Tarantula Care Sheet

Care sheet for tarantulas

These sheets provide due diligence and also provide the means of a sales register.
Care sheets designed for you to use at the point of sale with your retail customer. Copy and use them for every sale.

Tarantulas

Species : The most commonly kept species of tarantulas are Chile Rose, Zebra, Pink toes and Curly hairs – for the purpose of this care sheet these are known as terrestrial species. Some are burrowers, such as Cobalt Blues, and others are known as arboreal (climbing) – these include Ornamentals. Although all spiders are able to provide a painful bite, some are more aggressive than others – Baboons are particularly known for this. Although most are kept very similar, any differences in care are noted on this sheet.
Vivariums can be provided by a plastic or glass unit. Ensure they are escape proof. Arboreal species require tall vivaria. Heat them by placing the vivarium on top of a heat mat so that half the vivarium is warm and half is cooler. Leave the heat mat switched on 24 hours per day.
Substrates within the vivarium should be vermiculite or peat, or perhaps a mix of both. Keep this damp. Burrowing species need deep layers of peat. Spray daily to maintain higher levels of humidity. Provide hides and a water bowl. Branches can be provided for arboreal species, and hides are best placed upright for these species. The best choice for drinking water is to use Water bites, this is a jelly which allows the tarantulas to drink without drowning. It also provides a source of Calcium.
Spot clean and attend to the tarantula on a daily basis without creating lots of disturbance. A full sterilise, strip down and change of substrates should be done every three to four months. Too much disturbance is bad for the spider. Always use a good quality reptile disinfectant household cleaners should not be used.
Food is best provided by commercially available live insects such as brown/black/quiet crickets, wax worms, locusts and mealworms. Ensure all live food is “gut loaded” with a good quality insect food and provided with Water Bites. This not only keeps the live food alive longer and saves you money, but also ensures all the vitamins and minerals the tarantula needs are already inside the live food. Feed every two to three days on around 1 to 3 food items.
No lighting is required, and can indeed stress the spider.


Tarantulas will from time to time shed their skins, this comes off in one piece. You may find your spider motionless and upside down. This is a critical time in the skin shedding process and they must not be disturbed or touched at this time. Usually they remain in this position for a few hours or sometimes even days. Remember, if they are to have problems there is very little you can do to help, its best to leave them to their own devices.
Handling should be kept to a minimum. This keeps stress levels down to a minimum, but is also a better option for the keeper as tarantulas can bite. They have two fangs. If you are biten it has been likened to a wasp or bee sting, but perhaps not as prolonged. A small percentage of people are allergic to bee and tarantula stings, so care must be taken. Also be careful of their ability to flick irritating hairs from their abdomen with their legs. The hairs will irritate the skin, but can be dangerous in the eyes.

It is vitally important that you have considered the following points;

1. Some species can be short lived, and others can live for around 20 years – please ask for further details should this worry you.
2. You will need to keep crickets, and they often escape and end up roaming the house!
3. It is unfair not to appreciate other family members fears of spiders – do not purchase if there is a risk of having to return it to us due to someone’s phobia.
4. They are escape artists - there are no easy solutions to finding an escaped spider - don't lose them in the first place!
5. All spiders can bite. This will be at least comparable to a bee or wasp sting, at worst could cause a significant health risk.
6. Although most species remain less than the size of an adult man’s palm, some species grow much larger such as Goliaths, Salmon Pinks, King Baboons. Ask for further advice, or to see an adult (if we have one!) if unsure.

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