The Spider Guide

Welcome to the spider guide. Here I will discuss some of the species you may encounter in the tarantula keeping hobby. Some of the spiders mentioned here are species I already own, others are species I look forward to adding to my collection.

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How to use the spider guide:

Certain popular species have their own pages you can jump to. Simply click the provided links to head to a specific spider page.

For spiders that are detailed on this page, click the highlighted names to see a photo of the spider species in question.

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Arboreal Spiders:

Pink Toe Tarantulas Avicularia species - very popular group of spiders, click the link to go to the avicularia page. 

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Indian Ornamentals - Poecilotheria species - another very popular group of arboreal spiders, click to go to the Pokie page.

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Other Arboreal Tarantulas:

 

Panama Blonde - Latin name: Psalmpopoeus pulcher

This is another stunning arboreal species. It is somewhat stocky for an arboreal spider and is furry and blonde all over except for the abdomen which has a lovely blue grey colouration.

Quite an active spider, it lays a lot of web and is quite often seen out in the open. It is also said to be slightly less aggressive than other members of its family. However it has no urticating hairs, which means if it comes down to it having to defend itself, it wil bite.

Keep as with other arboreal spiders, ensuring high humidity and good ventilation. Like other arboreals they are fast moving and skittish.

Red Rump Tree Spider - Latin name: Thrixopelma ockerti

A rare but beautiful spider that is considered to be semi arboreal. They do however prefer to live in an arboreal set up and will spend a lot of time at the top of their enclosure.

As adults they are black all over except for the abdomen which is bright fire red in colour.

Keeping them happy is not difficult and is much the same as for other arboreal spiders.

Venezuelan Sun Tiger - Latin name: Psalmopoeus irminia

These spiders are very beautiful. they are velvet black with orange-yellow markings on the abdomen and legs. Like all arboreal spiders they are fast growing and will reach adult size in about two years. They are also very fast moving and aggressive, and will bite given less than half a chance to do so. Experience is therefore required.

They like a humidity of between 75-85% and tempertures of 78-82 degrees F. The substrate should be deep and there should be plenty of branches to climb on as well as lots of hiding places. These spiders wil spend much of the day hidden away so do not make excellent display animals. they are however a treat to see when they emerge.

Togo Starburst - Latin name: Heteroscodra maculata

These are very beautiful, and their colouration is made up of a striking mixture of black, white and grey. However as beautiful as they are, they are also the speed masters of the spider world, and are both skittish and extremely fast. The bite is quite potent and I myself have had togo starburst related mishaps therefore both experience and extreme caution is advised when dealing with these spiders.

Firstly make sure your specimen has plenty of hiding places. There is nothing worse than dealing with a startled togo starburst zooming around its enclosure. It will be up the side of the tank, up your arm, and either on your head or racing around the carpet in a matter of seconds. Neither experience is pleasant.

Keeping these spiders happy is quite easy, however. i tend to house mine the same as many other arboreals.

 

Trinidad Chevron - Latin name: Psalmopoeus cambridgei

The Trinidad Chevron is a very popular arboreal species. It is large in size with a fuzzy appearance with chevron markings on its abdomen and orange stripes on its feet.

Trinidad Chevron Tarantulas are found in many collections. It is a good species for intemediate keepers, working their way up from the starter arboreal pink toes to the more experience demanding ornamentals.

Keeping them is similar to the Venezuelan Sun Tiger.

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Terrestrial Spiders (more descriptions to be added soon):

Hiatian Brown (pictured second from top) - Latin name: Phormictopes canceroide

This spider is a big, chunky brown terrestrial species. the most beautiful thing about it are the highlights on the carapace which can appear gold coloured to almost purple. Males are particularly attractive, and have very striking purple highlights. They tend to be more colourful than the females.

This is not a spider for beginners, it is bad tempered and will rear up and attempt to strike when disturbed. I have seen it appear in the ten worst tempered tarantulas list.

On the positive side they are very beautiful, and very hardy tarantulas. I find 75-85% humidity works well, and a water dish must be available. They are considered obligate burrowers so should be provided with a deep layer of slightly moist substrate so they can dig their burrows.

Feeding them is easy as they will eagerly take offered crickets and I find for an adult 1-2 large crickets a week is plenty.

New River Rust Rump (pictured third from top)

This is a very large and stocky desert species that although relatively new to the hobby is hardy and long lived, and has a docile temperament making it suitable for beginners.

They are very attractive to look at being gold or orange with black femurs and a nice light coloured carapace. They can grow to have a leg span of up to 19cm.

Being a desert species they prefer to be kept on the dry side with a humidy of about 50-60%. A water dish should be available at all times. They also like temperatures of about 24-26 degrees C.

I personally would recommend these beauties to anyone who likes big, beautiful spiders that spend lots of time out in the open. I have also noted it is quite an active species as tarantulas go.

Curly Hair

This is a great species to start out with. It is unusal looking with its brown and black hair which is curled up and makes the tarantula look very fluffy and kind of cute. These spiders can reach a pretty good size of about 5-5.5 inches. They are very docile and unlikely to bite, however some will readily flick hair if disturbed (my adult specimen is a flicker).

They also make a great display animal as they are content to spend a lot of time out in the open. Although a hardy tarantula that is easy to keep, it is best to keep them at around 75-80% humidity with a temperature of 21-27 degrees C. A shallow water dish should always be available.

 

Mexican Red Knee

This is a very well known tarantula. It hardly needs an introduction with its amazing colouration it has striking looks and is hardy and easy to keep.

Being a desert species it likes a drier enclosure with a humidity of 55-65%, the temperature should be 24-30 degrees C.

It makes a great display spider and will spend a great deal of time out in the open grooming itself and the like. Another perk of the species it is extremely long lived and may live for 25-30 years, which means you and your pet will be together a good long time. Although it should be noted the males have a much shorter life span.

One thing to note is the spiderlings of this species are very slow growing so if you wish to grow one up from a small s'ling, you will have to be very patient - however it is well worth it when finally your little pink, hairless creature moults and starts to show the first signs of the magnificant spider it will become.

It should also be noted that although generally docile in temperament the Mexican Red Knee can be somewhat skittish and is prone to flicking hair.

Page under construction - changes being made

Mexican Red Rump

A popular Mexican species that is jet black, except for the abdomen which is sprinkled with pretty red hair.

Goliath Bird Eater

Goliath Pink Foot

King Baboon

Chilian Rose

Chile Rose are very popular spiders in the hobby and make excellent starter pets. They are hardy and docile and this particular variety have a beautiful red sheen. They do not tend to flick hair and are unlikely to bite. If you are looking for a spider that can be handled this may be the one for you. However it should be noted all spiders can move fast when frightened and can be unpredictable. Dropping these bulky spiders from any distance can prove fatal as the skin of their abdomens is very delicate and can easily split open. A split spider will quickly bleed to death unless the wound is very minor.

Chaco Golden Knee

Desert Blonde

Rusty Baboon

Horned Baboon

Mustard Baboon

Brazilian Black

Fort Hall Baboon

White Striped Bird Eater

Emerald Skeleton

Skeleton

The Skeleton tarantula is a truly stunning spider, and is highly saught after. Whenever friends come to visit my collection it is always the Skeleton that attracts the most attention.

I have been told my specimen is out of the ordinary as she spends a lot of time out in the open. She has enough substrate in which to burrow, but instead has laid huge amounts of web over every surface in her tank, and uses the whole thing as a den so to speak. Other people I know with this species have described it being a "pet hole" species - where the spider digs down into the substrate and

stays out of view for long periods. This is not true of my specimen.

Also, this spider has a reputation for aggression. Skeletons are reputed to be bad tempered and fiesty. I have not found this with my girl. Whereas she will rear up and show me her fangs if she's having an "off" day , generally she is pretty docile and lets me work around her tank, providing I give her her space. Not that I would trust her, I always treat her with utmost respect.

Her care is relatively simple. I keep her humidity quite high at around 85% and ensure a water bowl is always available. She takes three to four large crickets a week, and is a good reliable feeder.

Green Bottle Blue

Brazilian White Banded

Bloodleg

Mexican Red Leg

This attractive spider is very similar to the classic pet spider the Mexican Red Knee. It is a robust, hardy spider that is very easy to care for. Whereas it is unlikely to bite, it can be a bit more nervous than other docile species and will readily flick hairs given the opportunity.

It is a very long lived spider, and female specimens can live for over 20 years.

Like other Mexican spiders the Mexican red Leg prefers slightly drier conditions and I give my female specimen a humidity of about 60%. I offer her half a flower pot as a retreat though she rarely uses it and ensure a shallow water dish is available at all times.

Colombian Giant

Blue Bloom

Mombasa Golden Starburst Baboon

Asian Black

Barking Bird Eater

Brazil Giant Blonde

Brazilian Grey Smoke

Brazilian Red

Chile Copper Zebra

Chilean Zebra

Salmon Pink

Tiger Rump

Trinidad Olive

Stout Legged Baboon

White Striped Red Rumped Bird eater

I keep my specimen at moderate humidity with plenty of substrate for burrowing and also cork bark arranged so it has plenty of hiding spots.

Though not a particularly aggressive species, it is quite nervous and flighty, and is very fast moving. When cornered it will rear up with its fangs displayed.

Cobalt Blue

This Asian spider is brilliant blue in colour, making it a very beautiful addition to my collection. However, beautiful as it is, seeing it is a very rare treat indeed. My adult specimen did not take long to dig down into the deep substrate and now lives in a very deep burrow. If I look very carefully I can see the tips of its toes as it nestles safe in the den. I have seen it in full veiw maybe three times since I acquired it.

My specimen has however revealed itself to be a mature male. I have spotted it once or twice and it has the leggy look typical of males a small abdomen and spurs on its front legs. 

The Cobalt Blue is very short tempered and is a mean, nasty spider, my specimen for once is no exception. If he does happen to be out the slightest disruption will cause him to go into the threat posture with his legs in the air and his fangs poised to strike. I do not believe he would hesitate to bite given the chance.

The spider needs good ventilation and high humidity. I keep my specimen at a temperature of 25 degrees C with a humidity of 80-90%.