5 reasons to get a tarantula

Brachypelma emilia, Brachypelma vagans, Grammostola rosea

Over the last three years I have kept three species of tarantulas at home (yes, the names of them are listed above). This post will be a little different from the rest, mainly because there is not a lot to say about there arachnids. However, I will try my best and will give you my "pros" list for keeping a tarantula at home.

5 reasons to keep a tarantula at home:

1. Tarantulas are awesome!

Admit it, tarantulas are magnificent animals. When your friends come over, they think that keeping a tarantula at home is weird and even crazy. Having the courage to keep such an exotic is not just an unusual hobby, but also shows such great qualities as patience and dedication. 

If you keep most tarantulas from a very young age, you should be very patient if you want them to grow to large specimen in your collection. Newborn tarantulas are no bigger than 0.5-1 mm big. The species I have kept would not grow bigger than 16-19 cm (leg span). Keeping Grammostolas and Brachypelmas, I can certainly tell you that it can take up to 7 years for your arachnid to become of some considerable size. Many female tarantula specimen grow up to 20, 25 and even 30 years old if the conditions are suitable for their living.

In addition, I think that it's important for you to know that every tarantula has it's own temperament. One specimen of the same species could be really fast and aggressive, while the other one would quietly sit on your hand without moving and never biting. It is well known that some spiders are more likely to attack someone, though, there is a great variety of species, recommended for beginners, as they tend to behave in a very calm way even when being handled. 

If you are looking for a slowly-moving, friendly and easy-to-keep tarantula, I would recommend the following: Brachypelma smithi, Brachypelma emilia, Brachypelms albopilosum, Aphonopelma seemanni and Grammostola rosea.

2. Tarantulas are "galant" animals.

People have always showed respect for these animals, whether it was cultural, religious reasons or out of fear. There are many examples of folklore, connected to these arachnids, dances and events. So there must have been something, that caught the attention of the ancient cultures.

Personally, spiders are my favourite invertebrates. I am fascinated by the "noble" way of walking, like no other biological class would move. Balancing their bodies on their eight legs, they "float" over the substrate when running. 

However, feeding tarantulas is my favourite part. If you train your arachnid to take food from tweezers, you will experience something not many people can and that is one of the man reasons to get a spider. Observe them skilfully penetrate the prey with their razor-sharp chelicerae is a thrilling event for every arachno-keeper. You get excited to such a great extend that you will feel the blood rush up to your brain, when the tarantula attacks. 

3. Every man to his taste

The colour variation of tarantulas is colossal, as there is over 900 species of tarantulas (not spiders). You can find fascinating colour combinations and patterns even in the species, offered in pet stores today. 

Do you want a bright-orange tarantula? Pterinochilus murinus is for you. Or you might prefer a half-pink, half-jet-black hairy arachnid. Then you should consider Avicularia versicolor. Blue variations can also be found, such as Poecilotheria metallica, also grey-bodied with red polka dot, brown with olive-green lines, black with neon-yellow legs... Basically, any colour variation you can think of has already either been found or generated through morph selective breeding.
That is why collecting spiders is such a captivating hobby– there are always more tarantulas to collect.

4. Like taking candy from a baby

Keeping tarantulas at home is pretty straight-forward. It is true, that some species do require special humidity or temperature conditions, however, those kind of spiders is normally not kept by beginners.

Normally Brachypelmas and Grammostolas rarely require any specific light source, as they can take their prey at any point during the day. The temperature for the species, listed in the top, can also vary and that makes keeping them even easier. Try to keep the temperature between 19 ºC and 26 ºC. Preferably, place a heating pad on one of the walls of the arachnarium. Place a water dish in the opposite corner of the heating pad, creating a temperature and humidity gradient in the tank. Do not place the heating pad on the bottom of the tank! In case of overheating, the tarantula will seek a cooler place. They will start digging and hiding under the substrate. However, if you place a heating pad on the bottom, do not expect to see a happy love spider when you come back home. 4 Watt should be enough. 

The bottom part of the tank itself should be at least 5 times bigger than the leg span of the spider. That means that you can keep a juvenile 2-3 mm big tarantula in a 1 cubed centimetre tank (but I would make it bigger though). Go with a minimum of 30*30*30 cm arachnarium for a fully grown specimen of the species, listed in the top of the post. Place at last one hiding spot (piece of bark, branches, a cracked flower pot, a human skull, whatever works) in the tank. If the tarantula will not like the position of the hiding spot, it will create it's own by digging a hole in the ground of the terrarium and support the structure with it's spider web. Make sure that the substrate is at least 5-7 cm deep for a grown species. The most common substrate for such tarantulas are coconut flakes; less common, depending on species of preference of keeper– sand, sphagnum mosses, coconut chips, turf, leaf litter and vermiculite. To ease the process of moulting (without moulting the tarantula will die), ensure, that the humidity is about 45-60%. The average room humidity is 35-50%, who that shouldn't be a problem. However, check the humidity level with your barometer and spray the arachnarium 2-3 times a week in the cold corner of the terrarium. 

Bear in mind, that these descriptions are only suitable for terrestrial tarantulas.

Feed your spider live crickets, roaches, grasshoppers of appropriate size every 1-2 days when under 3 weeks old; every 3-4 days when up to 2 months old; every week from 1.5-2 months old; every 1.5 weeks from half a year old. If the spider is not eating- don't panic. Sometimes even a juvenile 2 mm tarantula will not eat for over than three weeks.
Also, don't be afraid of going a fully-grown tarantula big prey, even prey of it's own size: when it will become hungry enough, it will attack and eat it. Just make sure the prey is not hungry before you feed it to your tarantula. You don't want to see your spider eaten by a grasshopper, do you?

The tarantulas I listed in the top require minimum care (the less attention (and stress) they receive, the better they feel).

5. A thing of beauty is a joy forever

Or at least for the time you have the tarantula.

When decorated with thought, the terrarium for keeping your tarantula in can add a personal touch to the atmosphere of the room. I am a Doctor Who fan, so I placed Tardis and a Dalek in the tank of my Grammostola rosea (because of "rosea" and "Rose Tyler") and it brings up a smile of the faces of the people who see my decorations. A close friend of mine decorated a big arachnarium for his tarantula with replicas of ancient items of Chachapoya tribe to imitate some scene from Indiana Jones.
You can let your inspiration free on this one.


If you have any questions– please ask.
You are also welcome to correct my grammar if it is bothering you.

Extra info:

• Never do what I did on the last picture. Apparently their abdomen are really sensitive and delicate. Don't place any sharp objects in the tank.
• Spiders (tarantulas) are not insects.
• Young specimen of tarantulas moult approximately every month. Older tarantulas moult less often, however, you can control the frequency of the moulting phases by tweaking the temperature, light, humidity, food type, size and amount of it. When moulting, do not stress the arachnid– no not touch it, turn off the light, do not feed it for a week or two. The spider will find a hiding spot and block it's "entrance" with a thick layer of cobweb. Try to raise the humidity by 15-20% for a week after moulting.
• All tarantulas are venomous! However, humans are resistant to most of the venom types so the maximum damage you would have from a bite of a Grammostola rosea would be two tiny holes in the skin of your finger. Don't forget to disinfect the wound if bitten with special disinfections, Hydrogen peroxide or pure (close to pure will work too ±96%) alcohol. The species listed on the top of this post are rarely aggressive and their venom will not kill you, unless you are allergic.

My Grammostola rosea seems a little angry

Boa constrictor

Boa constrictor (Imperator)

One of the most common and popular snakes in the private collections of terrariumists in the world. And the fondness could not have arisen from nothing: this snake species is worth mentioning in every blog or any piece of literature, that describes the most well liked reptiles.
They have the perfect size, the ideal calm temperament, a catchy bright and contrasting skin colour. All in all, these snakes lack imperfection and can be recommended both to terrariumist beginners and to experienced reptile-keepers.

There is so much to say about this snake, that I could never really collect all of my ideas and post them before. But I think I will only mention the most important things :)

Background information

These snakes do not grow as big as Indian rock pythons, however, they do have a solid, muscular and heavy body shape with a extensive variety of colour variations with bright, changing colour tones from the head to the tip of their tails.
Normally, the pythons, held in captivity, tend not to grow larger than 2 m long (considering the fact, that in the nature the Boa constrictor's sizes vary from 1 to 6 metres). The size depends on the area, where it has originally been found, and only then transported for breeding to a different location.
The main body-colour of these Boas is usually light-beige. However, it is the patterns on the back of the snake, which make it stand out among any other reptiles. The head and the upper part of their bodies tends to be more or less monotonous, while from around the 5/7th part of their body, the patterns become more visually distinct, ending with a very bright ornament on the tail of the snake. Considering the fact, that these snakes are "big", their heads are relatively small, making their body proportions seem quiet elegant, compared to some other snakes (Boiga cyanea, Eryx miliaris and etc). The colour varies from light-grey or pastel-green to dark-brown and dark-burgundy. Also, these snakes are well known for the great amount of morphs present. I, personally, have a female 'Albino Boa constrictor - Kahl line'. Her name is Honey and she is one of my favourites of the many reptile and amphibians I have ever kept in my personal collection.

Boa constrictors inhabit a wide range of places: from North Mexico to South Argentina, including most islands of the Gulf of Mexico and some islands on the equator region of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. And even though the place of origin of each species may vary greatly, one of the greatest aspects of keeping them at home is the ability of most Boa constrictors to adapt to the environment the are introduced to in very short time. So, all of the rules and recommendations of keeping the Boa constrictor, which I will write about below, can be applied to most specimen of this species.
They tend to occupy not only the lower areas of the plant community of the rainforest but are also locating themselves in open woodlands with rich bush and shrub vegetation, rocky mountains, the sandy ground, the top of the kapok trees (the tallest trees of the Amazon) and etc.

Though, the colour variation of this species cannot be the only reason why these snakes are so popular. The ease of keeping them in their vivariums, the methods of feeding and their character make up a great reptile for showing off to your friends and family.

Terrarium

If you decided to purchase and keep a Boa constrictor at home, the only factor you might consider problematic is the size of the tank, needed for keeping this species. As  I already mentioned, these snakes can grow up to 2 m (and sometimes 3 m long, if female). Therefore, the minimum size for one grown Boa constrictor must not be smaller than 100*50*50 (Width*Height*Depth) cm. However, that is the size for an average Boa c.. If you have seen the parents of your snake specimen, you should expect your snake to grow as big as them and therefore you should pick a terrarium, suitable for the size of your snake. It is obviously recommended to pick a bigger version of the tank if you are choosing between a bigger and a smaller version. Remember, the width of the tank should not be smaller than half the length of the snake. And the depth, therefore, at least half the measure of the width.

For a specimen that has not yet reached the length of 1 m a tank with the dimensions of 60*40*40 (W*H*D) cm will suit the snake perfectly. Later, though, you will have to switch to a new and bigger terrarium.

Even though most of the Boa c.s tend to inhabit the less humid areas of their original environment, they are still most often located near some kind of water source, which could be a slow-flowing river, a pond, lake, puddle or even an inland sea. Therefore you should place a water-basin, big enough for the whole snake to fit in it, as it would have a greater surface area, increasing the water evaporation rate, easing your job of keeping the humidity level at a certain level.

I would also be a good idea to place some branches, twigs and rocks in the tank, as most Boa c.s are arboreal animals, meaning that they live in the trees. The presence of such objects will also help the moulting of the reptile.

Light and Temperature

You should consider to create a clear temperature gradient in your snake's tank. During the day the terrarium should have a 'cold corner' with the temperature of 19-23 ºC and a 'Hot corner' of approximately 30-40 ºC. The average daytime tank temperature should not fall below 26-27 ºC.

Make sure that the temperature at night is not lower than 19-10 ºC. I would also recommend to place a heating pad, a heating cable or a heat rock in the hot corner for the times, when the temperature is too cold for the snake at night.

In order to keep the temperature stable, you should have a heating lamp in the Hot corner of the terrarium. The lamp can be both a ceramic heat emitter or an actual heating light-bulb. If you choose to provide the heat with a ceramic bulb, make sure you have an external light source above the High-temperature area for the snake's control over the day and night times (that provides a sharp difference between day and night, helping the metabolism of the snake). 

Many people have asked me if a source of ultraviolet light is needed. It is true, that The lack of Vitamin D can cause serious problems (suck as Rickets) and even a lethal outcome, but personally, I do not have a UV light. However, my snake's terrarium is located under direct sunlight (of Denmark...) and that is enough for it. During the summer I take Honey outside (during a warm summer day) to increase the rate of the melanin hormone flow in her body. If you keep your snakes in an area, where no natural sunlight is available, I would recommend to irradiate your snake with an hour of artificial UV light every month. This procedure is not that complex and is often applied to other reptiles as well: place your animal in a separate container with no light obstructions on top (glass, plastic), place the UV light 35-50 cm away from the top of the container and, preferably, leave the room (you don't want to risk your chances of getting skin cancer, do you?).

Humidity

Try to keep the humidity within the bounds of 45-60%. Spray the cold corner with lukewarm water from a sprayer every 3-4th day.

Feeding

Feeding Boa constrictors is normally no difficulty for the keeper, as the snake will gladly accept any prey of appropriate size. The food could be any rodent (mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits are most common for feeding) or some birds (chicks, button quails). 

As a general rule, teaching the snake to take frozen prey is no problem, making the feeding a LOT easier. 

Try not to feed your snake prey of too big size, as it may cause the reptile to vomit. When vomiting, internal organs, blood vessels and bones might be damaged by the food. 

Breeding

Again, I do not know a lot, but I do know the basics of how to breed Boa constrictors. Please ask me in the comments, if you want a description of this wonderful process :)

Extra information

Yes, I did say that these snakes are most often very calm and rarely attack people. However, each snake, no matter which species, can have it's own temperament. Also, juvenile Boa c.s may be aggressive.

Yes, it does hurt when they bite.

No, my Boa constrictor has not bitten me (yet).

Here is a gif of Honey's strike

Feeding Honey (7 month old)