Should i get a tarantula

Not feeding enough during their growth can cause them various health problems and hinder their natural growth process. On the other hand, feeding them more than necessary during their moulting period can result in their death. While keeping tarantula spiders as a pet might be exciting for some people, there are a large number of people who are extremely scared and creeped out just by looking at a spider.

Because of this reason, they are not suitable for social environments. If you have a family member or friend who is scared of spiders, then it is advisable not to adopt a tarantula as your pet.

Otherwise, it may create an environment that may be life-threatening for itself and very uncomfortable for your family member or friend. Some larger species of tarantula spiders can also eat pinkie mice and small lizards. Apart from this, their usual eating habit should be kept random like one cricket a week, then two in the next week and three in the next one, and so on.

Also, you need to make sure that the insects you are feeding your pet spider are fully gutted. The crickets should be fed nutritious food and should also be dusted with vitamins, prior to feeding it to your pet spider. Tarantula spiders are venomous and their bites also contain venom. However, most of the time their toxicity level is very low and may just cause local irritation, pain, redness and swelling. However, there are a few species which have highly toxic venom and their bites can be fatal as well.

Apart from this, some people develop an allergic reaction to spider bites, which may not be that toxic, but the allergic reaction may itself be fatal. Honestly, tarantulas can be excellent pets for those who are willing to keep them. They are unlike any other mainstream pet species. They are intimidating with their looks, but with proper care, they can be absolutely harmless.

Another thing that makes pet tarantulas an incredible choice is their requirement for very low maintenance. Provide water to them once a month and feed them twice or thrice a month. The only thing that beginners need to consider is whether they want a new world tarantula or an old world one.

New world tarantulas are well recommended for beginners as they are more docile and can be easily handled. Moreover, new world tarantulas are practically harmless to humans without any allergies, so they make really good pets. However, for those who wish to own a more aggressive tarantula, old world species are the ones you are looking for.

A little experience may be needed to take proper care of them as they are naturally dangerous and aggressive. Also, they move very fast and are not well suited for handling, so they make poor pets. In any case, each and every tarantula species is unique in its own way. Though it may appear sluggish in its terrarium, once your pet tarantula escapes, it can run with lightning quickness to find a hiding place. Tarantula owners even recommend cleaning the tarantula's habitat within the confines of a bathtub so the resident spider can't make a speedy retreat to some dark corner of the house.

Tarantulas eat live prey, which you will need to provide. For some pet owners, this might not be a concern, but for others, it's not a pleasant thought. For smaller tarantulas, a diet of crickets, grasshoppers , and roaches might suffice.

For larger spiders, you might need to feed an occasional pinky mouse or even a gray mouse. You'll need a reliable supplier of crickets or other live prey in your area to make feeding easier. It's not a good idea to feed wild-caught crickets, as these can be infected with pathogens that may harm your pet tarantula.

When pet tarantulas first became popular with spider enthusiasts, most of the tarantulas on the market came from the wild. As with any exotic animal in demand, over-collecting can soon put a species at risk in its native habitat. Such was the case with a few popular pet tarantula species, including the Mexican redknee tarantula, a vibrant species featured in several horror movies. A few tarantula species are now protected under the Washington Convention agreement, which limits or prohibits the commercial trade of listed species and their export from their native range.

You can still obtain these protected species , but you must purchase a tarantula bred in captivity from a reputable source. Don't put the beautiful spiders at risk; do the right thing.

Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. To keep a tarantula, you just need a medium-sized container, drill some holes in it and put coco-fiber substrate and a cork bark hide.

That is it you are done. Tarantulas, unlike other animals, do not run here and there. They tend to stay in one place and hardly move unless they are webbing. You hardly need to give any attention to your little pet, apart from feeding it every day. At most, it will take you 20 minutes a week not per day for caring for tarantula. Since they will also straight up eat most insects, your little tarantula can help prevent pests. As we said earlier, tarantulas hardly move from one space, and they are tiny creatures compared to other pets.

They take up little space, only as much as the container you are keeping it in. Fun fact, tarantulas themselves prefer living in a small space as they are not chasing predators, but ambush predators, who like to stay at one place and let the food come to them.

In fact, being in a large space might put a lot of stress on your tiny tarantula. Tarantulas can live for a very long period. Based on what type of tarantula you are buying, their longevity may vary, but most tarantulas live for about years. Owning one makes it easier being an eco-friendly pet owner.

Another remarkable fact about these creatures is that they are very durable and can cope with any environment you put them through. So, even if you forget that you have a pet and go out somewhere for a week or two when you come back, you will find that your little pet is still in good shape. These little creatures might be scary looking, but they are very calm and straightforward to maintain, not to mention they are very resilient.

Even if you forget about taking care of them, it will hardly impact their health, which would not be possible for other pets. You do not need extra money to feed them, no extra money to spend by taking them to the vet, and they take very little space and attention from you.

There are, however, a few cons of having a tarantula as a pet. Here are a few of them:. Most people get a pet to build a bond with them and to enjoy a good time. However, as the tarantulas are not a developed species, they can hardly remember who their owner is. So if you are looking for a pet that you want to build a bond with, the tarantulas are not for you.

They like to live by themselves. Tarantulas are predators, after all, so they have poison in their fangs.

They usually are very calm and will not attack any human. However, if you agitate them and invade their space, they will lash out at you and might poison you. Although they are not threatening, they might cause an allergic reaction.

There are some pros to keeping a tarantula as a pet, and there are also some cons. If you do wish to keep an exotic pet that might shock your friends and family while also not willing to spend a fortune behind them, then do consider getting a tarantula as even though they might look creepy, they can still be excellent house pets.