F.A.Q.'s

For the novice

We were all beginners at one time, so we want to impart our immense, expert, professional umm, fairly knowledgeable advice to those just starting out. Should you have any questions or concerns, free to email us HERE. We want you to be successful in the hobby so you can buy more crap from us.

Fluffy is on his back, is he dead?
No, he is not dead. Do not flush him down the toilet, do not give last rights or chant the Mourner’s Kaddish, or think that he’s got his 72 virgins. He is probably in the process of molting. Tarantulas molt on their backs 99% of the time, and generally die in a “death curl” with their legs folded up underneath. When molting and afterwards, tarantulas are extremely delicate and vulnerable. Do not touch or move it, and take out all food.

Little Rosie hasn’t eaten in 2 weeks, what do I do?
Calm down, and take a deep breath. Tarantulas can easily go many months without eating. More often than not, it is in pre-molt, as tarantulas stop eating from a week to a couple months before they molt, depending on it’s size. Also, it is common for G. rosea (Chilean Rose Hairs) especially, to go off their feed for months. So grab a Twinkie or Krispy Kreme donut and chill out. They were here before us humans, and they will be here long after we’re gone.

Aren’t tarantulas dangerous?
Crazy Dave is a fervent believer in population control, and unfortunately we cannot rely on tarantulas to keep the human overpopulation in check. ALL tarantulas are venomous, but generally are as serious as a bee sting. There are certain genera with a more potent venom that may make you wish you were dead if bitten, including Stromatopelma, Poecilotheria and a few others. Keep in mind that there are a number of true spiders that can be extremely dangerous, including Atrox, Latrodectus, Loxosceles, Sicarius, Phoneutria and others. There is a quick reference to medically-significant scorpions HERE. Arachnids are venomous, NOT poisonous, which means you would be poisoned if you ate one. I much prefer a shrimp cocktail or gefilte fish anyways.

I want to breed my tarantula
Captive breeding is the backbone of the hobby. There are a number of species that would have become extinct due to habitat destruction, and possibly only exist in captivity because of breeding efforts in the hobby. Without going into too much detail, you need an adult female that has molted in the last few months, and a mature male not long after his final molt. Crazy Dave breeds his spiders (a male and a female, not Dave) at every opportunity. Be careful what you wish for though, should you have success with Lasiodora parahybana, an eggsac can yield up to 3,000 eggs, and you’ll have slings coming out of your Assyrian artifacts.

What about temperature, humidity & food?
Although I’ve given some recommended temperatures for different species, most seem to do well at normal room temperatures. Remember that even desert-dwellers burrow deep to escape the heat and arid conditions. Temperature will affect growth, the warmer they are kept, the more they eat, and the faster they grow. Of course, faster growth generally equals a shorter life span. Considering that most Brachypelma females reportedly live for 30 years, I’ll be meeting up with El Diablo long before my spiders get to the vivarium in the sky. In my opinion, humidity is just as important. If you kept Hysterocrates gigas like Pterinochilus murinus, you would likely have a very unhappy spider, and eventually a very dead one. Tarantulas generally eat anything they can overpower, somewhat like Rosie O’Donnell, fortunately it’s a more pleasant sight to watch the spider eat. Also, tarantulas are generally loners. You can put two in one enclosure if you want one fat spider. There are some species that are somewhat tolerant of each other, but none that can be considered communal. Some species that have had some success being kept communally are Poecilotheria regalis, Holothele incei, Pterinochilus murinus, Liphistius sp., and scorpion species Pandinus imperator, Mesobuthus martensii, and some others. Do not take this idea of keeping certain arachnids together and then attempt to hold Crazy Dave responsible when your experimental Xenesthis colony goes haywire and you lose your kid’s college fund. This is Crazy Dave’s Inverts, NOT Gullible Dave’s.

Glossary
Some common terms used in the invertebrate hobby.

Arboreal - Tree dwelling. Arboreal tarantulas usually like a tall, narrow enclosure with something to climb on (usually cork bark). Captive Bred - Bred and raised in captivity. Also, captive raised (babies that came from a gravid wild-caught female. Abbreviated as CB and CR.

Chelicerae - The jaw-like structure joined to the front of the cephalothorax that contains the fangs and venom glands.
Common Name - A more “beginner friendly” name for a certain species. The problem is there may be several common names for a particular species, whereas using the scientific name leaves nothing to doubt. See also SCIENTIFIC NAME.
Molt - The process of shedding the old exoskeleton (exuvium) to allow growth. This is a stressful time for a spider and this is also when humidity levels are most critical. The spider stops eating for some time, then will lay on it's back to molt. The molting process may take several hours. Once the old exoskeleton is shed it will take several days for the new one to harden, and the spider should not be fed during this time as it is vulnerable to injury and even death from something as small as a cricket. In addition, the spider should never be handled during the molting and hardening time. It may take up to two weeks for the spider to fully recover after molting.
New World - Tarantulas from the Americas. They tend to be less aggressive, but usually have urticating hairs for defense. See also OLD WORLD.
Obligate Burrower - A terrestrial spider that will dig a deep burrow, and will generally seldom leave it.
Old World - Tarantulas from Asia and Africa. They tend to be more aggressive and apt to bite, but do not have urticating hairs. See also NEW WORLD.
Opportunistic Burrower - A terrestrial spider that will attempt to use an existing burrow or hide. Generally a better display animal, as it will tend to be out in the open more.
Palpal Bulbs - Found at the tip of the pedipalps on a mature male, palpal bulbs are used to hold and transfer the sperm to the female. The palps will look like “boxing gloves” and is a sure-fire way to identify a mature male spider.

Pedipalps - Small appendages found on each side of the chelicerae, they look like short legs, but are actually part of the mouth and are used to move, grasp and manipulate prey, egg-sacs and for mating purposes in the mature male.
Penultimate - Usually referring to a male tarantula that is one molt away from his maturing molt.
Poisonous - See VENOMOUS.
Scientific Name - Also known as the Latin name. Comprised of a Genus and a species. The preferred method of identifying invertebrates. For example, Brazilian Whiteknee Tarantula or Brazilian Black and White Stripe Birdeater can be confusing, but Acanthoscurria geniculata is very clear as to what species is being referred to.
Setae - The technical term for tarantula “hairs”.
Sling - Commonly used term for spiderling or scorpling.
Terrestrial - Land dwelling. terrestrial species require more floor space than height.
Tibial Spurs - Hooks found on the back of the tibia on the first pair of legs on a mature male tarantula. They are used to secure the females fangs during mating. Most, but not all tarantula species get these hooks.
Urticating - The itchy hairs that most New World tarantulas have, which are used as a defense.
Venomous - Most spiders, scorpions and centipedes are venomous, in that they administer the toxic compound by biting or stinging. As opposed to poisonous, which is toxic when ingested. Wild Caught - Animals that were collected from the wild. Given a choice, captive bred animals are preferred over wild-caught. Abbreviated as WC.

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