tarantula care sheet - Petco

shopping listfor needed supplies appropriately sized habitat book about tarantula substratemosswater dishhideaway placeclimbing décorplantsunder tank heatercricket keepercricket foodsourcestarantulaincludes pink toed, red kneeand rose haired tarantulasSpeak to an associate about the Petco library ofbooks on tarantulas.Speak to an associate about our many private branditems available for the care and happiness of yourpet.Because all invertebrates are potential carriers ofinfectious diseases, such as Salmonella, always washyour hands before and after handling your invertebrateand/or habitat contents to help prevent thepotential spread of diseases.Pregnant women, children under the age of 5 andpeople with weakened immune systems shouldcontact their physician before purchasing and/orcaring for an invertebrate and should consider nothaving an invertebrate as a pet. For more informationregarding invertebrates and disease, go to theCenter for Disease Control at cdc.gov/healthypets/and petco.com/caresheet.This care sheet can cover the care needs of otherspecies. See petco.com for more information.tarantula facts:average adult size:average life span:diet:care sheetTarantulas are members of the spider family. Thereare over 800 kinds in many colors. They have eighteyes, and are active at night. Females tend to belarger and live longer than males.2 to 10 inches,depending on speciesup to 5+ yearswith proper care,depending on speciescarnivoreWill reach adult size in 2-9 years, depending on speciesand under ideal conditions; upgrade habitat sizeas your reptile grows.Note: The information on this Care Sheet is not asubstitute for veterinary care. If you need additionalinformation, please refer to the sources on the followingpage or contact your veterinarian as appropriate.© 2012, Petco Animal Supplies, Inc.All rights reserved. (03/2012)Developed with and approvedby a qualified veterinarian.

care sheettarantulaincludes pink toed, red knee androse haired tarantulasDeveloped with and approvedby a qualified veterinarian.dietA well-balanced tarantuladiet consists of:• Appropriate size liveinsects, such as gutloaded(recently fed)crickets, mealworms,superworms, roaches.• Some species may eatfrozen/thawed pinkiemice, thawed/warmedto room temperature.feedingThings to rememberwhen feeding your tarantula:• Fresh, clean, chlorinefreewater should beavailable at all times;may not drink from abowl but will rely onmoisture on plants.• Feed juveniles severaltimes a week; adultsonce a week.• Be sure that foodis smaller than thetarantula; pink-toes eatsmall crickets; removeany uneaten live foodas it may cause injuryto a resting tarantula.housing• Size - appropriate sizeand shape habitat toaccommodate normalbehavior and exercise;at least three timesthe leg-span longand two times theleg-span wide. Heightshould be the lengthof the tarantula forground dwellers, about10 inches for treedwellingtarantulas.• Habitat - provide aplace to hide, such as ahalf log; tree-dwellingtarantulas also needtwigs and branchesto build their webs.Maintain 50-90%humidity by misting asneeded every day.• Substrate - mulchtypesuch as coconutfiber bedding, reptilebark or dampenedsphagnum moss; avoidgravel and artificial turf(too harsh for skin).• Temperature - 70-82°F.• Lighting - keep in adarker part of the roomaway from sunlight;avoid incandescentlights which can dryout a tarantula; usea black or infraredlight to watch yourtarantula after dark.Water - always have ashallow dish of fresh,de-chlorinated water.• House tarantulasseparately and donot house differentinvertebrate speciestogether.normalbehavior• Handling tarantulasis not recommended;if feeling threatened,they may bite or evenrun and fall. Even ashort fall can causeserious, even fatalinjury.• Their bite is equivalentto a bee sting but isstill painful and someindividuals may beespecially sensitive; ifbitten, seek immediatemedical attention.• As part of their naturaldefense, some may“flick” defense hairswhich may also causeallergic reaction orirritation.habitatmaintenance• No special cleaningrequired; spray-mistthe habitat as neededto keep the habitatmoist; tarantulas needthe correct humidity tostay healthy.• Fill water bowl daily.grooming& hygieneWhen tarantulas molt,they lie on their backwith their feet up in theair; juveniles molt aboutfour times a year andadults once a year. Maystop eating up to twoweeks before a molt; donot disturb during thistime. Be sure to removeall live food from enclosureas even a cricketcould harm them duringthis period.signs of ahealthy animal• Eats regularly• Healthy skin or shell(exoskeleton)• Active and alertred flags• dull shell(exoskeleton)• bleeding from injuryto leg or abdomen• very slowmovements• getting stuck in amoltcommon health issuesHealth Issue Symptoms or Causes Suggested Actiondehydrationslow moving, shriveledappearance.consult your exoticanimal veterinarianand spray-mistthe habitat morefrequently.falls, injuries bleeding immediately consultyour exotic animalveterinarian.If you notice any of these signs, please contact yourexotic animal veterinarian.