In any house or apartment there are spiders. They can be on the floor, in corners, under the ceiling. They always tried to drive away home spiders faster. But today, a spider can be a favorite pet and friend. Tarantulas often live with people who love exoticism and want to surprise their guests.
Habitat
On the planet, a tarantula spider is found in places with a warm climate: South America, Africa, Australia and Oceania. On the European continent, they live in Portugal, Italy and Spain.
Some arthropods love a humid climate and live in equatorial thickets, while others have chosen the semi-desert. So, before you get a furry miracle, you should know in what conditions he will be comfortable.
Arthropod species
Spiders are very popular, they feel great in captivity, are unpretentious, and most importantly, have an extravagant appearance:
- Curly-haired tarantula spider or Brachypelma albopilosum. Night Spider Ambush. For those who first purchased a home spider, this species will be the most optimal. They are large and have a calm disposition, as well as an interesting appearance due to long hairs with black and light tips. The pet is not bright, brown in color. The size of the legs is 15-18 cm. The body length is about 90 mm.
- Akantoskurria Antillensis or Acanthoscurria antillensis. Species belong to the family Tarantulas real. It was found in the Lesser Antilles. This is an energetic miracle of nature, is in his refuge during the day and eats insects. The body size is 60-75 mm, the paw span is 15 cm. The color is dark brown, a small metal glimmer is visible on the carapace.
- Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens or Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. This species is especially popular. He is very beautiful and hardy. The abdomen is reddish-orange, green carapace and bright blue limbs. Without food, such a spider can live for several months.
The risk to health and life is the red-backed spider. It cannot be kept at home. This is the Black Widow, the most dangerous member of his family. It secretes neurotoxic poison. Anyone who dares to keep this dangerous creature should receive an antidote.
There are many home tarantulas. Each genus of spiders is interesting in its own way and has several dozen species. Some species of tarantulas have not yet been studied. Therefore, acquiring a furry creation, you should be careful.
Tips for choosing a spider
I would like the tarantula to be beautiful, large and for a long time please the owners with its presence. You should consider some of the nuances when buying a home spider:
- Arthropod activity. A spider lying and picking up its legs all the time can be very sick. A healthy spider is in an excited state, the body holds up. It reacts to touch, ruffling "wool", raises the front paws, attacks or runs away.
- The abdomen of the spider should be flat and rounded. Some species are brought from tropical rainforests and, with a lack of water, have a shrunken abdomen. It is better to refuse to buy such.
- Sometimes you can see broken legs - this is not a defect. After a few links they will grow back. But if open wounds are observed on the limbs, then this may be not just an injury, but a fungus or disease.
- If you do not have a goal to breed tarantulas at home, then you should not buy a male. They do not live long. The attention of the buyer can attract very large individuals, but most likely, they are already in old age.
Choosing a pet, it should be well examined. Usually he has a fluffy abdomen, but with damage or constant stress, it loses its hair. A furry miracle combes their hind legs. Some species erase the hairline on the ground or weave into the web.
For certain species, the absence of hairs in some areas is not a sign of old age or disease. After molting, the pet will become fluffy again.
Arthropods caught in nature often have broken limbs. In females, after some time they will surely recover, but in males it is not always.
Features of the content of the spider
Before bringing a spider into the house, you should find out which subspecies it belongs to and create suitable conditions. A spider in a jar is a mockery of a living creature.
The content of the future family member depends on which subspecies. Tarantula spiders are:
- Terrestrial. For such individuals, the bottom of the terrarium is covered with crushed coconut bark or soil of about 10 cm. The height of the dwelling should be at least 30 cm. You need to change the coating every 3 months. If the spider is young, then once a month. For a land view, a mink is required where you can hide. Otherwise, the spider will be in constant tension and will become aggressive.
- Burrows. It is better to cover the bottom of the terrarium with ordinary soil and provide the pet with a house where he will spend more time. Mink can serve as a cup or clay flower pot with broken edges, which inverted form will serve as the entrance to the apartment. Such spiders spend a minimum of energy, because they are inactive, hence the poor appetite.
- Woody. The terrarium must have a piece of wood trunk, driftwood or thick bark. At the bottom of an impressive layer of soil.
Often, a tarantula spider changes its habits. If he used to dig minks, then over time he may give preference to an “apartment” in the tree bark.
Having settled in a new home and calmed down, the eighth natural wonder looks like home. A man and a spider may well coexist together.
Tarantula food
These predators are omnivores. Everything that moves and is smaller than their size will be surely given away. Domestic spiders eat a portion the size of a third of their body. Young individuals are fed 2 times a week, and adults once every 7-10 days. The menu includes various types of insects: cockroaches, crickets, grasshoppers, small frogs.
Breeding
A tarantula spider can continue its genus at home without any problems if there is a partner of the same species. At first, a ritual dance is performed. During mating, the seminal fluid, placed on a web specially woven by the male, is transferred to the female.
At the end of the process, if the male “gaps”, he will be safely eaten by the female. Therefore, immediately after the mating games, the spider should be dropped off.
After a few months, the female will have a cocoon with eggs. She will protect him in every way. The number of eggs can reach up to 200 pieces. A week later, nymphs are born, they move to their mother’s back and stay there for a while, and then crawl away.
Paul Spider
How to determine who is more in the offspring - boys or girls? For this it is necessary that the spiders grow up. Adults are examined through a magnifying apparatus. Examining the male’s abdomen in the epiginum region, special gossamer glands can be seen. Females have none.
Tarantula venom
Do not forget, the home tarantula spider is still poisonous. Therefore, in contact with it, it is better to be careful. Poison, entering the human body, causes fever, cramps and pain. If a severe allergy occurs, you should hurry to the doctor.
The content of poison in tarantulas is also observed in the hairs. In poor conditions, he can experience stress and lose hair, which when it comes into contact with the skin, nasal mucosa, or eyes causes itching and irritation. And if it gets into the lungs, choking. But it all goes away in a few hours.
Molting period
The most difficult period in the life of domestic spiders is molting. The old exoskeleton is replaced by a new one. Before molting, the spider stops eating and almost all the time lies on its side or on its back. At such moments, it is better not to touch it. Young growth sheds regularly, and mature individuals - once every few weeks.
The new exoskeleton is soft and easy to damage. To maintain spider health, humidity should be sufficient so that dehydration does not occur. Sometimes the old "skin" is hard to lose, and this leads to wounds and diseases. Often such individuals do not completely cover the cover, which leads to death.
Hand spider
Domestic spiders in the photo look, albeit frightening, but very attractive. Many would like to touch them. We should not forget that this is not a furry animal, like a cat or dog, it is a completely different creature. And we must treat him appropriately. They take a spider into their hands only after it has been tamed. Otherwise, it will cause him stress, the spider at home will defend itself and attack.
Tame it immediately after purchase. At first, the spider is gently stroked on the back. Over time, he will understand that no one is threatening him, he will go to the hand and begin to crawl along it.
Now the main task is to ensure that the tarantula does not run away. Otherwise, he will hide in an unknown direction, and it will be very difficult to find.
Pet escape
Wood spiders are prone to such tricks. Main reasons:
- Opening a terrarium when the spider is not in the nest.
- When touched, it quickly withdraws the paws.
- During feeding, the spider makes a throw with the whole body in any direction.
- Recent molt.
- The terrarium is too large for lunch.
If the spider escaped, no need to panic. Better to carefully monitor where he will go. When the spider stops, it should, without delay, cover it with any large capacity (basin, bowl, pot).
A sheet of thick cardboard is neatly placed under the container. Then the fugitive is transferred to the terrarium.
The tarantula spider is very beautiful and interesting. It is not difficult to keep him in apartments, but do not forget that this is a poisonous predator, and communication with him will always keep the owners in good shape.