in Africa, Asia, and Australia. They typically have much more potent venom as a defense and do not posses urticating hairs. Extreme caution should be taken when caring for these species. They are usually faster moving and more defensive toward threats and are not recommended as beginner species.