Frequently Asked Questions About Tarantulas

FAQ SNAKES FAQ GLIDERS

My spider is on it's back, what do I do? Leave it alone and increase the humidity, it's going to molt.

Why won't my spider eat? T's can stop eating prior to a molt and for several other reasons, some unexplained.  This period can last, depending on the size of the spider, for a few months or even a year or more.  If the spider appears fat and healthy don't worry.  They usually will not starve to death.

How often will my spider molt? This is by no means an exact time for molting as temp, speices, amount of food, sex and other factors can influence growth speed.  With that said a good ballpark is that most spiderlings molt about once per month, juvinile spiders can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to molt and adult spiders can take a year or more.

How long will my T live? Again a ball park but most tropical species like Avics and Pokes grow faster and burn out quicker at around 5 to 7 years or so.  On the other extreme most Brachys, Grammys and Aphonopelma species can live 20 to 30 years.

How do I water my spiderling in that little pill bottle? Use a mister bottle, the kind like you would use for houseplants works well but be sure it has never been used with any chemicals, and mist just a bit on the side away from the sling.  If it has formed a web mist the web as well.  The idea is to recreate morning dew like you would find on the lawn.

Will my T become tame after handling it for awhile? No.  This is not to say that a great many species aren't handleable but that I don't believe the spider becomes used to you touching it.  What I feel happens is that you in fact become used to the spider and what sets it off, so to speak.  Once you become accustomed to the behavior and movements of the spider you are naturally more calm and less tense when handling it.  In turn your smoother movements provoke a more calm reaction from the spider than when you are afraid to handle it and are still jerky with your movements.

When do I move my spiderling out of the little bottle I bought him in? Generally spiderlings seem to do better when kept in small enclosures.  I keep my spiders in pill bottles until they reach the point where the spider is about half the size of the bottle.  At this point I either move them to a bigger bottle or if one is not available, it's time for a small pet pal or sterilite.  Usually this is at the two inch size range.

My spider seems to be having trouble walking around and it's legs are drawn up under it, what's wrong? Usually this condition is brought on by dehydration.  It is not uncommon to see this in fresh imports.  The easiest way to cure this is with a hydration chamber.  This is basically a deli cup large enough for the spider to stand in but not so large as to allow it to not touch the bottom of the cup.  In the cup with the spider add about 1/8 inch of water.  Leave the spider in this for around 24 hours, sometimes longer depending on how badly dehydrated the spider is.  Although this is not a cure-all by any means water seems to have amazing effects on spiders that are not doing so well.  I have seen fresh imports in pretty crappy condition almost look like a new spider upon viewing them the next day.

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