A Caring Guide for Pink Toed Tarantula
If you want to bring home a pink toe tarantula, you must know how to care for it. They aren’t very demanding about their care or food requirements. Because of this minimalism, they are growing in popularity among exotic pet lovers. So, how do you care for these tarantulas? In this article, you’ll learn about their caring needs and demands.
Growing Conditions
The first thing you need to take care of is their housing. They can literally live anywhere inside your house. In the closet, basement, or a corner of your living room — you name it. But it would help if you weren’t keeping them in that manner.
The best place for them to stay as a pet is an aquarium that should have enough space. Usually, a 10-gallon aquarium is ideal for them. But it’s the height that matters more than the volume. They are arboreal, i.e., they like to climb the things they come across. So make sure the height is such that the tarantula cannot climb and jump across. If it’s enclosed, that’s even better.
The pink toe tarantulas also need 2-3 inches of peat moss to grow. It regulates the humidity level, which should be around 75% to 85%. Therefore, mist the aquarium regularly.
Behavior and Temperament
Tarantulas are known to be docile and quiet. For the most part, you can expect a predictable behavior. They spend most of the time sitting in their enclosure, with slow movements. If handled properly, they will do the same while on your hands or shoulders.
But they also become aggressive when threatened or if they perceive something as a threat. In such cases, they can deliver a bite, which is similar to a bee sting, but the severity is lesser. They also tend to jump out of your hands and run at a faster pace. If they fall on the ground from a height, they can get injured.
So it’s best to admire the pink toe tarantula while it’s resting inside the aquarium.
Food Requirements
You need to take good care of its diet as a good pet owner. Spiders generally love to munch on live crickets. So your job extends to acquiring or growing crickets.
Before feeding the tarantula, you should feed the crickets instead. The insects should be gut-loaded. It will make them more nutritious for the tarantula. Also, ensure that the crickets are alive when you drop them into the aquarium. Spiders generally ignore dead insects and prefer live prey. You have to feed a few crickets every 3-5 days for adult tarantulas.
Pink toe tarantulas prefer regular clean water. You can place a shallow water bowl inside the aquarium and refill it regularly.
Health Problems
Pink toe tarantulas can run into health problems. At times, you’ll notice a loss in appetite, lethargy, and pacing within the enclosure. Although there might be other reasons like molting, it is also a sign that the tarantula is uncomfortable with something. If it happens for an extended period, you should consult a vet or the pet shop where you bought it from.
When you decide to purchase a pink toe tarantula, you should inquire about the spider’s age, origin, and overall health. If you’re considering breeding these spiders, you should get a male and a female and keep them separated. The above measures will help you in raising both.
