Standard terrestrial tarantula setup |
Grammostola Pulchripes Care Sheet |
Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula |
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Albert Abarquez
1/8/2010
This is a Care Sheet dedicated to the Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula, a medium-large sized specie from Argentina, Paraguay & Uraguay. This is also a Standard Care Sheet applicable to most Terrestrial Tarantula Species. This Care Sheet is based on books, articles and information that I have gathered and my personal opinion, observations and experiences dealing with this specie. Some information may be incorrect or insufficient. This care sheet is, and will always be a work in progress. If the reader finds any misinformation and have any corrections or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment so I may address your concerns. Grammostola Pulchripes Care Sheet (Chaco Golden Knee) This species is one of the best species suitable for any beginner tarantula owner. The reason for this statement is because G. Pulchripes (formerly G. Aureostriata) has a very pleasing demeanour. They have a docile, calm and hardy nature which are essential characteristics for a starter tarantula. Chaco Golden Knee Tarantulas can easily be identified by the striking golden stripes on each knee. They can grow leg spans up to 8 inches measured diagonally, which makes them more desirable for beginners. They also are the fastest growing of the Grammostola genus and have a lifespan of over 5 years for males and over 15 years for females. And unlike most beginner tarantula species which has very little activity, this specie will keep itself busy. These little critters are mini-bulldozers. Choosing your tarantula:  Keeping of this species is fairly easy. Spiderlings, or often referred to as "Slings" are more suitable for beginners, because slings will almost never bite, the mere size of your hand is enough to intimidate them. By the time your tarantula is juvenile-sized, you will already have an idea of its personality. If you are getting adult specimen then a female is recommended since they live longer and grow larger than the males. Males, after reaching maturity will have the tendencies to turn aggressive and defensive, this is because mature males aim on securing a mate. Males will also have about a year or two left to live after reaching maturity. It is also wise to check the health and temperament of a potential tarantula. Adult tarantulas should have abdomens bigger than its carapace or cephalothorax. How it stands or walks will also give you an idea of the tarantula’s health; healthy tarantulas should stand and walk on the tips of their toes like ballerinas, their abdomens shouldn’t be dragged on the substrate (ground) when they walk. Looking at the back of the abdomen will also tell you about their temperaments. Hair-flickers will have bald spots on their abdomens. This specie rarely flicks. A tarantula’s temperament can be checked by gently touching the back of its abdomen or hind legs with a paintbrush/stick, if it simply walks away, then it can be handled, if it runs away, then it might be a little nervous or skittish so exercise caution if you want to handle this tarantula, if it raises its fangs and its 1st and 2nd pairs of legs, then its aggressive. The latter reaction is known as the threat posture, any tarantula that is sporting this position will readily strike. They shouldn’t be handled. If a tarantula turns towards the point where you made contact, it might be hungry or irritated. Differentiating Sexes: Sexing Tarantulas is a very tricky business. Even experts have a hard time sexing a tarantula. A male tarantula could easily be taken for a female if it gets too big.
Male tarantulas have smaller bodies and the tips of their pedipalps (short leg-like appendages located next to the fangs) will look like boxing gloves. Also males of this specie will develop tibial hooks or spurs on their 1st legs when they reach maturity (tibial hooks are not present in some of the species). These hooks are used mainly to hold the female’s fangs while mating. Housing / Enclosure: This is a terrestrial specie, floor space is more important than height.
To avoid ants, you can coat the legs of the table where you keep your enclosures or the bottom part of the sides of the enclosures with a generous amount of petroleum gel. Just wipe clean and reapply every month or as needed. A swarm of ants can easily kill your tarantula. There are also other methods to avoid ants but from my experience, petroleum gel works best. Notes: 1. Feed your tarantula before rehousing or transferring it to a new enclosure. Tarantulas will not eat for days when transferred to a new enclosure. They need time to acclimate to the new environment. 2. Do not feed your tarantula for a few days to a week after rehousing or transferring it. 3. If your tarantula stops being inactive or starts pacing around the enclosure or keeps on sticking to the sides of the enclosure, it is a sign that the tarantula is uncomfortable with the enclosure. You may need to change the whole enclosure or provide it with dryer substrate. Substrate: Organic potting soil, coconut fibre mulch, peat moss or any combination of 2 or more of these will be ideal. Perlyte or vermiculite can optionally be added to help retain humidity. Substrate Preparation: Moist your substrate with water and squeeze out the water, if the substrate holds the shape after its squeezed then it is perfect. Never use wood shavings as they are highly abrasive and may contain oils that may be toxic to your tarantula, particularly oils from cedar. Substrate should be replaced twice or thrice a year. To treat substrate, simply pour a generous amount of boiling water on it and let it sit for 10 minutes before draining. Another way is to put dampen the substrate and put it in an oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Most pet shops sell blocks of substrate. They are simple to use, affordable, and since they are heat treated to compress, they are sterile. All you need to do is soak the blocks in water and wait a few minutes, then break them off and squeeze the water out. If possible, use fresh substrate rather than recycled "treated" substrate. Note: Be sure that your substrate can retain water and hold humidity, but be sure your enclosure will not be overly damp as tarantulas don’t like wet substrate. Tip: Always have dry substrate handy. If your tarantula is rejecting your substrate, try adding a layer of dry substrate over the damp one. Décor and Accessories: Slings may need a hide depending on the size of the enclosure. Adult and juveniles will need a hide if they are kept in a larger enclosure. A hollowed bark is perfect since it provides both shelter and climbing spots for your tarantula. For this specie, it is recommended to set the hollowed log horizontally. If flora should be added, use fake ones. Real plants will attract mites and other pests. Leave the real plants to the hardcore experts. Also, do not put too much flora since this will only create hiding spots for the prey. Rocks are also optional to add beauty, just be sure that there are no sharp edges. Other accessories may be added as décor. Caution: In setting up your enclosure, be sure that everything will stay into place. Things that might get knocked down or fall or roll out of place could potentially hurt and kill your tarantula. Remember that this specie likes to dig. Accessories should be rooted in place. Feeding, Watering and Maintenance: Slings can be fed a pinhead cricket or baby roach twice (or more often if desired) a week. As your tarantula grows, its prey should also grow with it. A good sized pray would be a prey roughly the same size as the tarantula’s abdomen. Enclosures shouldn’t be permitted to dry out. Your tarantula needs the humidity to keep its lungs clean and to help it breathe. Use a spray bottle and lightly mist one side of the enclosure. Be sure that the other half is dry, and be sure not to hit the tarantula when you are misting as this will only annoy them. Smaller slings will drink from the substrate or from dews forming as the water condenses. Larger slings will need a small and shallow water dish, be sure that the water dish will not be easily flipped over. An obligatory rock or stones should be in the middle of your dish, so in the likelihood that your tarantula falls, it will have something to climb on to to avoid drowning. A water dish should always have clean water. Uneaten prey (for more than 24 hours) should be taken out, as well as insect shells and leftovers (food boluses/balls) to avoid mold and attracting mites. Juvenile and adult tarantulas can be fed bigger prey and any leftovers, shells and uneaten prey should be removed. A water dish should always be filled with clean water. For humidity, you can either spay one side of the enclosure with water or you can pour as small amount of water to one side of the substrate. If you notice mites or mold, it is best to replace your substrate. Prey items may include crickets, meal worms, roaches, maggots and wingless fruit flies. Avoid feeding your tarantula items caught in the wild as they may be infected with disease or toxic substances from insecticides and pesticides. Larger species can be fed an occasional pinky mouse for variety. Do not feed your tarantula mice on a regular basis, the excess calcium will cause some molting problems for your tarantula. The enclosure, water dish, spray bottle and accessories may be washed using water only. A gentle dishwashing liquid mixed with a lot of water may be used but be sure that the item being washed is rinsed thoroughly. Since the Chaco Golden Knee is somewhat of a digger, you may need to level the substrate every once in a while if you desire. Note: If your tarantula refuses to eat a prey, remove any uneaten prey after 24 hours and wait for 3 days up to 1 week before trying to feed it again. Aside from attracting mites and other parasites, the tarantula might be desensitized by the presence of the prey and would stop eating. Tarantulas rely on sudden movements to detect prey, if you leave prey in the enclosure for long periods of time, they might get used to a lot of movement and may entirely ignore the prey. Lighting and heating: Tarantulas are nocturnal creatures, thus they do not need lighting. Direct sunlight or any source of bright light is highly discouraged. A UV bulb can be used for display cases but must not be left on for a long period. Only switch it on when you’re viewing and switch it off when you’re done. In tropical areas, heating is not needed. Room temperature will do quite well. However, in areas where winter season is applicable, a large room heater can be used during winter. Basking lights are highly discouraged because it can dry out the enclosure and the tarantula may not sense the heat and die. Heating pads that stick to the bottom or side of the tank are also discouraged. Tarantulas cannot sense hot spots and may die of dehydration. Generally, whatever temperature you are comfortable with works fine for your tarantula. Tarantulas are more susceptible to heat than cold. Handling: Tarantulas (depending on the specie) can be handled on an occasional basis for them to get used to being handled. Regular handling is strongly discouraged as this can stress out your tarantula. If you must handle your tarantula be gentle. Terrestrial or ground tarantulas should be handled close to the floor to avoid serious injuries in case your tarantula jumps or falls. When you are handling your tarantula, be sure you are handling it where it can’t run or hide in case it escapes. Be sure to always test your tarantula’s temperament before handling it. It is also important not to breath/blow air on your tarantula as this can spook them and cause them to jump/run.  Another way to handle your tarantula is by using a smaller deli cup and placing it on the substrate and let your tarantula walk into the cup by touching your tarantula’s hind legs or abdomen with either by paintbrush (or pen) or your hand. This method can also be used for aggressive species.  There is also another and safer way of doing picking up your tarantula. While using your thumb and middle finger to grip the tarantula between its 2nd and 3rd legs, you can also place your index finger on top of the chelicerae to secure the fangs. . This method should only be used if you are going to treat your tarantulas for injuries/dehydration.
Molting: Tarantulas are arthropods thus they undergo a process called molting. As a tarantula grows they need to rid themselves of their old and tightening exoskeleton in order to grow. As the tarantula grows larger it will shed less often. This is a very critical state since after your tarantula molts it will be defenseless because their exoskeleton and their fangs are soft and needs time to harden. Handling a tarantula in pre-molt and post-molt is also highly discouraged. Wait for a week after your tarantula molts. Pre-molt is recognizable when your tarantula’s color is getting dull and a black patch is visible on the back of its abdomen. During this state, your tarantula is most likely to refuse meals as they are growing new fangs (tarantulas will shed everything, including their fangs). They will refuse to eat for a week up to a few months depending on their size. This is normal. During a pre-molt, your tarantula might be somewhat irritable, it is best to leave it alone. Just be sure that you provide it with plenty of water as this is their only source of sustenance. It is also important not to handle your tarantula while it is in a pre and post molt stage. This is because your tarantula needs all the energy it can to successfully molt and to recover from a molt. Handling your tarantula in a pre or post molt stage will only expend precious energy it needs to molt and recover.
Molts should be taken out immediately to avoid mold. Preventing Illness: Preventing illness is best achieved by giving the tarantula the appropriate habitat and keeping the enclosure free from mold, mites, leftovers, molt and other parasites. Mold can form on their book lungs (which are located on the underside of their abdomens) and cause breathing problems. A sick tarantula should be moved to a Tarantula ICU for a week or until it has fully recovered. If you find that your enclosure has mite infestation, immediately remove your tarantula and inspect it for any mites that are clinging on it. Here is where the pinch-grab method can prove to be useful. Using a damp paper towel or cotton swab, gently wipe away any mites sticking to your tarantula. Pay close attention to areas between the legs, joints, underside, around the mouth and be particularly careful when dealing with the booklungs. Clean out your enclosure and wash everything, throw out the substrate and replace with new substrate. To avoid contaminating other enclosures or tarantulas, always wash your hand after dealing with contaminated enclosures or tarantulas. Treating your Tarantula’s Injuries: If your tarantula falls or gets injured in any manner, you should watch it carefully. Look for a semi-clear milky white-ish substance oozing out of your tarantula. This is blood. Tarantula blood does not clot so wounds should be treated immediately to avoid excessive bleeding. Wounds can easily be treated by using a cue-tip and dabbing either water-based glue or liquid band aid directly into the wound. Be careful to only apply treatment of the wounded area as excessive glue or band aid can cause movement restrictions for your tarantula (especially if you are treating wounds in the leg and joint areas). Also take caution in treating wounds that are in the abdomen, be careful not to glue/band aid the anus, spinnerets, book lungs or the epigastric furrow. Lightly injured tarantulas can be kept in their enclosures while seriously injured tarantulas should spend at least a day to recover in an ICU. Simple Tarantula Anatomy:  Treating Dehydration: A dehydrated tarantula is easily recognizable if its abdomen is slightly wrinkled or deflated. Apply treatment immediately. Using a medicine dropper or small syringe (without the needle), simply but very gently use the pinch-grab method and flip your tarantula over and drop water directly to its fangs (do not drown your tarantula, just a few drops). Then place your tarantula in an ICU until it is regained health. Building a Tarantula ICU: Building a tarantula ICU is fairly easy. All you need is a deli container (with air holes on the top and sides) a little bigger than your tarantula patient, a water dish and plenty paper towels. Just line the bottom and the sides of the enclosure with slightly damp (with water) paper towels, be sure that the sides are cushioned with paper towels before placing your tarantula in it. Place the water bowl with clean water inside and you're done. Treating Bites and Flicked Hairs: Tarantulas will rarely bite. Their common order of defense is to: run away, then flick hairs, then go on a threat posture and will bite as a last resort. Generally, tarantula bites will not send you to the hospital unless you are allergic to their venom. A bite will cause some irritation, numbness and pain for a few hours up to a day or two. Tarantula venom may be insignificant but tarantula bites still hurt due to mechanical damage. Tarantula venom is only lethal in most "old world" tarantulas. Don’t give your tarantula any reason to bite you. Tarantula venoms are mainly neurotoxic enzymes mixed with digestive enzymes. Tarantulas have two different types of bites. Dry and wet. Dry bites are bites that don't carry venom while wet bites are bites spiked with venom. Venom is an expensive biological weapon, it takes lots of energy and time to make and therefore only used in the most dire of circumstances. A threatened tarantula will bite and inject venom while a bite intended for eating will most likely lack venom, unless if the prey is struggling too hard. Flicked urticating hair or bristles can cause minor itching and irritation on your skin. You can use an adhesive tape to remove most of the hair before washing your skin with soap and water. If flicked hair gets into your eyes, nose or mouth, it might get very irritating. Wash the affected area thoroughly with water. Call a doctor if irritation persists. Breeding: (Soon to be Added) |
loved this.
ReplyDeletethank you. i think i may need to make a few corrections. im still learning myself.
DeleteI have an a adult female g.pulchripes and she now at 6 inch rather that all. I have been used this caresheet as basis on how to care on her. Really great job this one helps me a lot :)
DeleteI have an a adult female g.pulchripes and she now at 6 inch rather that all. I have been used this caresheet as basis on how to care on her. Really great job this one helps me a lot :)
DeleteGetting a g. Pulchripes female at repticon for my birthday after doing a years worth of research. This helped me out in finding the right one and I eventually chose to get a juvenile
DeleteI am getting my first tarantula in 5 days I have done so much research but this care sheet is the best to me
DeleteI have golden knee chaco about 4-5 inches and still not eating for about 5-6 months till now,what am i suppose to do? She isnt molting.
DeleteOne of the best caresheets I have seen. Good job. The g. auriostriata I recently bought was named a "Chaco Giant Goldstripe". Is this still the same? Been doing this for a long time and became frustrated with all the different names for the same species...scientific and otherwise.
ReplyDeletethanks. glad you liked it. they dont call it g. auriostriata anymore. now its g. pulchripes. and i believe its the same specie. you see, people who make a business out of selling these pets come up with "marketing" strategies such as making up a completely outrageous names and sell them as a completely "new" or "rare" specie. if youre new to the hobby i suggest learning the binomial names for each specie you encounter. dont be intimidated. make it a hobby to use binomial names. it helps a lot.
ReplyDeleteYour care sheet has been a great help to me and my Golden Knee and I have had a wonderful year together so far.
ReplyDeleteim glad it helped you denny. that was the whole point of the caresheet. my best to you and your sweet 8 legged friend.
ReplyDeleteGlad I stumbled across this caresheet, I'm gettin my gold knee tomorrow I believe its about 6cms, can't wait to meet him/her!
ReplyDeleteit would be a very pleasant experience. i wish you good luck with your new pet. i hope this caresheet has helped.
DeleteI'm getting one today I love your caresheet very informative and I'll be sure to use it knowing this will be my first tarantula thanks for the information!
DeleteHey thanks for the great care sheet. I have a question though. How long can slings go without food. I have many slings of different species but when they fast how long do I leave it before trying food again. It is not actually my Chacos, it is that one of my e murinus molted weeks ago but the other stopped eating and still hasn't molted. I don't want to put food in if he is going to molt but I am worried he isn't eating, or molting. Any advice please. I have 12 various slings but they are all new and tiny and I have only one adult g rosea other than these so sling care is very new to me. Thanks in advance.
ReplyDeleteim still trying to learn from it. i have a hell of a time with mine. lol. my chaco is about 6 inches now. she didnt eat anything for over a year, then recently just started to eat again. i thought she was in premolt. spiders are tricky pets. if your slings arent eating anything, just be sure they have water. try offering food every week or so. some slings can go into premolt for very long periods of time. i've had one that didnt eat anything for over 8 months. one thing you need to know is grammostolas often go on fast. dont know why. its just the way they are. dont worry too much about it. hope this helps.
DeleteI really want a tarantula, but I have a roommate who is not cool with it lol... Hopefully I'll be moving sometime this summer and then I can get one. I want to start with a golden knee or a greenbottle blue, so I figured it's best to go ahead and research until I can actually have one. Great page! I'm sure I'll be referencing it a lot in the future, so thanks in advance!
ReplyDeletei would recommend chaco for a first. green bottle blues are a lot faster and they burrow a lot, you'll hardly ever see them. your on the right track jessica. your room mate is probably lacking in information, and thats perfectly understandable. i suggest you talk to him/her and assure him/her that your tarantula will never get out of the enclosure, and that if it is out, it will be on constant supervision by you. make him/her understand that tarantulas do not seek out people to attack. tell your room mate that spiders are more afraid of humans. your room mate just needs to be educated. if he/she has severe arachnophobia (cant even breath properly at the sight of one), then i suggest for you to wait until you get your own place.
Deletethanks a lot for your support. i wish you luck and success with your tarantula in the future.
p.s.: i named my chaco jessica as well. she's near 7 inches now, just molted last month. sweetest tarantula i ever have.
how do we know if the chaco golden knee is female? give some particular description.
Deletetheres a section dedicated to sexing. read through. look for the spermathecea. thats the surest way to know.
DeleteHow many months to get the size of 5inches of my chaco golden knee?
Delete-Golden G.
How many months to get the size of 5inches of my chaco golden knee?
Delete-Golden G.
How many months to get the size of 5inches of my Chaco Golden Knee?
Delete-Golden G.
i have another question. why my chaco golden knee eats only after 10 days? after i fed her/his 4cm long supwerworm? larger than and bigger than my chaco golden knee because my chaco is only 3cm and he/she try to eat the superworm.
DeleteHey your care sheet is the best so far... I have my Chacko for 3 days now, any suggestion on how long this Chacko will eat again after eating 2 home spiders? Thanks...
ReplyDeletethanks john. im just wondering, where did you get the spiders you fed your chaco with? i would strongly suggest not feeding wild caught food items to your tarantula as it may harbor illnesses or parasites. as for the information you gave me, i have no idea when since you havent disclosed your chaco's size. id say give it something to eat, if it refuses then take the food item out after 24 hours, and try again in 3-5 days. another question is, is your chaco in premolt? chacos sometimes go into a fast, dont know why but they just do. mine didnt eat for over 10 months, then ate greedily for 3-4 meals then stopped eatting and molted. i know, very alarming. good luck.
DeleteHey AL my chacko is in post molt period. It doesnt eat its been 5 days now. Though you said it would take couple of weeks but it just a baby chacko. When i got it its color was brown and now after molting it turns black. Is it matured or still a baby chacko. Its size about 2 to 3 inches probably. What can you help me please.
ReplyDelete2 inches is still considered a sling, 3 inches is considered as a juvenile. it is measured in diagonal leg span. from leg no.1 on one side to leg no.4 on the other side. usually for a chaco of that size they eat 3-5 days after molting. what are you feeding it? whats the size of the prey items? as i have said, chaco and other tarantulas of the grammostola genus sometimes go on fasts which can last from a couple of weeks to over half a year. just keep on offering it food every 3 days. dont disturb it too much. tarantulas who are stressed out will often refuse food. i have noticed that if you handle your tarantula before feeding it, it will refuse the food. it is best not to bother it before feeding it.
ReplyDeleteHi AL, my name is Jessica (as well) and I am about to receive my grammostola and a L.Klugi. I am very excited and will definitely be giving you a shout if I need any advice. But thank you kindly for sharing this awesome care sheet with us! YOur knowledge and research is greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeletethats the whole point of this caresheet. and thank you. this caresheet however needs some updating. been realy busy. i wish you luck with your new pets. watch out for the klugi hairs, they are tooooo itchy lol. the first tarantula i ever saw and handled was a klugi. very sweet considering it is a full grown adult male. very well behaved.
DeleteWhat would you say is the #1 mistake new owners make w/ their very first chaco sling?
ReplyDeleteWhat behaviors can we look forward to observing?
Aside from the premolt, post molt & prefeeding restrictions on handling, what would be the suggested amount of handling time in your opinion?
I have been told that they don't care for "petting". Is this true?
In a multi-pet household, do you have any advice to prevent a "Wild Kingdom" scenario from happening?
(cats, dogs, birds, turtles)
What is the Choco's natural prey in the Wild?
wow kim! excellent questions, i'll try to answer them to the best of my ability.
DeleteWhat would you say is the #1 mistake new owners make w/ their very first chaco sling?
as i have said, chacos are one of the most docile tarantulas there is, any new tarantula owner should fight the impulse to always handle their slings. handling at a certain height is dangerous if your tarantula falls. it could be fatal. over feeding is another mistake, i have hear many new tarantula owners who unknowingly powerfeed their tarantulas. people must understand that 2 feedings a week is more than sufficient. tarantula metabolism doesnt work like that. new owners are also commonly use wrong sized enclosures, either too big or too small.
What behaviors can we look forward to observing?
adult chacos dont do much. they are pet rocks to be honest. very little movement. but the good thing is, it isnt a specie of tarantula who will hide constantly. they prefer to stand on something in plain sight. slings/juveniles like to dig and burrow. they really have very little activities.
Aside from the premolt, post molt & prefeeding restrictions on handling, what would be the suggested amount of handling time in your opinion?
there is still a debate weather or not to handle tarantulas. you can handle them occasionally. but dont be too excessive, remember their metabolism is very slow. all that handling will expend their energy. once every week is fine.
I have been told that they don't care for "petting". Is this true?
it is true, they dont show affection or pleasure from being petted. but i handle mine occasionally just so they can get used to being handled, which is useful if ever i need to treat them for injuries or illnesses
In a multi-pet household, do you have any advice to prevent a "Wild Kingdom" scenario from happening?
keep them away from other pets. cats and dogs most specially. your other pets can easily hurt them.
What is the Choco's natural prey in the Wild?
chacos eat almost any animal who are slightly smaller than they are. most tarantulas prey on other insects.
well, i hope that all my answers are enough for you. im no expert, im just learning myself.
And in the event a new owner decides a tarantula is not the pet for them, for whatever reason, do mainstream rescues usually accept them or is there an arachnid rescue group you recommend?
ReplyDeleteI am assuming it is NEVER advised to simply release them in a backyard.
Also, do they sense when someone is fearful as they are being handled, in your opinion?
I would not say that I am "afraid" of spiders, I find them beautiful in the wild, but I am concerened I may "panic" at some point in the first few months of ownership.
Is there a method of luring an escaped Chaco if it happens to get loose in the home??
I appreciate your help. Its a lot of questions.
tarantulas require very minimal. feed them once a week, be sure they have water, and you can even go on vacation for a week without worrying. very very low maintenance pet. in case you cant handle a tarantula, you should find someone who is keeping them and give the tarantula to them. if not, you can freeze your tarantula. i know its execution and its the most humane way to do it. never release it into the wild. go into reptile/invertebrate forums and to look for someone to take over for you.
Deletei wouldnt say they can sense fear in someone. however fear causes certain body movements that may stress your tarantula. example, if someone is afraid they tend to breathe long deep breaths, tarantulas are programed to flee when they feel abrupt gusts in the air. this may cause your tarantula to jump or run. shaking is also stressful for the tarantula. fast movements is another one. handle a tarantula when you are calm and slow is the best way.
if you have an escaped tarantula, its usually very hard to get them back. you got to search low and dark places to find them. think dark burrows. better be sure that your enclosures are escape proof.
i take it that you're new to tarantulas. if so, then i welcome you to the fold. once you get a tarantula, its like an addiction. you will want more and more. fight that impulse please. research the specie you want. and ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
good luck.
this is the most helpful, detailed tips to handle a T. GREAT JOB i got my golden knee about a week ago... i am new to this, this page is very helpful, i just wanted to learn more about the molting. does the amount of food they take affect the time for them to actually molt? or do they have a timeline that we should expect for them to actually molt
ReplyDeleteanyway thanks for this page :)
molting patterns vary depending on age of your tarantula, the frequency of the feedings and even the temperature. the older your tarantula, the longer its molting cycle is, the more you feed, the faster your tarantulas molt. heat/humidity will also make your tarantula be more active thus, making it eat more often. i however, discourage powerfeeding. and intentionally putting your tarantulas in extreme heat.
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot from this. Thank you so much author. I'm recommending this to my friends as we all are newbies in this hobby. =)
ReplyDeleteyou're welcome. im glad i helped. best of luck to you.
DeleteHey Al, I just got myself a golden knee, I believe it is a female, she is about 6cm now. Is it adviseble to feed her a pinky now or should I wait untill she is fully grown. Thanks also for the awesome care sheet. Manie, South Africa.
ReplyDeletei strongly suggest on giving tarantulas pinky mice. you can ofcourse give her one. but dont feed her mice regularly. be sure that the pinky cant bite her back. make it a rare treat.
Deletethis is very helpful. kinda like i've learned so much just by reading this. just wanna ask some questions tho. i bought my chaco from a local dealer and he says that it is in pre-molt. the sling's abdomen is black with a "blacker" spot on it, and the upper part of his body is light yellow. is it really in pre-molt? is it okay to touch it during this stage? how long will it be like that? and yea, the spidey's about less than half an inch. :)
ReplyDeletethere should be a dark spot on the upper part of the abdomen (close to the cephalothorax). and in some very small slings, the tips of the legs will also be black, i highly advice not to handle them as they need to conserve energy for the next molt, you will notice a lot of webbing on the substrate if its close to molting. if its not eating already, i suggest you remove all prey items out and make sure you supply your tarantula with lots of water. if you are planning on transferring your sling to a different enclosure, i suggest you do it before the molt.
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ReplyDeleteit molted btw.. i fed it with a prekilled superworm a week after he molted. i tried offering a live one but my T ran away from it so i crushed the worm's head first. is it normal for it to run away from food? might it be intimidated?
ReplyDeletedepends on the size of the prey item. yes, sometimes the size of the prey will spook them, specially if the prey item moves a lot. i also notice that if you bother/move your tarantula too much before giving it food, it will refuse to eat it, you can just leave the food item there for a few hours and see if they will eat it. if it is uneaten for more than 24 hours, you need to remove it, specially if it has died.
ReplyDeletewill do. thanks a lot bro. Chaco seems happy now in the new house. i'll keep your advises always in mind. :)
ReplyDeleteHi there, thanks for the very informative fact sheet!! my 9 year old son received a Chaco golden knee tarantula for his birthday, we are pretty pet orientated (3 gecko, 2 hamster, 3 birds, a cat and a dog) but a tarantula is a first for me. He has had it for almost two weeks now and its not eating, thus my big wide web search...from what I'm reading I shouldn't worry and should continue to offer food every few days and remove if not eaten. We offering pin heads (sling is around 2.5cm) and I'm assuming its the new environment that has put him off eating, but if he has water - his ok? its not going to die on me right? its not extremely active, it has burrowed a couple of holes that it goes to in the day and I've seen it a couple of times in the early morning (5am) taking a walk around its small tank...so we ok? my other question is the breeder we bought it from said that because Johannesburg is going through a cold patch at the moment that we should put a heater pad a few cm away from the side of the tank to give warmth, but your care sheet, says NO! help?? his little burrows are where the heater pad is so I assumed he was looking for the heat but now I'm not so sure and don't want to cause the little critter any harm - as I said we tried to do our homework and spoke to the breeder in length before getting the sling so I'm going on information I've received but you seem to say otherwise and I really need all the help we can get.
ReplyDeletei strongly advice against heatpads that stick to the tank, its because is dries out the enclosure, tarantulas need humidity to help them breathe. if its really that cold then you can place a heatpad, just carefully monitor the temperature. distancing it away from the side is also a good idea.
ReplyDeleteas for your tarantula's eating habit, you need not worry. tarantulas do this all the time, mine wouldnt eat for months on some occasion. it is possible that it might be close to a molt, i also mentioned that tarantulas in new environment also might stop eating until its used to the new enclosure. just keep a water bowl and it should be fine. tarantulas have very slow metabolism, so they dont need to eat as often as we do. they also dont move a lot. temperature and humidity also affects their metabolism, colder means slower and warm means faster.
i certainly hope this has been helpful. i wish you and your family luck with your new pet. just dont expect it to grow too fast. chacos are really slow growers. just enjoy watching it grow.
should i be concerned that my baby tarantula can not climb the sides of its enclosure??
ReplyDeletenot at all, in fact, i would consider it as a good sign. this means your tarantula is just too comfortable. just to be on the safe side, check if your tarantula drags its abdmen when it walks, or if it walks on the tips of its feet.
Deletehi! i am about to get my tarantulas this weekend. im expecting a rosea, a chako and a L. Parahybana. all of them are slings tho, but im kinda excited when they are gonna turn to full sized adults. so to my question, is airholes really required in the tank? or they can still live without them, i have a lot of empty fishtanks from my brother so could i use them? or do i need to go to a glassware to put airholes in them?
ReplyDeleteif they are slings, start with deli containers. tarantulas get insecure when they have too much space. their enclosures should grow along with them. i take it that you're new to the hobby and would advice you to do a lot of research. be sure your covers are secure, yes airholes are very important for ventilation. if you dont have enough air holes, stale air and moisture could not escape and therefore encourage fungi and bacteria to grow. these fungi and bacteria could grow in your tarantula's mouth or booklungs and thus kill it. learn as much as you can. a warning though, lasiodora parahybana urticating hairs stick and are very very very itchy.
ReplyDeleteMy g.pulchripes 4.5-5inches hasn't been eating for 2 weeks now, I'm really worried. I haven't experience this with my other T's. I even think she shrunk :( she's not in pre-molt, her abdomen is not even big yet. reply please, I don't know what to do.
ReplyDeleteits normal. they sometimes do that. im not sure about the mechanics that triggers this fast. there are lots of factors, it could be stress or a new environment. have you recently moved it to a new enclosure? is your substrate dry/wet enough? is your enclosure the right size? what i am sure of is that the warmer the temperature, the faster your tarantula will eat. dont stress about it too much, just keep a water dish inside its enclosure. try removing all food items, then offer food every 3-5 days, removing them if the food isnt consumed after 12 hours. eventually it will eat again.
ReplyDeleteWe just got our first golden knee yesterday. She was clinging to the side of the tank w her upper body and didn't move all night. I took her out of my sons room which is kinda cool and put her in the living room so I could watch her better. We have a wood stove in the living room so it's kind of dry, however I lightly sprayed her cage. She was in a 5 gallon tank and he gave me a 10 gallon tank that we took her home in. Now that She's In the living room she has climbed to the top of her house and is just clinging to the side. Does she need more time to get acclimated? Should I keep her in the living room? I just want her to.be comfortable. What would you suggest? She's about 3 and She's big.
ReplyDelete3 inches? i think a 5 gallon tank might be even too big for her. if you want her to be comfortable, keep her in a small enclosure. mine is almost 7 inches and i still keep her in a shoebox sized enclosure, she seems to have no problems with it. if you want her to acclimate faster, dont bother her for a few days. just keep a water bowl in there, dont even feed her. if she has a hide, then i suppose a bigger enclosure should work. they dont do much really, they just stay there, you should be more worried if she's pacing and seems to be restless. i honestly have no experience with dealing with tarantulas during winter (me living in a tropical country and all), but i think its normal for them to go super slow when it gets cool. you should keep her in a room where the temperature is always constant. or get those tank heat pads, as long as you monitor the temperature inside the tank. just dont stick it directly under or on the side of the tank. have some space. too much heat can also kill them. i hope this helps. generally a temperature you are comfortable with (while wearing summer clothes) should be fine.
ReplyDeleteNo She's about 8 inches She's 3 yrs old. OK Thanks. I think I just worry too much. Thanks again! We're getting her a hide tomorrow and she has plenty of water. This page is great helped me a lot. ツ
Deletewow 3 years and already 8 inches. she's huge. mine is over 4 years and she's still barely 7. yeah dont worry too much about her. and im happy my caresheet was useful to you. thats the point in making it to begin with. good luck.
DeleteHey Al, I just got a 2in Chaco for my 8yr old daughter who loves T's(I have 3.5in Mexican Red Knee who is super docile).
ReplyDeleteIt's been two weeks and the Chaco never ate anything. Past 10 days it went inside hollow tree bark, covered both ends with soil completely. We left it alone. I am guessing premolt? I wonder how much longer he/she will stay in that bark.
yeah, its going to molt soon. how soon, i cant tell. usually they web heavily when they are about to molt. i've also never had a tarantula who hides before molting so im not sure. give it a week or two. maybe a few days. it will be fine. dont worry about feeding.
DeleteThanks for the reply. The Chaco molted last night! I thought about taking the molt out to sex it, but I decided to wait 1 week or it comes out by itself.
ReplyDeletetake the molt out before it destroys it. look for the tongue-like flap as shown in the picture above.
DeleteThis hobby is getting addictive and my wife is not happy :) I also have 3in Mexican Red Knee-Most docile tarantula ever! I can gently pick her up at any time and hold her upside down forever. It just lies on my hand upside down, looks like sleeping.
ReplyDeleteLast week picked up Brazilian Pink Salmon (L. Parahybana). 3in female. Now this one is VERY skittish! Took a lot of courage to take it out after settled in new tank for 3 days. It shakes all over my hand and ready to dart anywhere! And that hair, I developed rash all over my arm and hands, itchy for 4-5days. It ate 4 crickets last 5 days. Wow, what a trash compactor! :)
my advice to you is, dont get too many species. i know its like pokemon "gotta catch em all" but no. its a lot of responsibility. only have spiders you can care for. theres no shame in having only one. id rather have a nicely raised spider than many spiders in bad shape.
Deleteboth urticating bristles from brachy and lasiodora species are highly itchy to humans. they have bristles specialized to work against mammals. humans included. my chaco can also do the up-side-down thingy and just stay there. its fun to see people's reaction when you have a huge spider laying on its back on your hand.
ReplyDeleteHi there! i will be having my first chaco tom. and im super excited.! ^_^ i'll be applying all your tips here.. ^_^
ReplyDeletegood luck!
DeleteHey AL! =)) Thank you for this caresheet, really helped me alot. It's my first time having a pet tarantula and I chose Chaco as my beginner pokemon. Thank you once again, and I guess I'll be referring to this page for my future questions. :)
ReplyDeletebeginner pokemon huh lol you should have went with charmander. they got mega-charizard x and mega-charizard y nowadays lol
DeleteOnce again thanks for this dude. the baby spider has just molted yesterday and is now 2.5-3 inches :))
DeleteLooking to get a chaco golden knee or an LP as they say LPs are better eaters.
ReplyDeleteIs there any other words of advise for a newby at keeping Ts.
Thanx in advance
if you have not much experience with tarantulas, i suggest go with the chaco first. lasiodora species have specialized urticating bristles specialized against mammals, so you wouldnt be able to hold them as much as a chaco without getting a really terrible itch on your skin. yes lps are bigger but some can be very tempermental.
DeleteYes I own both. Chacos can get up to 7in leg span, gets pretty big. Chacos I think among THE best T's on the market for beginners. They are super docile and easy to handle. My little 3in guy in critter keeper tank. I finally changed the organic soil mix to coconut coir. I love this substrate. Very soft, easy for T's to walk on since it has no wood pieces, and holds moisture very well to increase humidity.
ReplyDeleteRight now I own: Chaco Golden Knee, Mexican Red Knee, LP(Brazilian Salmon Pink) and Chilean Rose.
Chaco & Red Knee are tied for most docile behaviors. Chaco is the best hunter out of these 4. LP's hair I had a problem when I first got it. The urticating hairs made me itch for days. My LP is very skittish, runs pretty quick when you try to pick it up. It never showed defensive pose or bite. Since LPs get upto 10in, it's one of the largest T's in the world.
An easy book that I recommend to all: Animal Planet Tarantulas. For $10 it has wealth of info and easy to read!
By far, the most in depth care sheet I've seen. Excellent, thank you!
ReplyDeletethank you. i've been meaning to add and change some info for quite some time now. but i've been too busy. still need more info on breeding.
DeleteMy Chaco is very agro.. Used to handle her everyday and since she molted (2 months ago) she has been agro , please need help , miss handeling her.
ReplyDeletegrammostola species can be predictable sometimes. one day they can be all sweet and cuddly, and downright evil the next. i think being in post molt is also a factor. give it a few weeks. feed it some more. if her attitude doesnt change, than theres nothing we can do about it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for making this care sheet. This could help how to care my chaco. I really have no idea what gender my chaco is, he's about 3-4 inches now and he is in pre molt stage by now.
ReplyDeleteyou're welcome. the very reason why i wrote this is to help other people. it doesnt matter what gender your t will be. females are preferable ofcourse because of their longevity. you'll just have to face the fact that your tarantula will have a shorter lifespan if it turns out male.
DeleteThanks for the advice AL. God Bless :)
DeleteHey. I just got a chaco and red rump. Theit still slings. But I am little afraid of the red rump..I haven't handled either of them yet. I lovr spiders but also scared.
ReplyDeletered rumps (brachypelma vagans) have a nasty temperment. i dont handle brachy species much just because their urticating bristles are far too itchy.
DeleteJust got a baby chaco en red rump.. I heard that the red rump is very aggressive. . I haven't handled either of them. Im so scared even do I love them
ReplyDeletechaco is very docile. easily one of the most handle-able species out there. red rumps (b. vagans) are a tad more defensive and being a member of the brachy genus, they are well known to be hair flickers. you should atleast try and handle them, handling can be very useful in case you need to move or treat your tarantula that is injured or sick.
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ReplyDeleteBest Caresheet I've seen so far, about 7 months ago, I acquired two Chaco slings and so far they are probably my favorites out of my collection of Brazilian White knee and my juvenile King Baboon along with my Stripe knee and Rosehair.....keep up the good work.
ReplyDeletethank you. this needs some updating to be honest but i havent gotten to it since i have been busy with other things. still a lot to learn myself to be honest.
DeleteThanks for posting this. We got a GBB and just transferred it to a bigger enclosure and our tarantula has been on the wall and ceiling since (just from yesterday). I was really worried about it! We'll try to get more moisture out of the bottom
ReplyDeleteim not sure bout how GBBs behave, i have no experience in them, and no idea what their environmental preferences are. but generally, if they stick to the glass, then they dont like the substrate. hope it works out for you. best of luck.
Deletehow do I put water to be drink by my 1" sling chaco?this is my very first time to have a tarrantula pet, also what type of bed soil do I put on my enclosure?thanks
ReplyDeleteneed really an assistrance.
to avoid it from drawning...
ReplyDeletealso I feed it 3 small house spiders, 2 small honey bees in just 1week..
ReplyDeleteseriously jan halipa, you are making one mistake after another. had you read the whole caresheet, you would have found all the answers to your questions there. owning a tarantula is not easy if you are not ready to learn and research. if researching and studying is not your cup of tea then regretfully, a tarantula is not the right pet for you.
Delete1. use a small bottle cap as a water dish, just dont forget the rock in the middle
2. never use soil as substrate, use cocopeat
3. never feed your tarantula wild caught food items unless you want them to die. items you catch may contain parasites or toxins that may kill your tarantula. never feed your tarantula a bee, a bee's venom is far more potent than the average tarantula.
LMFAO WOW!! Why don't you actually read the information this man wrote down before asking questions that he answered. May I ask? We're you possibly dropped on your head as a child? Are you a child? It seems to me that you have absolutely no business owning a tarantula at all
Deletethank you so much for the information sir, I dont my chaco to die, I am now buying cultured crickets. Actually I dont know if i feed it daily is it also wrong? cause Im thinking It will grow faster when I feed it everyday, 1 cricket with a size of a finger nail. will it be ok if I just put a wet cotton for her/him to drink?
ReplyDeletepowerfeeding is wrong. yes it may get your tarantula to grow faster but it also can cause problems when it comes to molting. once a week is more than enough for a prey item thats the same size as your tarantula's abdomen. dont for it to drink, if it wants to drink, it will drink. no need for the silly cotton thing unless your tarantula is dehydrated which is discussed in the blog if you only would read it in its entirety.
DeleteHave you known one to close itself up in a burrow for months. We have not seen her for about 3 months now. Is this normal for an adult?
ReplyDeleteis he/she approaching a molt? although uncommon, it isnt unheard of. this is after all a terrestrial specie.
DeleteHey I notice in my research a lot of people agree with your stance that you should handle your Choco as little as possible yet I don't want to be a stranger to him should I need to clean the tank etc how do you get acquainted with your pet if you don't handle it at all?
ReplyDeleteits finding the right balance of handling and leaving it alone. i do handle my chaco occasionally. its also picking the right time to handle that matters. i handle when i see that my chaco is somewhat active. never in a premolt or postmolt stage though. once every 2 weeks is fine. i also dont handle for long periods of time. usually i handle when im about to do clean up or enclosure maintenance.
DeleteDo you feel like those who never touch their spiders are more likely to get bit?? I know the warning signs I've picked up tarantulas in the mountains out here and never been bitten yet nor by my Chaco yet a shop owner says his Rosie severely bit him more then once I'm not sure what occurred but I'd imagine the spider could have been stressed or unfamiliar just curious if you feel that might be taken into account
Deletenew world species rarely bite. venom is a precious energy and time consuming resource. they will only bite when they have no other choice.
Deletehey Al..... I've read your caresheet which is very informative... though u still need to add about superworms and roaches and how to care for them... anyway... for 1 week ive been researching daily on tarantulas and finally got one yesterday. It was a B. Albo about 3-4 inches legspan so i bought it a enclosure around the length of 8 inches and 5 inches wide the height is just around 3 times the tarantulas height and he can reach the top of the enclosure with one of his legs still down in the ground... at first since i bought the substrate that the seller recommended me I found it to be just a teeny weeny wet but i put it in anyway and when i transferred the tarantula (its very calm and docile.. no defensive or aggressive postures.. but i'm gonna observe it for a few weeks before i try to pinch grab it.) at first it stuck to the wall and wont go down (i believe it didn't like the substrate) so i added some accessories, like 1/4 coconut husk for a den and 2 pieces of bark a a smooth small stone... as for the water dish a filled a bottle cap with fresh water and placed it inside a bigger bottle cap that i placed inside the enclosure... i tried to feed a it a roach which it ignored so i removed and then i left it for a whole night just watching it occasionally roam around the enclosure every 30 mins so now i've decided to leave it for a few days occasionally trying to feed it and im gonna buy a new T today too a B.emilia and a GBB after around 6 months... so yeah i wanted to know.. Am I going the right path?? is my enclosure good enough?? i dont heat it up and do the humidity cause i live in a tropical country is it alright?
ReplyDeletesounds just about right. if you see your tarantula being active and walking around or climbing on the walls of your enclosure, its not happy. a happy tarantula barely moves. you were right to assume the substrate being a bit wet. dry it out some and it will work out. the reason why i didnt include any care for feeder items is because i do not keep them myself. i just buy very small amounts of mealworms or roaches from a supplier and just feed them until they are all consumed.
Deleteyeah i dried it a while ago.. im so dumb XD i didn't realize that the substrate he sold was wet so i squeezed the water out(and there was a LOT of water) and soaked it and squeezed it out again and dried it in the sun for as much as i can... i washed the enclosure and placed the substrate back after ab hour (it wasnt wet just a bit moist) and then i returned the accessories and my albo. afterwards i went to my other T (mexican fire-leg) and tried to feed it an ant.. (its so small around 1/6 of an inch) and checked on another i recently bought (a red rump 1/2 of an inch in post-molt) to see if his skin looks hardened enough since i dont konw when he molted.. now my problem is what do i feed the emilia? its scared of the ant cause the ant was almost the same size XD and my baby roaches are the same size as it :o
DeleteOMG, dont feed it ants. an ant can easily kill your tarantula. look for roach or cricket nymphs. if you cant find any, just get the smallest mealworms you can find and cut them (yes youre going to kill them, and it will not be pleasant, but you'll get used to it) to the right size. no feeding ants or any other wild caught food items.
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ReplyDeletei do have baby roaches but theyre too big :o my emilia's size is like this = ---- see? its so small XD is fruitflies ok?
ReplyDeletefruitflies are ok as long as they are not wild caught. spiderlings under 2nd instar do not require food.
Deletesir Im worried at my chacos molting period,first month it molts after 30days of molting, then next molt It takes 35 days then now its already 40days and wasnt molted yet, last night i fed a cricket and he/she ate just a half of it, my friend told me as the spider grows old, the longer it takes to molt, is it true?
ReplyDeleteas your spiderling grows it takes longer for them to molt. duration from molt to the next also depends on their eating, which also depends on the heat and humidity.
DeleteBTW sir my chaco is only 3months old, with a leg span of 2",
ReplyDeleteif you are right, then you are seriously power feeding which is something i dont recommend.
Deletehi sir AL i'll be having my chaco next week and i'm very exited about it, but there's one thing that worries me.what if the chaco bite? will it be life threatening? or is the venom strong enough to kill a human?
ReplyDeleteand BTW thank you for all your efforts,making care sheet,and replying on every ones question thanks..
obviously there will be some mechanical damage due to the puncture wound, depending on the size of your tarantula. fortunately, the venom from this specie isnt that potent. i have had a bite from a grammostola rosea (chillean rose tarantula) which is closely related to the chaco golden knee. it got swollen, a bit itchy and numb, and it went away within the day. best be careful, theres a very slim chance that you might be allergic to the venom. very rare cases.
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ReplyDeleteyour blog Provides things are helps me to find my detail. your blog is very good for me please keep it up.I like it
ReplyDeleteVisit :- Hand-Tied Terrestrials
thank you for finding it instructional. which was the whole point of the blog.
Deletethis means your tarantula is male. its longevity depends on how often it feeds. and feeding also depends on the heat and humidity. males, upon reaching maturity will focus itself to mating/reproducing. it will start making sperm webs and you will find it a lot less lethargic. all this activities will also affect your tarantulas longevity. from my experience i have hardly kept a male tarantula for a year after it has had its ultimate molt. i suggest you look for a female to breed him with. i hope this was helpful.
ReplyDeleteHi sir Al. What if one of its limbs would be accidentally cut off, will it grow again?
ReplyDeleteyes, legs can regenerate but not in 1 molt cycle. it takes more than 2 moltings to regrow a severed limb.
DeleteHi AL I had a question for you about Tarantulas. My first question is what types of Tarantulas would you suggest to someone who's new to this hobby? 2nd question how often am I supposed to feed a Tarantula? 3rd question do Tarantulas need any special heat sources? 4th question should I start with a Arboreal Tarantula or a Terrestrial Tarantula? 5th question where should I buy the Tarantulas food from? Because the only place in my town that sells pets and supplies is Earl&May.
ReplyDelete1. Any new world (north/south american) species would do just fine, but if you have sensitive skin and would like to handle your tarantulas, i highly discourage owning tarantulas of the brachypelma genus.
Delete2. I have discussed about feeding above. Once a week would be more than enough. Do not overfeed your spiders.
3. Also discussed above. If you are going to use heating, go for room heater that heats the whole room. Stay away from heat pads and heat lamps.
4. Most beginners start with terrestrial new world species, however there are new world arboreals of the avicularia genus that are as docile as most beginner terrestrials. These species however require more experienced keepers. Get their enclosures wrong and you risk loosing your arboreal.
5. Any pet store has feeder crickets, worms, roaches available. Avoid feeding them feeder mice and never feed wild caught insects.
Youre very welcome. Learn as much as you can, dont hesirate to ask questions.
ReplyDeleteWhat instar dose the golden knee have to be when it starts to get its gold Color
ReplyDeleteUsually they start showing their color when they get around 2 inches
DeleteHey, just wanted to say thank you for this information :3 I recently got my first sling, a tiny baby, only a couple centimeters long. I'm very exited for this.
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
DeleteAwesome care sheet! Thanks for the info. It was really helpful. I bought a Chilean rose hair from one of my employees who couldn't keep her any more about 3 months ago and I got to handle her for the first time yesterday! I was so excited and nervous but we both survived fantastically. I really enjoy taking care of her so I bought 2 slings last week, a Honduran curly hair and a Chaco golden knee. The curly hair is a busy little beaver digging all kinds of tunnel thru it's enclosure. The Chaco has dug out a shallow area under some of the peat and the tiny fake plant leaf in it's enclosure. My question is about feeding them. I plan on feeding them on Wednesdays and weekends with some pinhead lateralis roaches. Since they're both so good at hiding I can't really observe if they've eaten their food. I don't want to mess up the Chaco's enclosure looking for a baby roach and the curly hair has so many burrows I don't know if the roach is wanderig around in them somewhere. Should I continue feeding them twice a week if I don't see any roaches or should I err on the side of caution and hold off on feeding hoping that I might be able to catch them out or close to the enclosure sides where I can observe if they eat or not?
ReplyDeleteGenerally, when feeding you would drop the prey item in front of your tarantula if they want it they will take it right away. If they dont, they will ignore it. If that does happen, just leave it. If it doesnt get eaten on the next day, you need to take it out. And try again a few days later. Oh, twice a week is more than enough. Ideal would he once a week for slings and once every two weeks for adults.
DeleteI just had my first 2 Chacos 2 weeks ago and I found this article very informative. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteNice care sheet. So comprehensive and in-depth. The only thing I've done differently with my G pulchripes is that I gave mine a water dish right from the start. Have you written ones for any other species?
ReplyDeleteWell written and informative. I will be using this as a care reference for my new addition. This will be my first Taranta. I have a few arachnids as pets but none of this variety. I have been testing different enclosure setups for about 2 weeks now and I think I now have the ideal setup. 2-1/2 gal. 3/4" organic potting soil,1" vermiculite and a thin layer of Spanish moss (shredded finely) have one small artificial plant which I hot glued to the bottom of the enclosure before filling with substrate, 2" diam. hollowed out log 4" long cut horizontal, another hollowed out piece about 2" set and glued vertically which I have a bottle cap set in for future water wish, finally I decided to put a piece of climbing material for him/her (unsure as of yet) It is a piece of organic pressed material used for hermit crab enclosures. I placed it on the side of the enclosure behind the hollow log. I plan on using this piece to spray to increase humidity when needed. I just want to say thank you for your time you put into creating this helpful article. I like the fact that you not only put reasearch into this but also last and present experiences. I think that sharing your own observations is very neat and helpful. Thanks again, any tips and/ or suggestion concerning the above enclosure will be greatly appreciated as I am new to this species. I think the gold knee will be a great addition to my current collection. I am currently raising a couple of Trapdoor spiders and a variety of the jumping spider species.
ReplyDeleteBefore getting my golden knee, I considered the jumping spider, and I've always had an interest in trap door spiders. How do they differ in habits, habitat, and personality? (I'm more interested in the trap door, so you don't have to explain jumping spiders)
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ReplyDeleteHello, my G. Pulchipres has finally flipped over on its back for the molting stage. (I'm so excited!) I believe it's a juvenile, as I purchased it about a month ago. I had a question regarding it molting under its hide. The hide is a little bigger than the T. But I'm worried that it'll be hard for it to push the exoskeleton off of itself since the hide is slightly bigger than the T. I know that you should never disturb it while in this stage, but should I remove the hide so it'll be easier to push off it's molt? (Sorry I'm referring to the T. As "it" but I won't know the sex until the molt is off.) P.S.I've read your article and it is extremely helpful, thank you!
ReplyDeleteBest not disturb it. You can remove the hide and molt after. They know what to do.
DeleteThanks Al! The day went by after I notice that and I looked under his hide and saw that what was upside down was his molt so I was getting scared for nothing. I wanted to ask if it harmful to put a natural moon light light by its cage that doesn't give off harmful UV rays for the night as they are nocturnal creatures or would they not care at all
DeleteI am not entirely sure if they even sleep. So i cant say if it would affect their daily routine and health. For viewing for short periods of time, i guess its ok. I personally wouldnt leave the light on for more than an hour.
DeleteThank you for the information I have found it very useful
ReplyDeleteIm glad it did. Have fun with your tarantula/s.
DeleteIm glad you did. Have fun with your tarantula/s.
ReplyDeleteCan tarantula slings eat bean beetles? I tried to research on that topic but not much info. The most I got out of it was that some beetles have a toxin in them but not sure if beam beetles have them. .don't worry I haven't fed any to my slings, I'm just wondering
ReplyDeleteIm not sure. Do they have hard shells?
ReplyDeleteYes they do, I threw away the bean beetles because I don't wanna take the risk since I heard some beetles have toxins. Instead I'm using very small crickets and crushing their heads so the slings can catch them easier.
DeleteHi this is a great information. I am about to own a tarantula the next two days. Its a 6 inch golden knee tarantula which only cost around 20$
ReplyDeleteHello I have a golden for almost 2months I bought him and he was handlet at the petshop I handled him a few time then I got a chilean rose from a friend they stood cage to cage and the day after I got the chilean when I wanted to take out my golden knee he wanted to bite me and also threw everyone over in his cage whats going on
ReplyDeleteEverything in his cage sorry
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ReplyDeleteHi, I have an emergency question about a T. Other than the G. Pulchripes. I put in a superworm in my A. Seemanni cage and she had a nice little burrow going on. I didn't crush the superworms head before I put it in the cage which now was an afterthought. I believe she is in premolt and didn't bother to eat it and then the superworm just rolled down the burrow. I need help as far as if I should dig up her cage to get the superworm out before it becomes a beetle and a bigger problem. Help please!!!
ReplyDeleteNevermind I was able to retrieve the superworm!
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ReplyDeletehey mine tarantula have been hiding and closing the ends of it's bark, so I can't see inside of it and haven't seen it out for a month or more (checked it is alive) but any idea to why it keeps hiding an not eating ?
ReplyDeleteThis is a year late, but it was going through pre-molt
DeleteHi, thanks for the excelllent sheet. I have one question, I'm from Paraguay, basically the homeland of the chaco, they're everywhere here, all around us. Last time, I was sleeping and one just crawled under my pants at night, not a pleasant way to wake up. I just caught a huge one a few days ago in my garden, so the question is, why not use soil as substrate and feed them wild caught insects? that's actually what they eat everyday here and they burrow in our garden soil, man I can assure you they're very healthy.
ReplyDeleteits ok for you because the wildlife and the soil is in their natural habitat. but if you lived in other countries, then i strongly suggest against it. insecticides and other chemicals that might be in the soil (specially if you just took soil from anywhere).
DeleteThanks for this, I have a question. My chaco golden knee is going 1 year this month. How long or inches is a 1 year chaco?
ReplyDeletethanks bro.very informative.it helps me a lot.keep it up.
ReplyDeleteHey there. I recently got a chaco gold knee (5 weeks ago). Its around 10 months approx, and its really aggressive. Ive left it alone in order to settle down. Ive got cobalt blue and a chillean rose, and not had issues with them.
ReplyDeleteIm no expert and was wondering what i should do, as he dont look happen, and feel sorry for the poor guy. Its got a burrow and everything on a caresheet.
A good indication that your tarantula is ready to eat again after molting is when the fangs are black. They are white from molting and get darker as they harden. I loved your article by the way. I'm a new tarantula owner, but I have tons of experience with other pets, and I'm always interested in learning more. I got my golden knee about a month ago, it's still juvenile, and it's going through post molt. I believe that it started the process very soon after I got it, or maybe when I got it. I'd really like to know about how long it'll be in this state. It's a little less than two inches measured diagonally. Thank you for the help!
ReplyDeleteI meant pre-molt, not post :)
DeleteOne more thing, I found that using a heat lamp is perfectly fine WHEN; the light intensity is adjustable (the lamp should have a dimmer), and the bulb shouldn't have white/yellow light. I have a smaller lamp (compared to those for reptiles) with a red bulb in it. I'm not sure what the name of the bulb is, but it isn't bright at all. I believe there is more than the red bulb that would do the same job, like black lights, or purple lights. I keep the light on, but dim it almost to the point of completely turning the light off. I keep it on all the time so my tank maintains a temperature around 75, to prevent dramatic fluctuations ffrom the temperature in my room. The substrate stays damp enough even with the light on all the time. I do have the light placed towards one side of the tank, but I doubt it really matters. I just did it for variety. The lamp doesn't get hot, only warm, so the tarantula should be safe from dehydrating or drying out. A few weeks after I got my tarantula, I found it hanging upside-down directly under the light, so it obviously doesn't care about the light at all.
ReplyDeleteJust sharing! You can find heat lamps with a dimmer at most pet stores, and the colored bulbs. I think it is very worth buying, it has caused absolutely no complications, only good has come from it!
One last question...
ReplyDeleteWill my tarantula get scared or traumatized if I by accident bump into the cage, or by loud noises?
My cage is on a book case that I occasionally bump into, and when I do it seems to cause a mini earth quake. My tarantula doesn't seem bothered whenever I do... but I want to be safe.
My golden knee doesn't burrow, so I know that when I bump into it nothing would be altered.
Any thoughts?
Thank you i learned alot im on the right track to a growing sling
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