7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:41 PM
some will bite on contact. But in all
cases, if you were bitten you instigated
it; you were clearly the aggressor, and
it’s all your fault!
Having said that, in spite of the hun-
dreds of thousands of individual tarantu-
las and the few hundred species of
tarantulas kept by hobbyists, a bite is
really quite rare. The overwhelming
majority of enthusiasts have never been
bitten and probably never will be.
Of those who have been bitten, to our
knowledge, no one has died or suffered
long-lasting disabilities. In most
instances, a bite is characterized by a
quick prick, usually less painful than a flu
shot, and no further symptoms. If symp-
toms do arise, they are usually charac-
terized by only mild discomfort,
sometimes a little redness and little or no
swelling.
In a few cases of bites by kinds of
tarantulas well known to have a potent
venom, intense pain, swelling, and red-
ness occur that may last only a few
hours to a day or two, depending on the
kind of tarantula, the severity of the bite,
and the susceptibility of the victim. In a
few, even rarer instances, bites by kinds
of tarantulas that are notorious for the
fact were accompanied by pain and
swelling in the affected limb, headaches,
nausea, sweating, cramping, and tachy-
cardia. In rare instances these symp-
toms would last for several days and in
at least one case the bitten individual
experienced a temporary recurrence of
symptoms several weeks after the initial
bite. In all cases, everybody who is bit-
ten recovers completely. No lasting
effects are reported either in the medical
literature or by anecdotal report.
Old World Tarantulas. Most Old
World tarantulas will attempt to hide or
escape before biting. However, many
will bite on contact, and virtually all will
Page 193
Medically Significant Bite
Here we define a medically significant
bite as one in which the symptoms
are severe enough to warrant treat-
ment by a physician or at an emer-
gency medical clinic.
Note that this does not include
precautionary visits or treatments
merely because it seemed like a good
idea at the time.
try to bite if any attempt is made to pick
them up. Old World tarantulas should
not be directly handled by the novice,
and the aficionado attempts to do so at
their peril. Use the “Spider Under Glass”
technique (page 188), instead.
New World Tarantulas. Few, if any,
New World tarantulas will bite on con-
tact. Typically, they attempt to conceal
themselves or escape first. Only a few
will actually bite when picked up,
although it is not uncommon for newly
captured individuals to bare their fangs
in an attempt at intimidation or menace.
Although there are exceptions, for most
kinds the venom is relatively mild to
almost completely inconsequential to
humans. Even then, until some experi-
Dry Bites vs. Wet Bites
If a tarantula (or other venomous
organism) bites and fails to inject
venom the bite is frequently called a
dry bite.
If, on the other hand, venom is
injected and symptoms arise, it is
called a wet bite.
The overwhelming majority of
tarantula bites are dry bites, but the
wet bites receive the most publicity
because of the symptoms.
193
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:41 PM Page 194
A bite by Aphonopelma moderatum on
the major knuckle of one of the author’s
(SAS) hands. The result was a slight
“lameness” in the knuckle the next day.
ence is gained, the novice is probably
best advised to manipulate them with
the Spider Under Glass technique.
Many if not most of these can be easily
handled with the bare hands if done
properly.
De-venomized? One of the very first
questions asked about a pet tarantula is
“Is it poisonous?” Poisonous is perhaps
not the correct term; venomous would
be better. The fact is that, with few
exceptions, most spiders on Earth pos-
sess a venom, including tarantulas. So,
yes, in that sense at least, they are ven-
omous.
The next question usually asked is
“Have they been de-venomized?” From
the foregoing discussion it is obvious
that there is little or no cause for concern
about the bite of the common pet taran-
tulas. So, it is even less reasonable to
consider the removal or disarming of
their venom apparatus. Worse yet, if it
were attempted, it would almost surely
result in the death of the animal because
such an operation would require perfora-
tion of the chelicerae or removal of the
fangs. Any breach in the tarantula’s
exoskeleton is very difficult to seal, and
the animal would surely bleed to death.
194
Just How Dangerous? There are
many characteristics that confound our
ability to predict the seriousness of a
tarantula’s bite, the degree of reaction,
or the time required for recovery.
1. A Matter of Kind. The New World
species seldom will inject venom on
the first bite. Most bites are “dry
bites,” meaning no venom is injected.
Only when the tarantula is enraged or
fighting for its life will it inject venom.
Old World species, by contrast, are
inclined to bite more quickly and
inject venom more readily. Hence,
their bites have a reputation for being
more severe.
2. A Matter of Quantity. Tarantulas
have exquisite control over their
venom delivery system. They may
deliver none, some, or all of their
venom as they wish.
To some extent, the effect of a bite
depends on how much venom was
injected. Thus, the larger tarantulas
probably are capable of injecting
larger amounts of venom. But, with
no venom, the classic dry bite, there
will be no reaction beyond the purely
mechanical stab wounds.
3. A Matter of Concentration. Taran-
tula venoms are almost certainly pro-
duced in varying concentrations,
depending on the species, the indi-
vidual, and perhaps the length of time
since the last use of venom, among
other things. The reaction to a bite
will depend in part on the concentra-
tion of the venom injected.
4. A Matter of Composition. Tarantula
venoms are very complex mixtures of
many substances. What little evi-
dence we have suggests strongly that
these vary greatly from one species
to the next. This creates another level
of variability in the reaction to a taran-
tula’s bite. A large dose of a relatively
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:41 PM
concentrated venom may be without
symptoms if the substances that it is
composed of are relatively benign.
5. A Matter of Our Reaction. Our reac-
tion to tarantula venoms also depends
on where we are bitten and our physi-
ological sensitivity to the venom. Being
bitten on the buttocks, for instance,
may tend to diminish the effects of the
venom, partly because of the lack of
blood circulation, partly because of the
relative paucity of pain sensors. Being
bitten on a finger would evoke a more
intense response. Our sensitivity to the
substances in a tarantula’s venom
may also vary widely depending on a
wide assortment of circumstances
such as our general health, degree of
past exposure, and current emotional
state.
6. Simple Poisoning. Humans exhibit at
least a two-tier reaction to most ven-
oms. The first reaction is a direct
effect of the venom itself, a poison
pure and simple. At the risk of trivial-
izing the principle, one might com-
pare this reaction to “throwing a
monkey wrench” into one’s biochem-
ical machinery. The principal result is
that “things” begin to malfunction or
fail to work completely. Thus, most
people might react to a wet bite with
the classic symptoms of numbness
or pain. One or more principles in the
venom either anaesthetize the nerves
or stimulate them.
7. Allergic Reactions. The second type
of reaction is the result of an allergic
response and is much, much rarer in
humans than the first, although much
more spectacular and at least as dan-
gerous. It is an extremely complex
physiological reaction to the foreign
proteins or other components of the
venom. This allergic reaction can be
as relatively trivial (though nonethe-
Page 195
less disconcerting) as a bad case of
hives where a tarantula’s urticating
bristles are involved, or as serious as
anaphylactic shock caused by a reac-
tion to a tarantula’s venom. One
might describe this reaction as being
an all-out war waged against the for-
eign substances, but on one’s home
turf with all the consequent dangers
and damage.
In forty years of studying tarantulas
and reading every available report,
these authors have never heard of an
allergic reaction to any tarantula’s
bite. Until evidence is presented to
the contrary, it would probably be
safe to proclaim that such does not
exist and should not be of concern.
Another common myth holds that
because a person is seriously allergic
to bee stings, they will be equally
allergic to a tarantula’s bite. Judging
from the fact that over a span of
decades some number of people
who are allergic to bee venom have
been bitten by tarantulas and there
have been no reported reactions, this
is apparently not the case. While the
two types of venom do possess
some similar chemical substances,
they also possess many that are quite
dissimilar; and the same antigens
responsible for a sensitivity to bee
stings are apparently not found in
tarantula venom.
However, the fact that a person is
grievously allergic to bee stings may
indicate that they are prone to be
allergic to a wide number of sub-
stances, or prone to readily develop-
ing such sensitivities (atopy). In that
case, they may also develop an
allergy to tarantula venom quite inde-
pendently of their allergy to bee
stings. Both stem from the same, root
property, but are not interrelated.
195
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8. Consequential Damages. The single
greatest health threat to a tarantula’s
bite is the risk of infection. There are
a number of cases on record where
individuals bitten by tarantulas con-
tracted tetanus (lockjaw), blood poi-
soning (septicaemia or bacteremia),
tularaemia (rabbit fever), or other
infections. These are not characteris-
tic of tarantula bites, but rather they
are characteristic of poorly managed
puncture wounds. Good hygiene and
medicine are of the essence! At the
first sign of infection (e.g., fever,
swelling, redness) you should seek
medical treatment.
All these things multiplied together
produce a very muddled picture of
tarantula venom toxicity and our reac-
tions to their bites. It also serves to
explain the extreme variability of reac-
tions reported in the literature and anec-
dotally by enthusiasts who are bitten.
Pterinochilus murinus. Famous for its intense defensive
displays, this species is often called “OBT” for “orange
bitey thing.”
196
TIP
Have you had a tetanus (lockjaw)
vaccination within the last ten years?
If not, you should discuss the wisdom
of getting one as soon as possible
with your family physician. Tetanus is
a deadly disease, it’s ever present,
and it’s not a pretty way to die.
YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!
Many tarantulas, particularly the New
World species, become quite tame when
handled or manipulated once in a while.
Once accustomed to such, these cap-
tives rarely bite, and with few excep-
tions, neither do the wild ones. If one
does bite, venom is seldom injected (so-
called dry bites), and the wounds are lit-
tle more than needle pricks. They must
usually be treated only with a mild anti-
septic, and a little sympathy for the
tarantula as well as the patient.
Quite commonly, a comparison is
made between a tarantula bite and a bee
sting, but there is little resemblance. Bee
stings and tarantula bites display com-
pletely different symptoms.
These authors have been bitten sev-
eral dozens of times by a number of dif-
ferent species of tarantulas over the last
forty years. This arises from having
caught hundreds of wild tarantulas as
well as acquiring thousands through the
pet industry. And, not being satisfied with
“everybody knows that . . .” and urban
myths, these authors make a practice of
attempting to pick up and handle every
new kind of tarantula with the specific
goal of determining their personalities
and behavior. Thus, the probability of
being bitten is much, much higher than
most enthusiasts ever experience.
Indeed, one of the authors (MJS) was
bitten on the index finger by an Usum-
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:41 PM
bura baboon tarantula, reportedly an
orange color form of Pterinochilus muri-
nus, and required Demerol to ease the
pain. The bitten hand evidenced consid-
erable swelling but no discoloration sev-
eral hours after the bite. All symptoms
had disappeared within eighteen hours,
however.
The novice and the “normal” enthusi-
ast can take heart in the concept that
the true incidence of tarantula bites is so
low as to be negligible.
Though brief, Breene et al. (1996) give
a particularly good overview and bibliog-
raphy on this subject.
You’ve Been Bitten! Now What? Do
you call 911? Write your will? What do
you do if you’ve been bitten?
1. Treat the wound. It is important to
note again that the only deaths attrib-
utable to a tarantula’s bite for which
we have any data were not from the
venom but from invasion by some
other pathogenic organism, e.g.,
tetanus (lockjaw) or tularaemia (rabbit
fever).
A tarantula bite produces one or
two minute pinpricks in your skin.
These are breaches in your defense
against infection. Because tarantulas
live in soil and eat insects that them-
selves may be befouled, it is com-
pletely predictable that their fangs
would carry any variety of potentially
infectious organisms. Being bitten by
those fangs would inject those
pathogens through your primary
defense system (your skin) and into
your body.
Wash the site of the bite. Apply an
antiseptic. Cover with a light bandage
to prevent further contamination until
the wound heals, usually only a very
few days. Seek medical attention at
the first sign of infection around the
area of the bite.
Page 197
2. Run these tests. Blood (CBC and
platelet count) and urine tests should
be run. A specific request should be
made for hard copies of the results.
Photos should be taken of the site of
the bite at the time of its worst symp-
toms. A brief description of the
patient’s reaction to the bite, concen-
trating on medically important data
(e.g., heart rate, resting respiration
rate, body temperature, presence of
sweating, etc.), should also be made.
Copies of all of these should be sent
to the American Tarantula Society for
forwarding to competent toxicologists
for archiving and eventual publication.
3. Treat the symptoms. If you begin to
show signs of a reaction to the bite
such as swelling, pain, dizziness,
nausea, difficulty breathing, or ele-
vated or irregular heartbeat, go imme-
diately to an emergency clinic. Do not
drive yourself—have someone else
drive you, use a taxi, or call an ambu-
lance if necessary. The patient
should not attempt to operate a
motor vehicle!
Generally “treat the symptoms”
involves little more than the injection
of steroids and antihistamines to con-
trol swelling and, in extreme cases,
the administration of Demerol
(Meperidine, for those who can toler-
ate the drug) or some other potent
analgesic to control pain. Aceto-
minophen and aspirin are all but
useless.
However, the prudent physician
considers each case individually, and
the treatment may vary from case to
case and individual to individual.
Be forewarned that emergency
clinic personnel will not give you a
“fix” of Demerol on your word alone.
Bring both the tarantula and this book
as supporting evidence.
197
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 198
Anaphylactic (allergic) reactions
(e.g., systemwide swelling, dizziness,
difficulty breathing) to spider venom
are all but unheard of, but if it occurs,
the attention of a physician is crucial.
Do not try to treat yourself. Do not
hesitate. Go immediately to an emer-
gency clinic. Do not drive yourself.
4. Lastly, at the earliest opportunity,
apologize to the tarantula for being
such a contemptible dunce as to
have deserved such chastisement in
the first place!
Antivenins. (Because we’re asked so
many times.) As of this writing, no
antivenin for theraphosid tarantulas is
being produced anywhere in the world.
There is simply no need for it. Again, for
the sake of emphasis, tarantula bites sel-
dom, if ever, are serious enough to war-
rant the use of any antivenin.
One More Time, Just to Make the
Point. It is very important to note that,
worldwide, there are no records of any-
one dying of a tarantula’s bite within the
last century. No one is believed to have
ever suffered lasting incapacity or harm
from such a bite.
The Fine Print. However, contrary to
the urban legend, there have been a few
reported fatalities resulting from tarantula
bites. These authors have heard anecdo-
tal reports of only five in all of history.
One of the authors (MJS) after a bite by Pterinochilus
murinus on the right index finger.
198
TIP
There is no such thing as an antivenin
for tarantula bites and, indeed, there
is no need for one. The symptoms of
a tarantula’s bite are not severe
enough to justify the expense of
developing and marketing such a
product and the risks involved in the
use of any such antivenin would far
outweigh any benefits.
Hollywood notwithstanding,
nobody dies from a tarantula’s bite.
These all occurred in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries, when medical sci-
ence could be called primitive at best.
Three were children—one in India, one in
Haiti, and the other in Texas—and their
actual cause of death is unreported. The
other two were adults who did not die
directly from the tarantula’s venom. One
died of tularaemia (rabbit fever), the other
of tetanus (lockjaw), secondary infections
resulting from bacterial contamination of
the puncture wounds.
The Peculiar Case of the Mouse.
Rats and mice, however, have good rea-
son for avoiding tarantulas. Rodents, it
seems, are abnormally sensitive to
tarantula venom, and therefore, are
notoriously unreliable as predictors of
toxicity in humans. Or, stated the other
way, the venom of many tarantulas
seems to be intended specifically for
killing rodents (Baerg, 1922, 1925, 1929,
1938b and 1958).
This causes us to reflect on a peculiar
aspect of tarantula biology. Over evolu-
tionary time, what might have been one
of the tarantula’s most fearsome ene-
mies? The answer is “Any predator that
is quicker, fiercer, and smarter than a
tarantula, and that could easily enter the
tarantula’s lair and do battle with it in the
confines of its own burrow.” Small
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
rodents fit that bill almost exactly. Per-
haps the tarantula’s venom is not terribly
useful for subduing insects or other
small prey because the fangs alone are
more than adequate. Perhaps their
venom evolved as a means of defending
themselves against their real archene-
mies, the rodents. This is all purely con-
jecture of course, but very interesting
conjecture, indeed.
The Human Experiment. The only
really good predictor of the toxicity of
tarantula venom in humans seems to be
humans. In the spirit of scientific investi-
gation, Dr. William J. Baerg used himself
as the guinea pig during the 1920s and
1930s. In several articles, Baerg (1922,
1925, and 1938b) recounts his experi-
ments with a number of tarantulas from
Central and South America, and the
Caribbean. Among the species of taran-
tulas tested were Avicularia avicularia,
Psalmopoeus pulcher, Mygalarachne
commune (now called Sericopelma
commune), Aphonopelma crinita, A. cali-
fornicum (listed as “Nomina dubia” by
Platnick, 2008, thus we have no idea
what it really was), and Crypsidromus
breyeri (now called Metriopelma breyeri).
Not too surprisingly, Dr. Baerg did not
die from any of them. In fact, the only
symptom that persisted for more than a
few hours was caused by M. commune,
and that was a “lameness” in the joints
of the bitten hand for two weeks.
Dr. Baerg also experimented on him-
self with scorpions, centipedes, and
even widow spiders. One must admire
his intestinal fortitude!
Those @#$%&# Bristles!
A Curious Dichotomy. Those taran-
tulas from the Old World typically have
short tempers and potent venoms. Most
New World tarantulas, on the other
hand, are comparatively mild tempered
Page 199
and possess relatively mild venoms.
However, New World tarantulas possess
a secret weapon: patches of bristles,
usually on the top rear of their opistho-
soma that possess sharp points and
backward-pointing barbs reminiscent of
harpoons. They come loose very easily.
Many of these are also laced with one or
more chemicals that produce intense
allergic reactions if the bristles penetrate
our skin. The result is intense itching and
a red rash that persists for a few hours
to several days. The arachnologist calls
these “urticating” setae or bristles. (See
page 29 for an additional discussion.)
Most humans are only mildly allergic
to the urticating bristles. The associated
rash seldom lasts more than a day or
two, but it can be spectacular as well as
most uncomfortable for those who are
more sensitive. Most enthusiasts need
not worry unless the rash persists for sig-
nificantly longer than a day or progresses
beyond the simple rash condition. A very
few people suffer a more severe dermati-
tis, popularly known as hives, on expo-
sure to the bristles. In this case, a
physician’s attention is strongly urged.
The intensity and duration of the
effects of these bristles depends partly
on the kind of tarantula, the victim’s sen-
sitivity, the location of the exposure on
the body, and possibly other variables.
Thus, most people can touch and handle
Grammostola rosea (the Chilean rose
tarantula) with relative safety, but a few
people will react violently to their bristles,
developing a severe rash or hives. These
same people can often handle other
kinds with impunity.
And, most people react hardly at all
to the bristles of the North American
tarantulas, genus Aphonopelma, but dis-
play remarkable reactions to those of the
goliath birdeater tarantula, Theraphosa
blondi.
199
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 200
Furthermore, the place that is affected
is also important. Handling a Mexican
redleg, Brachypelma emilia, may result
only in itchy palms for a few hours, for
instance. However, getting the bristles in
one’s eye is a very serious condition
requiring extensive, long-term treatment
by an ophthalmologist. (See below.)
Because these bristles are shed at
random and in small numbers much like
a dog’s hair in your living room, the
inside of a tarantula’s cage soon
becomes lightly dusted with a layer of
urticating bristles. Care should be taken,
therefore, to waft as few as possible into
the air when working in the cage, with
any of the cage’s furnishings or decora-
tions, or when handling or manipulating
the tarantula itself.
Confirmed enthusiasts often wear
latex or vinyl gloves when working
around those kinds that they are most
sensitive to, and the only practical way
of dealing with the two goliaths’ (Thera-
phosa blondi and T. apophysis) bristles
is to wear rubber, kitchen gloves. These
two kinds of tarantulas (at a minimum)
have bristles that penetrate latex or vinyl
surgeon’s gloves as though they weren’t
present at all.
As the first line of defense, the enthu-
siast must be very careful to thoroughly
wash the hands after performing such
chores, and every effort must be made
to not touch the face or eyes until the
hands are washed.
Topical, hydrocortisone cremes or
salves work very well for alleviating most
of the symptoms almost immediately.
These are commonly sold in low concen-
trations over the counter in many coun-
tries without a doctor’s prescription but
may be too weak to be fully effective.
More potent steroid preparations are
available with a doctor’s prescription and
are generally much more effective. Keep-
200
ing some of the cream or salve in the
medicine chest or “The Kit” (see page
205) for instances when keepers or guests
develop symptoms is probably a good
idea for the enthusiast. Herbal and natural
medications, including calamine lotion, are
all but useless in this application.
Oral antihistamines are sometimes
used to allay the itching in severe cases.
Their action is slow to onset but may be
much longer lasting. A significant side
effect of most antihistamines is drowsi-
ness and slow reaction time. Do not
drive or operate machinery while taking
antihistamines. If the irritation persists or
becomes inordinately severe, the victim
should definitely seek professional med-
ical attention.
Those who are inordinately sensitive
to the bristles should return the tarantula
to its source or find another home for it.
There are several New World species
that either do not possess urticating
bristles or whose bristles do not nor-
mally affect humans. These and all of the
Old World species may be kept by the
hypersensitive enthusiast with little
worry. The following New World genera
lack urticating bristles. Note that this list
may not be complete.
Catumiri (subfamily Ischnocolinae)
Hemiercus (subfamily Ischnocolinae)
Holothele (subfamily Ischnocolinae)
Oligoxystre (subfamily Ischnocolinae)
Proshapalopus (subfamily Ischnocolinae)
Psalmopoeus (subfamily Selenocosmi-
inae)
Pseudoligoxystre (subfamily Ischnocoli-
nae)
Sickius (subfamily Ischnocolinae)
Tapenauchenius (subfamily Selenocos-
miinae)
Similarly, there are at least two New
World genera that possess urticating
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
bristles, but whose delivery system is
such that they do not pose a hazard to
humans: Avicularia and Iridopelma, both
of the subfamily Aviculariinae. At this
writing, Avicularia, Holothele, Iridopelma,
Psalmopoeus, and Tapenauchenius are
relatively common in the hobby. The
others are rare to nonexistent. However,
new species are always being imported,
and there is hope that sooner or later we
will be able to possess representatives
of all of these. Do not despair. There is
hope.
The Eyes Have It, Not! Absolutely
the worst consequences are obtained if
the bristles make contact with a per-
son’s eyes. The resulting lesion can
cause damage to the cornea and other
eye parts, and requires immediate atten-
tion from an ophthalmologist (Chang et
al., 1991; Hered et al., 1988). First aid
treatment is as follows:
1. Restrain the patient to prevent rub-
bing the eye. Do not touch or rub
the eyes regardless of the intensity
of the irritation.
2. Irrigate the eye with copious amounts
of clear water.
3. Go immediately to an emergency
clinic for treatment, then arrange for
an emergency visit to an ophthalmol-
ogist. The clinic doctors should be
able to facilitate this.
4. Do not drive yourself. Either have a
friend or relative drive you, use a taxi,
or call an ambulance.
5. Do not attempt self-medication or
use over-the-counter medications.
You need professional help immedi-
ately!
Although permanent damage to the
eye is unusual, the condition is exceed-
ingly painful, and the possibility of per-
manent eye damage or infection always
exists. The people afflicted with this con-
dition lose time from work or school and
Page 201
suffer much worry and stress, not know-
ing if they will ever have full use of their
eye again. The several weeks to months
of treatment is also expensive. Thus,
every effort should be made to avoid
getting the bristles in the eyes.
Prevention is by far the best course
to take, and is absurdly simple and easy.
• Don’t touch your face or eyes after
handling a tarantula or any of the
appointments in its cage.
• Wash your hands frequently while
working around your tarantulas and
immediately after working with your
tarantulas.
Tarantulas’ Medical Issues
First and foremost, it must be noted
that, as far as is known, no tarantula dis-
eases or parasites are infectious to
humans, or any other vertebrate species.
The most paranoid among us has
absolutely nothing to fear in this regard.
We know little about tarantula medi-
cine. These creatures are so different
from more familiar animals, it is difficult
to draw analogies or work from parallel
cases. Few people are willing to spend
the money required to autopsy a dead
tarantula, and even fewer are qualified to
perform such an autopsy. And, sadly,
that is the only way that we can deter-
mine the cause of death, and therefore,
consider a course of action for next time.
We can use only guesswork and a little
background knowledge to try to effect a
cure. We know that they die, but few
people (and mostly enthusiasts at that)
have tried to determine why. Fewer still
have actually tried to cure an ailing
tarantula.
Below, we discuss what little is
known or suspected of their maladies.
The enthusiast should realize that this is
folk medicine at best, and more proba-
bly little more than witch doctory. Any
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enthusiast who has any experience in
diagnosing and treating any affliction,
successful or not, is urged to report their
findings to an enthusiast publication like
the American Tarantula Society’s Forum
Magazine or the British Tarantula Soci-
ety’s Journal.
In 1997, the American Tarantula Soci-
ety published a booklet, the ATS Arthro-
pod Medical Manual: Diagnoses and
Treatment (Breene 1997). It is the first, and
so far, only attempt at cataloguing medical
conditions and therapies of pet arachnids
in general and tarantulas in particular.
Sadly, it is now out of print and there is
little probability that it will ever be
republished. Enthusiasts who possess
copies should make every effort to pre-
serve them. Further, the hobby badly
needs more published references like this.
Basic Considerations
Sterile Procedure. In the following
discussion, frequent mention is made of
sterile procedure. This may be a mis-
nomer when used in this way, but it is
the best means of describing a set of
conditions that must be obtained.
Sterile procedure, when used here,
means that the hands, all implements,
bandages and dressings, and all drugs
and medications are as clean and free
as possible of infectious organisms.
Hands must be scrubbed with soap
and the bleach solution described
below, and if possible, washed with 70
percent isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. If at
all possible, wear sterilized rubber or
vinyl gloves (from a medical supply
store) and don clean clothes.
Before the procedure, all tools and
implements must be washed with soap
and bleach water, then rinsed with boil-
ing water, then alcohol. If possible, use
implements sterilized in an autoclave or
pressure cooker, or purchased sterile
202
from the manufacturer. Bandages,
dressings, drugs, and medications
should be purchased sterilized by the
manufacturer.
To prevent further infections and
spread of disease, after the procedure all
implements should be thoroughly
cleaned in hot, soapy bleach water and
rinsed first in boiling water and then
alcohol. If possible, boil or steam sterilize
the implements instead, both before and
after using them.
The animal’s cage should be
scrubbed with soap and bleach water,
and dried with a freshly laundered cloth.
The area around the place of treatment
(e.g., the table-top) should be treated
likewise.
Throughout this text, frequent refer-
ence is made to a chlorine laundry
bleach solution as a means of sanitizing
utensils, equipment, and surfaces. In
reality this is merely a solution of two
parts, by volume, of plain, common,
household chlorine laundry bleach
mixed thoroughly with ninety-eight parts,
by volume, of clean, room temperature,
tap water. Use a brand of unscented
chlorine bleach that contains no soap or
detergent.
To make this solution, determine how
much you will need. For one quart (one
liter), measure approximately one pint
(five hundred milliliters) of water into a
sturdy, one-quart (one-liter), glass
or plastic container. Add about three-
quarters ounce (twenty milliliters) of chlo-
rine bleach, cap the container, and rinse
any residue of bleach off the outside.
Shake the container vigorously. Remove
the cap and fill the container to the one-
quart (one-liter) mark. Recap the con-
tainer and rinse off any residue. Then,
shake the container vigorously again.
Often, some soap or detergent is added
to this solution as a surfactant to help in
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
wetting and cleaning. Be sure to label
the container for its contents.
We stipulate a glass or plastic con-
tainer because chlorine bleach is highly
reactive and might combine or react with
other materials to produce toxic by-
products that could not be rinsed away
effectively. We rinse off the outside of
the container at each step to avoid
splattering bleach or its solution indis-
criminately around the area, a very dan-
gerous situation. Because the bleach
tends to adhere to any surfaces it con-
tacts, thus interfering with its ability to
mix well with the water, we add the
bleach to the water, rather than the other
way around, avoiding contact of the
concentrated bleach solution with the
container’s walls. We mix it in two
stages because the bleach is slightly
syrupy, and requires vigorous agitation
to become thoroughly dissolved. Such
mixing would be difficult in a full con-
tainer because there would be little extra
room for the required agitation.
Great care must be exercised in the
handling and use of both the original,
concentrated bleach solution and the
dilute solution just made. Chlorine solu-
tions are extremely toxic and must be
kept out of the reach of children. The
concentrated solution is capable of pro-
ducing severe chemical burns on unpro-
tected skin, and will cause grave,
irreversible damage if accidentally
splashed into the eyes. Both solutions
will quickly remove the dyes from any
cloth on which they are splashed (hence
the name bleach), and permanently
damage the cloth.
• Handle both the concentrated bleach
and its dilute solution with great care.
• Safety goggles and rubber gloves are
strongly advised.
• Do not allow contact with unprotected
skin.
Page 203
In any case, with either the concen-
trated or the dilute solutions, first aid is
the same. Flush with copious amounts
of clear water. In the case of a chemical
burn or having bleach splashed into the
eyes, prompt emergency medical treat-
ment is absolutely imperative.
Both the concentrated and the dilute
solutions will damage most varnished,
stained, or painted surfaces. They may
also damage some fixtures and utensils.
Before using this solution, test a small
hidden area.
Sanitizing. Sanitizing is sterilizing’s
little brother. Here, we are not so much
interested in avoiding all contamination
as we are in merely ensuring cleanliness
and a reduction in potential pathogens.
Thus, a bleach solution may be used,
but usually merely washing well with
soapy water and rinsing well with tap
water is enough.
Order of Treatment. In a collection
of animals, in this case tarantulas, if one
becomes ill, the first impulse is to go to
the sick animal first, caring for the
healthy ones second. This is exactly
wrong!
A little forethought will establish that
the healthy animals should be cared for
first. Then, and only then, care for the
sick ones. Impulsively going to the sick
animals first contaminates you, your
TIP
By law in most places, containers of
potent chemicals like chlorine bleach
must have warnings and instructions
for appropriate use and procedures in
case of accidents or spills. Before
opening the bleach bottle you are
strongly urged to review those
instructions.
YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!
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7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 204
TIP
Tarantulas are very good at “playing
possum,” and a sick tarantula may
look dead but merely only be
extremely weak. Do not discard a
tarantula as dead until it actually
begins to smell dead. Where there's
life, there’s hope!
clothing, and any associated equipment
with the pathogen. After that, every ani-
mal that is cared for is exposed to the
disease.
Caring for the healthy animals first
tends to isolate them from the conta-
gion. One presumes that the keeper will
have washed at least once, probably
several times, and changed clothes after
caring for the diseased animals, before
tending to the healthy ones the next day.
The ICU. When a tarantula gets into
serious medical trouble, it should be
placed in a special container that we call
the Intensive Care Unit, or “ICU.” This is
a scrupulously clean plastic container
with a lid and a moist paper towel. A
plastic cottage cheese carton is accept-
able. Make two ventilation holes, each
about one-quarter inch (six millimeters)
in diameter, high on the side walls but
not so high as to be blocked when the
cover is installed.
Fold a standard paper towel twice
(into quarters) and push it into the bot-
tom of the container. Pour in an excess
of room-temperature tap water, then
drain it out, leaving a soggy paper towel.
If there is a possibility that the ailing
tarantula can acquire an infection (as
in an open wound), wash the container
in bleach water (see above) and rinse
thoroughly with boiled water. Sterilize
a piece of clean, dry paper toweling in
a microwave oven following the instruc-
tions on page 192, or in a conventional
204
oven set at 250°F (120°C) for fifteen
minutes. Moisten the sterilized toweling
with cooled, boiled water and place it
in the plastic container. Let the container
set until everything reaches room
temperature.
Place the ailing tarantula on the wet
toweling and cover the container with
the lid. Place the whole container in a
warm, relatively dark location. This might
be atop the refrigerator in the kitchen,
but let common sense prevail. Check on
the tarantula at least twice a day. Keep
an extra container handy, and carefully
switch the tarantula to a clean one every
other day. Immediately clean the used
one and set it up in preparation for the
next change. One would hope that the
tarantula would show signs of improve-
ment by the third bout in the ICU, but if
not it should be placed back in its cage
for one day to allow it to thoroughly dry
off. This will retard fungus and bacterial
growths. It may then be put back in the
ICU for several more bouts.
While the tarantula is in the ICU, its
original cage should be thoroughly
cleaned and set up with new substrate.
When the animal begins to show signs
of recovery, it may be moved back to its
original cage. Be very cautious not to
injure the tarantula during the moves.
What sort of reasons would indicate
using an ICU? Any set of circumstances
when quiet, warmth, and a humid
atmosphere would seem beneficial. The
philosophy behind this ICU is merely to
relieve as much environmental stress as
possible from the tarantula.
Thus, the wet paper towel will raise
the humidity, reducing the loss of water
through the thin membranes of its book
lungs and appendage joints. And, the
slightly elevated temperature will allow
its metabolic rate to function at a rate
that will allow for a speedy recovery
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
without undue stress from excessive
warmth.
Does this really work? The authors
use an ICU frequently when a tarantula
appears in dire straights for various rea-
sons. Many such tarantulas do get bet-
ter. Some die. At this point, the
philosophy is that it doesn’t do any
harm, and probably does some good.
We feel compelled to do something to
help an ailing pet, and this seems a
viable route.
The Kit. For the rank novice, this may
be overkill, but for the enthusiast with
more than two or three tarantulas this is
almost a necessity. Begin accumulating a
toolbox or kit of oddments and tools ded-
icated for use with your tarantulas. Use a
toolbox, a fishing tackle box, a spare
drawer, or some other container to hold
them in a safe and handy location. Label
it conspicuously. Once an item is allo-
cated to “The Kit,” that becomes its sole
goal in life. After each use it is cleaned or
refilled and replaced in the kit. Some of
these items may never be used. Consider
them good insurance. Others will be used
almost daily. Here is a list of items these
authors have used plus those that were
suggested by other enthusiasts on one of
the Internet forums.
1. Scissors (cuticle shears or others
with extremely fine tips).
2. Forceps: Several pairs including at
least one with very fine tips and
another twelve inches (thirty cen-
timeters) or fifteen inches (thirty-eight
centimeters) long.
3. Dissecting needles: A very large
darning needle fixed into a piece of
hardwood doweling, one-quarter
inch (six millimeters) in diameter
by five-inches (twelve- or thirteen-
centimeters) long. Drill a small pilot
hole in the end first. A loose needle
may be fixed with a little epoxy glue.
Page 205
4. Scalpels or X-acto knives of various
styles.
5. Wooden examination sticks of differ-
ent sizes (Popsicle sticks, tongue
depressors, chopsticks, bamboo
shish kebob skewers).
6. Magnifying lens (10X).
7. Headband magnifier (expensive, but
a real godsend!).
8. Several glass eyedroppers.
9. Cotton-tipped swabs.
10. Small artist’s brushes of several dif-
ferent sizes.
11. Rubber or vinyl surgeon’s gloves.
(Don’t buy the one-size-fits-all from
a department store. Buy the size
you need from a medical supply
store.)
12. Several small, clear bowls, dishes, or
saucers of different sizes (finger
bowls, old-fashioned glass furniture
glides, some ashtrays).
13. An assortment of small vials or pill
bottles with tight-fitting caps.
14. Hypodermic syringes (several differ-
ent sizes from five milliliters to sixty
milliliters).
15. Hypodermic needles (Several sizes
from twenty-two to fifteen gauge; try
to get two-inch [five-centimeter] long
needles.)
16. Liquid bandage (e.g., Liquid Stitches,
New-Skin).
17. Glycerin (not nitroglycerin, not glyc-
erin and rose water!).
18. Cyanoacrylate glue (e.g., Superglue
or Crazy Glue).
19. Pill bottle full of cornstarch.
20. Bottle of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.
21. Antibiotic salve (e.g., Mycitracin
Antibiotic Ointment). Get two kinds,
one of which should contain Nystatin
or a similar fungicidal antibiotic.
22. Transparent delicatessen cups. (At
least two of different sizes for
inspections; see page 218.)
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23. An ICU, ready made and waiting (see
page 204.)
During the course of reading this
book you may find other things that
belong in your kit but that we’ve failed to
mention. Feel free to add them yourself.
Many of these items can be found in
local hardware stores. Some may be had
from a veterinarian or family doctor as
“castoffs” from kits used during medical
examinations. Some can also be pro-
cured in college and university book-
stores. Many can also be purchased at
medical supply stores. Start building your
kit today. You’ll never be sorry you did!
Paraphernalia. Lastly, many govern-
ments consider syringes and needles as
paraphernalia, that is, items used by
drug addicts. The mere possession of
such items without a prescription may
be punishable by law. If this is true in
your case, seek a doctor’s or veterinar-
ian’s prescription for syringes and nee-
dles, perhaps even for help in acquiring
them. Keep several copies of the pre-
scription safely filed away, with at least
one copy in the bottom of your kit. Keep
a copy of this book handy as well, as
added evidence in your behalf.
Dehydration
Occasionally, a tarantula is encoun-
tered that has suffered extreme dehydra-
tion and starvation, usually caused by
poor care or improper shipping. The very
first strategy is to place it, prosoma down-
ward in a dish of water for at least forty
five minutes (or as long as it will tolerate it).
It may be left there longer if it continues to
drink. The animal must be watched
closely during this time to keep the
opisthosoma (abdomen) and book lungs
above the water level to prevent drowning.
After several hours, if the tarantula isn’t
faring any better, it should be moved to an
ICU. This should be repeated daily for the
206
next several days until it either shows
improvement or expires. Once it appears
to be able to fend for itself, it should be
moved to its permanent, drier quarters
and given the obligatory dish of water with
a rock (see page 161).
One enthusiast reported the success-
ful recovery of a tarantula that was so
near death that it couldn’t drink. The
tarantula was picked up and held upside
down in the palm of the hand (see “Get-
ting Palmed” on page 190), and room-
temperature tap water was dripped onto
its oral area with an eyedropper. Be fore-
warned that this procedure will take a
long time, up to an hour or more. Clear
your schedule, collect all the gear you
think you might require in advance (see
“The Kit” on page 205), and make your-
self comfortable.
Extreme Starvation
Tarantulas may go without food for
truly amazingly long periods of time.
However, extended fasts put great
stress on them, and they may be near
death.
When extreme starvation is first rec-
ognized in a tarantula, it should be
offered one cricket as food in the
evening. If it fails to eat by the next morn-
ing, remove the cricket. Every evening
thereafter it should be offered one or two
crickets until it begins to eat. If the taran-
tula seems active and able to fend for
itself, the crickets may be left in the cage
for several days if they are not eaten
immediately. In that case, it’s not a bad
idea to provide a small dish (e.g., a bottle
cap) of soft cereal (e.g., wheat bran or
dry oatmeal) for the crickets to eat.
Some enthusiasts have reported hav-
ing had good luck with getting sick or
injured tarantulas to eat by killing and
partially gutting a cricket, then carefully
placing it in contact with the tarantula’s
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
pedipalps. Very often the tarantula will
take it if left alone.
For a tarantula that is weakened from
lack of food, an attempt at feeding
should be made only in the evening. The
room should be only very dimly lit, or left
in total darkness. Once the lights are
turned off, no one, not even the owner,
should go into the room or otherwise
disturb the tarantula until the next morn-
ing. Most certainly, once the animal has
been placed in its cage, neither it nor the
cage should be moved or handled until
the tarantula begins to eat regularly.
Occasionally, tarantulas are reported
to stop eating for extended periods of
time. This is particularly true of Gram-
mostola rosea (see page 336), that has
been reported to go as long as thirty
months without feeding and without
apparent harm. As long as the tarantula
does not appear to be losing excessive
weight, and appears to be in otherwise
good health, the enthusiast should not
become overly concerned.
The enthusiast who is faced with a
tarantula that is on a long-term fast, sev-
eral months perhaps, might try raising the
tarantula’s temperature by several
degrees, keeping in mind that a tempera-
ture of 104°F (40°C) is probably the
absolute safe maximum, as a means of
breaking the fast. Another trick is to lightly
spray the cage with room-temperature
tap water from a plant sprayer. Be careful
not to use a sprayer that has been used
with insecticides, and try not to spray the
tarantula itself.
Molting Problems
Death Versus Molting. Before pro-
ceeding with this discussion, we must
stress again that a tarantula that has
turned upside down (i.e., is lying on its
back) is definitely not dying! This is a
normal prerequisite to molting. Dead
Page 207
tarantulas remain upright with their legs
folded underneath them, somewhat in
the manner of a clenched hand.
To Do or to Die. Molting is the most
crucial act that a tarantula performs.
Once it begins to molt, it must complete
the process or die. In many respects the
whole operation reminds one of a mam-
malian birth, with many of the same haz-
ards. In mammals it happens only once
in a lifetime. For tarantulas, it happens
once a year. (“Ecdysis/Molting” is dis-
cussed on page 32.)
Dehydration Myth. A popular hypoth-
esis holds that tarantulas that are kept
too dry will have trouble molting. This has
yet to be unequivocally demonstrated,
and is still open to much controversy.
That these creatures are more than
70 percent water by weight (Stewart and
Martin, 1970) suggests that there be
ample water available for the molting
process under all but the most severe
circumstances. Because of this, these
authors advance a different hypothesis.
Unless a tarantula is suffering from
severe dehydration, it can marshal all the
water required from internal sources for
lubrication and to maintain the old
exoskeleton in a softened condition. For
the purposes of molting, the humidity of
the surrounding cage is all but irrelevant.
This contention is supported by the
observation that, as they emerge during
a molt, the inside of the exuvium fairly
glistens with moisture. There must be
some other reason for molting problems
(see below).
Having said this, these authors still
admit to the advice of others. The prac-
tice of keeping pet tarantulas in circum-
stances drier than recommended by
other authors is a means of vermin and
disease control. However, in nature, ter-
restrial tarantulas spend most of their
time in their burrows, especially just
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before molting. The burrows not only
afford protection from enemies and the
elements, but also maintain a signifi-
cantly higher humidity around the animal
than is normally encountered in captivity
(Hadley, 1970). This higher humidity
might have a beneficial effect on the
tarantula’s molting by helping to sustain
the lubricating fluid between the new and
old exoskeletons, and by allowing the old
exoskeleton to remain more pliable as it
is cast off. Although these may not signif-
icantly effect the hardened rings (see
“Too Slow,” below), it could still ease the
job of the tarantula extricating itself from
its old exoskeleton. Thus, the practice of
lightly misting a pet tarantula and its cage
once a day with room-temperature tap
water from a plant sprayer certainly will
do no harm during premolt, and may very
well help the struggling tarantula, as long
as the cage doesn’t remain sopping wet
for the remainder of the year. Be certain
that the sprayer has never been used
with pesticides or fertilizers.
Too Slow. The most common reason
for a tarantula having trouble molting is
physical weakness from extreme old age
or disease. In this case, the trouble is
caused by a breakdown in the animal’s
physiological processes.
The greatest peril is that the tarantula
will not be able to pull its legs through
the hardened rings around the joints in
the legs of the old exoskeleton. These
constricting rings are as hard and inflexi-
ble on a fresh exuvium from a young
tarantula as they are from a very old
tarantula. The same is true for tarantulas
that have had no trouble shedding and
those that have had to be surgically
removed. The state of hydration of the
old exoskeleton is irrelevant; the rings
are hard regardless.
The physical condition of the taran-
tula is critical. If it hasn’t the strength to
208
pull itself out, from old age or disease, it
will take too long to molt. If it takes too
long to molt, the rings in the new
exoskeleton begin to harden. They will
soon be unable to deform sufficiently to
allow their passage through the hard
rings on the old exoskeleton.
What does one do to help a tarantula
molt successfully? Pure conjecture
(these authors have not had the oppor-
tunity to try this) suggests that dabbing a
little glycerine with an artist’s brush onto
the joints of the legs of extremely aged
tarantulas during premolt might be help-
ful. Glycerine might help to soften the
constricting rings or lubricate them as
they slip through. The key joints seem to
be the femur-patellar, and the patella-
tibial joints.
Beyond these simple actions, we can
only hope for the best as the molting
season approaches each year.
Getting Stuck. Another potential
cause of an unsuccessful molt is injury.
If a leg is damaged badly enough to
cause a growth of scar tissue that pene-
trates the full thickness of the exoskele-
ton, it is possible that the scar tissue
would interfere with the separation of
the old and new exoskeletons during
premolt. In effect, the scar tissue would
serve as a weld between the two
exoskeletons. During molt, the new
exoskeleton and its associated
appendage would not be free to slide
out of the old exoskeleton, and the ani-
mal would remain trapped.
In this case, however, there is hope.
The tarantula may be able to cast off the
caught leg and complete the molt in
spite of the problem. Indeed, this has
been reported many times by enthusi-
asts. See the discussion of autotomy on
page 42.
If the problem is recognized soon
enough, the tarantula’s owner may be
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 209

able to amputate the leg. As gruesome

as this sounds, spiders have a distinct
advantage over humans in that they can
lose a leg with relatively little harm. Once
the offending leg has been identified by
the enthusiast, a quick tug on the femur
with a slight twist may be all that is nec-
essary to remove it. If bleeding starts or
is excessive, one of the remedies listed
under “Breach in the Hull” on page 213
should be used to stop it. However,
there is still some risk involved. It is
entirely possible that such treatment will
fatally injure the tarantula, and the enthu-
siast must bear the full responsibility for
this action.
Some Never Say Die. Among the
rarest reasons for an unsuccessful molt
involves mature males that attempt a An aged female Aphonopelma chalcodes that the authors
had to surgically remove from an unsuccessful molt.
postultimate molt. (Molting and postulti-
mate molts are also discussed on pages
32 and 106.) The reason why mature onto a piece of stiff cardboard. After it is
males that attempt to molt are unsuc- relocated, leave it on the cardboard.
cessful apparently is that their emboli Start by collecting the necessary
and bulbs become entrapped in the old equipment. (This is where The Kit, see
exoskeleton. If the enthusiast were alert page 205, comes in extremely handy!)
to the possibility, the pedipalp tips of a This should include a pair of good-
molting male could be moistened with quality, sturdy forceps or tweezers with
glycerine, and the whole tarantula kept small, but not sharply pointed tips, avail-
in a humid container in preparation for able from hobby shops, cosmetic coun-
the molt. With adequate care, it is just ters in department stores, school
possible that the male would survive his science labs, and scientific-supply
molt intact. houses. A large magnifying glass or a
Orthopedic Surgery as a Last low-power jeweler’s loupe is almost a
Resort. If a pet tarantula is discovered necessity. A low-power binocular dis-
to be having difficulty emerging from its secting microscope (about ten power)
old exoskeleton, it can be helped, if from a biology lab would be ideal. The
done very carefully. First, be absolutely authors use a three-power headband
certain that it is having difficulties, and magnifier, used by watchmakers and
not just resting. If it does not appear to other people who do very fine work. A
be making progress after six or eight good light is an absolute necessity.
hours, the worst may safely be First, dissolve one or two drops of
assumed, and an attempt to help begun. mild liquid dish soap in one cup (235 mil-
Don’t move the tarantula unless liliters) of room temperature tap water.
absolutely necessary! If it must be Thoroughly wet that part of the tarantula
moved, do so very gently by shifting it that appears to be trapped with this
209
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solution. Gently drip the soap water
solution onto the tarantula with an eye-
dropper or pat it on with a cotton-tipped
applicator. Do not allow any of this
solution to get into the book lungs.
Doing so might drown the tarantula.
Within a half hour this solution will begin
to soften the exoskeleton. Wait for an
additional half hour to determine if the
tarantula can extricate itself. If it still isn’t
making progress, proceed.
Ordinarily, the tarantula will have
already loosened the carapace and ster-
num, but either may still have to be
removed. The individual plates are con-
nected by relatively thin sheets of pleural
membrane. If the tarantula has had diffi-
culty loosening the plates, the pleural
membranes on the cast exoskeleton
must be torn or cut to allow for removal
of each individual plate, and the thor-
ough soaking of these membranes is
crucial.
Once it has been confirmed that
these plates are now off the tarantula,
try to determine if the exoskeleton
has come off the opisthosoma. If you are
unsure, assume that it has been
removed and proceed with the legs
instead. If it is clearly still attached, an
attempt should be made to remove it.
Do not be overly aggressive about peel-
ing off this skin. Be especially careful
with the book lungs. No soap solution
should enter them, and the inside mem-
branes should be very carefully pulled
out if they are readily obvious.
The legs pose a special problem.
There is no way to determine where the
real joints with their delicate membranes
are located in relation to the old joints
because the tarantula has partially pulled
its legs out of the old exoskeleton.
Because these new membranes are still
extremely fragile, there is great danger
that they will be injured in the course of
210
removing the old exoskeleton from the
legs. Extreme care must be exercised.
The heavily reinforced rings of exoskele-
ton that border the joints must be care-
fully chipped and broken away with the
forceps. For this chore, at the very least,
a jeweler’s loupe or strong magnifying
glass is obligatory, a binocular micro-
scope is much better. Then, the thinner
exoskeleton covering the remainder of
the leg section can be carefully removed.
Work methodically, doing one joint
and one leg at a time. Take frequent
rests. The greatest danger is from a
wrong move caused by fatigue, stress,
or impatience. Be extremely cautious not
to puncture the exoskeleton. The new
exoskeleton is still exceedingly fragile.
Great care must be taken to not damage
the underlying hinge membranes or
exoskeleton. After removing the old
exoskeleton, carefully rinse the soap
water off the tarantula with a gentle
stream of room temperature tap water.
Congratulations. You are now an
orthopedic surgeon specializing in
arachnid exuviectomy. (Try that one on
your family physician!)
Postoperative Care. After a bad
molt, a tarantula may not eat for several
weeks to several months. Do not
despair. The tarantula may be having
trouble with the lining of its mouth, phar-
ynx, and pumping stomach. These are
normally shed with the old exoskeleton.
If that is the case, the animal must work
out its own problem. Tarantulas can fast
an amazingly long time if they are given
water and are in good physical condition
in the first place.
After such a bad molt, and having to
be surgically removed from the exuvium,
the tarantula may be so crippled that it
cannot eat, drink, or even move itself.
Such was the case with an extremely
aged female Aphonopelma chalcodes
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
belonging to the authors. The tarantula
experienced a bad molt on May 17. One
of the authors (SAS) spent several hours
with a headband magnifier and a variety
of forceps extricating her from her old
exoskeleton. Thereafter, the other author
(MJS) adopted a regular program of vir-
tually hand-watering her on a twice-
weekly basis.
The tarantula was allowed to drink
out of a shallow saucer. The saucer was
propped up on one side to allow for the
formation of a small pool of water along
the other margin, the tarantula was
placed in the saucer with its chelicerae
and fangs immersed in that little puddle,
and the remainder of its body uphill. It
was watched very closely so that it
would not slide into the water and
drown. Great care was taken to prevent
water from getting into the openings to
the book lungs. After forty-five minutes
to an hour, the tarantula was placed
back in its cage. From time to time, aver-
aging once a week, a cricket was killed
and placed under her chelicerae in the
evening, and the room lights were turned
off. Occasionally the cricket was con-
sumed by the next morning.
By September, the tarantula had lost
considerable weight, but ate periodically.
She had learned to drag herself around
the cage by means of her fangs and was
remarkably mobile. However, the follow-
ing January she appeared to be having
trouble moving around her cage, and
she had stopped eating entirely. Sadly,
she died on February 16.
This tarantula was a very old individ-
ual, having been acquired as a mature
adult and having lived more than nine
years in captivity. Doubtlessly, her death
was postponed some months by the
heroic efforts made to save her. Sooner
or later, the Grim Reaper must always be
conceded his commission.
Page 211
Tarantulas that have been severely
injured or have suffered a bad molt often
molt much sooner than expected, prob-
ably a strategy for accelerating damage
repair. In the case of the individual dis-
cussed here, the tarantula may have
stopped eating in preparation for
another molt, but was too old and weak
to survive the entire process.
Injuries and Hemorrhage
Anesthesia. Little is known of the
dosages or effects of anesthetics such
as ether, chloroform, and Halothane on
tarantulas. We know that they will work
because they have been used success-
fully. We also know that they will kill if
used improperly. Therefore, they should
be used with great caution. In most
countries they are controlled sub-
stances, and the enthusiast is highly
unlikely to have access to them. How-
ever, small samples of these anesthet-
ics, or prescriptions that will allow their
purchase, may sometimes be acquired
from medical doctors and veterinarians.
Ether is extremely, almost explo-
sively, flammable, and Halothane and
chloroform are believed to cause liver
disease and cancer in humans. Thus,
these all have their drawbacks and must
be used in well-ventilated rooms and
with great caution. Under any circum-
stances, the novice is strongly advised
to seek the help of a veterinarian when
using any anesthetic.
Professional entomologists and
arachnologists have known for decades
that carbon dioxide is a safe anesthetic
for insects and spiders. Amateur arach-
nologists are now also discovering that it
will work on their pets. Carbon dioxide is
readily available from a number of
sources: carbonation in soft drinks, dry
ice, and adding mild acids (e.g., vinegar)
to baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).
211
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 212
The major problem with using it is find-
ing a way to apply it in sufficient concen-
trations to effect anesthesia, but not
endanger the tarantula with its precur-
sory chemicals (e.g., vinegar fumes or
direct contact with dry ice).
To manufacture a carbon dioxide
anesthesia device one needs the follow-
ing parts. These may be available from
hardware stores and some of the larger
building suppliers, medical-supply
stores, hobby shops, scientific-supply
stores, and school chemistry and biol-
ogy laboratories. In fact, the enthusiast
is strongly urged to make friends with a
local biology teacher for help with many
facets of caring for tarantulas.
1. Reaction Vessel
• One-pint (five-hundred-milliliter)
glass or plastic bottle. The mouth
of the bottle should be at least one-
inch (two-and-a-half centimeters) in
diameter.
• Rubber stopper to fit the glass bot-
tle, two hole.
• Two glass tubes to fit through the
rubber stopper. The ends of both
must be fire polished to prevent
cutting yourself. If you can find
appropriately sized acrylic tubing,
use it instead. It’s much safer and
easier to use.
– One piece should be long
enough to extend from approxi-
mately three-quarters inch (two
centimeters) above the stopper
to within about three-eighths
inch (one centimeter) off the bot-
tom of the bottle. If available, a
small laboratory funnel will work
much better.
– One piece should be long
enough to extend from approxi-
mately three-quarters inch (two
centimeters) above the stopper
to extend approximately three-
212
quarters inch (two centimeters)
below the stopper.
• A length of vinyl or rubber tubing
approximately two feet (sixty cen-
timeters) long of a diameter to
tightly fit the shorter glass tubing.
2. Anesthesia chamber. A transparent,
one-cup (250-milliliter) delicatessen
cup of the sort that is used for chip
dips and sour cream. Available from a
delicatessen or restaurant-supply
store, it must be transparent so you
can easily monitor the state of the
enclosed tarantula.
You must insert the two glass tubes
into the rubber stopper without cutting
a neat core of flesh out of the palm of
your hand, and that requires some expe-
rience with the technique. It is best if you
take your parts to a local school and
seek help from a biology or chemistry
teacher for this. Once they show you
how it’s done, you will be able to easily
replace the parts by yourself if you break
them. Attach the rubber hose to the
shorter piece of glass tubing.
You must now melt a hole in the side
of the delicatessen cup large enough to
loosely accommodate the hose without
plugging the hole completely. The final
hole should be approximately one
twenty-fifth inch (one millimeter) larger in
diameter than the hose to allow for some
gas to escape. To do this, acquire a very
large nail or a steel bolt of appropriate
size. Heat it, using a pair of pliers, in the
flame or against the heating element of a
kitchen range until it is quite hot. Then
apply it carefully, directly to the side wall
of the cup.
In use, place about one-third cup of
common household bicarbonate
of soda (baking soda) into the bottle.
A common kitchen funnel works best
for this. Then, pour in approximately a
cup of room-temperature tap water.
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
Gently shake the bottle to dissolve
some of the bicarbonate.
Insert the rubber stopper/glass tube
assembly, being very careful not to break
the glass tubing. The end of the longer
glass tube should extend well below the
water level in the bottle to prevent
escape of any gas; the shorter glass tube
should not approach the liquid at all.
Attach one end of the rubber or vinyl
hose to the top end of the shorter glass
tube. Gently insert the other end well
into the hole in the sidewall of the deli-
catessen cup.
With an eyedropper or hypodermic
syringe and large bore needle, carefully
drip distilled white vinegar (from a gro-
cery) into the longer glass tube. You
should immediately see the production
of carbon dioxide bubbles at the base of
the longer glass tube. Continue to add
vinegar until you get a steady, moder-
ately rapid gas release without undue
foaming. You may need to periodically
swirl the contents of the bottle to keep
the reaction going.
If you place a tarantula in the deli-
catessen cup and tightly fit the cover on,
the cup will quickly fill with carbon diox-
ide, effecting the anesthesia.
Professional entomologists and
arachnologists also use nitrogen gas,
and report that it works much better
than carbon dioxide. Nitrogen gas has
the distinct advantages that it is non-
flammable and is relatively nontoxic
compared with the organic anaesthetics.
However, it is relatively difficult for the
enthusiast to acquire nitrogen in concen-
trations that will work as an anesthetic.
Cylinders of compressed nitrogen are
available from companies that sell
compressed gases for welding, but the
associated hardware (e.g., cylinders,
pressure regulators, hoses, valves) can
be expensive. Liquid nitrogen (the gas
Page 213
that boils off the liquid is the anesthetic)
is available from many of the same com-
panies (or they can recommend
sources), but requires special tools,
equipment, and safety precautions for
handling because of its extreme cold
(–320.4°F, –195.8°C). Nitrogen gas can
be produced in a laboratory from rather
common chemicals (ammonium chloride
and sodium nitrite), but this should not
be attempted without the supervision of
an experienced chemist because these
chemicals can cause a fire or explode if
not handled properly.
Some books recommend cold as a
means of anesthesia. However, many
researchers who routinely use poikilother-
mic animals in their physiology experi-
ments believe that cold does not affect
pain sensation until near fatal extremes
are reached. Cold anesthesia only blunts
the motor neurons’ ability to activate the
muscles, and the muscles’ ability to con-
tract. Thus, until the tarantula is almost
dead from extreme cold, it may feel
everything but not be able to react. We
should not use cold anesthesia.
A Breach in the Hull. If a tarantula’s
armor is ruptured, it will spring a leak, as
it were. This is most common during
molting, or if the tarantula is manipulated
or handled too roughly or dropped. If the
injury is not too severe, the hemolymph
that seeps out coagulates and dries to
become a clear scab.
If the injury is a minor one on the legs,
merely put the tarantula back into its
cage and do not bother it for several
weeks, to allow time for it to heal. It must
still be offered food and water. The scab
will be removed by the tarantula at the
appropriate time or will be cast off with
the next molt.
If the injury on a leg is severe enough,
potentially resulting in much hemolymph
loss, two options are available. The
213
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 214
injury can be treated, or the leg can
merely be amputated. This last option
may seem, at first consideration, to be
very distressing and fraught with some
danger. However, the reader is reminded
that tarantulas’ legs are constructed to
allow removal as a last-resort survival
strategy. (See page 42 for a discussion
of autotomy.) Although it is traumatic, it
is not as traumatic as bleeding to death.
Merely hold the tarantula securely in one
hand and grasp the damaged leg by the
femur and tug downward. Crushed or
badly deformed legs should be removed
as far in advance of the next molt as
possible.
A rupture on the prosoma or opistho-
soma is a crisis of the gravest propor-
tions, and usually results in death. Our
philosophy is that it is better to try to
save the animal and fail than not to try at
all. Therefore, we offer these sugges-
tions as experiments only. The enthusi-
ast must realize that the damage has
already been done and must accept the
consequences, whatever they are.
Of paramount importance is stopping
the escape of hemolymph and prevent-
ing the rupture from growing. Adhesive
bandages won’t work on a tarantula
because of the bristles. A bandage of
unscented toilet tissue or very soft paper
(kitchen) toweling might be improvised.
The absorbent paper bandage is
intended to hold the rupture together
and to allow a firm matrix for scab for-
mation. This same technique, using rice
paper, is reportedly used by the Chinese
peasantry on their own injuries, and any
male humans living in our Western civi-
lization who have ever used a straight or
safety razor have also used this principle
with small bits of bathroom tissue. The
dry paper may be sanitized by heating it
in a microwave oven following the
instructions on page 192, then laid on
214
the open wound. The escaping
hemolymph will moisten it. The paper
will serve as the foundation for a clot
that, it is hoped, will seal the wound.
If the opisthosoma is ruptured, taking
the animal to a veterinarian on an emer-
gency basis may be a viable option, if
one can be found who is broad minded
enough, capable, and willing to try! The
veterinarian might be able to suture the
rupture together, because the exoskele-
ton on the opisthosoma is very leathery.
However, great care must be taken not
to disturb or puncture the internal
organs, just the exoskeleton. The sutur-
ing material must be very fine and the
stitches must be very small and precise.
In addition, the suturing material must be
of a type that will spontaneously dissolve
and disappear because it will be impos-
sible to remove the nondissolving variety
once the exoskeleton begins to knit. Any
remaining sutures will prevent subse-
quent molts, and the pet will die in spite
of all efforts.
Although this treatment may seem a
bit unusual, at first thought, the human
race has been suturing wounds on its
domestic animals and itself for millennia.
There is no obvious reason why the prac-
tice wouldn’t work on a tarantula, too.
Other methods of sealing wounds in
tarantulas have been tried with some
success. Among them are triple nail
hardener sold at cosmetics counters in
department stores and drugstores.
Another product used with good suc-
cess is New-Skin spread over the
wound. These authors have also heard
of anecdotal reports of the use of a
cyanoacrylate glue (Superglue or Crazy
Glue) used as a sealer.
Any of these products that may use
organic solvents must be used with
great caution. Not only are they flamma-
ble, but the fumes could harm the taran-
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
tula. Use them in a well-ventilated
space, and away from all open flames.
Take special precautions to blow the
fumes away from the tarantula until the
product is completely cured and no
longer smells of solvents.
Bear in mind that none of these prod-
ucts have been approved for use on ani-
mals or in veterinary medicine. Their use
on a tarantula, or any other animal, must
be viewed as experimental, with the
owner bearing the full responsibility.
The medical supplies industry has
developed several products that pro-
mote blood clotting when used during
surgery in humans and other mammals.
They are not routinely available to the
laity, but can be had through the family
doctor or veterinarian by prescription.
The two that the authors are familiar with
are Gelfoam (Upjohn) and Surgicel
(Johnson & Johnson). Undoubtedly, sim-
ilar products by other manufacturers are
also available.
In the case of a minor breach in the
tarantula’s armor, or after a major breach
has been surgically repaired, one of
these products might be tried to reduce
or arrest further bleeding. Merely cut off
a small piece of the sheet with a razor
blade or scalpel and apply it to the site
of seepage. Thin slices work better than
thick blocks. Use sterile procedure
throughout. If at all possible, take the
tarantula to a veterinarian for treatment
rather than doing it at home.
Another strategy used by the authors
and other enthusiasts with success has
been the use of cornstarch, flour, or pure
unscented talcum powder on the
wound. The hypothesis is that it will
absorb the escaping hemolymph and
become a foundation for a developing
clot, and later, a scab. We have no way
of knowing what effect perfumes or
other adulterations in cosmetic talcum
Page 215
powder may have on tarantulas. Thus, it
is best to avoid them unless there is no
other option.
One enthusiast, a friend of the authors,
had an Aphonopelma seemanni that had
suffered a bad molt. One leg had become
trapped in the old skin, and in the ensuing
struggle, the leg was cast off to allow the
tarantula to escape. (See the discussion
under “Loss of Limb” on page 42.) In the
course of its struggles, the tarantula had
managed to split its carapace, a life-
threatening condition.
The owner called and asked for
advice. He was told to sprinkle a little
cornstarch or wheat flour on the crack
and the hemolymph that was leaking
out. On top of this, he was to place a
small piece of paper toweling or
unscented toilet tissue that had been cut
very slightly larger than the length and
width of the wound without covering the
ocular tubercle or extending over the
edge of the carapace.
The improvised bandage worked. The
tarantula eventually recovered and
molted without incident the following
year.
An antibiotic ointment or salve, such
as Mycitracin Antibiotic Ointment (baci-
tracin, polymyxin, neomycin, and lido-
caine, Upjohn Company) or any similar
product, should be applied to any
wounds to forestall infection. For serious
wounds, such an ointment should be
applied every second day. These are
potent medications; not much is
required on any application. These med-
ications are often available at pharma-
cies without a prescription, and are good
additions for any medicine chest or first
aid kit. Never use any of the strong disin-
fectants such as iodine, Merthiolate,
Mercurochrome, alcohol, or peroxide.
The risk of poisoning your pet is too
great. Do not handle or manipulate the
215
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TIP
Glycerine is sold in groceries in the
baking supplies area and in pharma-
cies. It is a clear, syrupy, colorless liq-
uid with a biting, sweet taste, and is
used as a skin softener and in the
making of jelly candies.
Do not confuse our use of glycer-
ine with a related product, glycerine
and rosewater.
tarantula until after the next molt! If
the tarantula appears weak, keep it in an
ICU, discussed on page 204.
One peculiar problem afflicts a very
pretty species of tarantula from Central
America, Brachypelma albopilosum, the
curlyhair tarantula. It seems that these
large, docile tarantulas have a tendency
to develop a scablike lesion on the lower
surface of the opisthosoma. It may be in
response to abrasion from gravel or other
coarse substrate, or may merely be a
congenital deformity. Once formed, this
lesion grows and eventually ruptures and
kills the animal. This rupturing usually
occurs during molting, but the authors
know of one instance when the tarantula
apparently burst from eating too much.
The authors have had some limited
experience with this problem, but mini-
This adult female Brachypelma albopilosum died after the
scab on its opisthosoma (abdomen) tore during a molt.
216
mal success in treating it. Other enthusi-
asts who have these animals as pets are
encouraged to experiment and report
their successes or failures in the publica-
tions of either the American Tarantula
Society (Forum Magazine) or the British
Tarantula Society (Journal).
In an effort to prevent the develop-
ment of this condition, it is recom-
mended that these tarantulas be kept on
soft, nonabrasive substrates. Soft peat
or shredded coconut husk is recom-
mended. Those animals that are already
suffering the condition should definitely
be moved to such a substrate. In addi-
tion, the scab might be softened with
applications of some moisturizing salve,
especially during the weeks preceding a
molt. The enthusiast might also try an
application of pure glycerine with a cot-
ton-tipped swab. Application should be
done two or three times per week before
a molt, and at least once a month other
times. Be very cautious not to allow any
glycerine into the book lungs.
Infectious Matters
With one significant exception there
are no reports of concerted, scientific
attempts to diagnose or treat infectious
agents in tarantulas. That single excep-
tion was the Research Institute for Exotic
Species Microbiology started by an
enthusiast, Larry Boyd in 2003. It ceased
operations in 2005. As with most taran-
tula related endeavors, the principal rea-
sons were lack of adequate funding and
too great a workload on the participants.
Tarantulas almost surely suffer infec-
tions, but with the exception of only two
or three, we haven’t the foggiest idea of
what they are, and almost the same level
of understanding of how to treat them.
Proper care beforehand is not only the
defense of choice, but virtually the only
defense we have.
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
Fungal Infections. When tarantulas
are kept too moist, and especially with
poor ventilation, they are (not too sur-
prisingly) prone to die. On occasion, the
dead tarantula may be seen to sprout
the cottony strands of a fungus. It is only
natural, though erroneous, for the enthu-
siast to assume that the tarantula died of
a fungus infection. Little thought is given
to the fact that a piece of bread placed
in the same cage will also grow a fungal
mycelium. Did the fungus also kill the
bread?
Making hasty, uninformed diagnoses
such as these has two bad repercus-
sions. First, it lulls both the diagnoser
and their followers into a false sense of
security that is deceptive and disarming.
Secondly, it confounds proper treat-
ment. What is treated as a fungus may in
fact be a bacterium that would easily
respond to treatment by a different
agent. The result is an expensive, dead
tarantula.
It is possible that tarantulas kept too
moist might contract fungus infections in
the same manner as soldiers who must
wage war in the tropics. So, the first line
of defense is almost surely to dry out the
tarantula whenever possible, and
improve its care practices so that it
never becomes that wet again.
For the most part, fungal infections
appear as small, cottony tufts in the
joints in the legs or between body plates
or as more or less dry deformations on
the exoskeleton. If a patch of the taran-
tula’s exoskeleton, usually on the ventral
surface, develops a dry, wrinkled, or
pebbled appearance reminiscent of an
orange peel, especially associated with
severe bristle loss in the area that cannot
be explained by mere abrasion alone,
the diagnosis is a fungal infection.
Appearance of light-colored, cottony
growths should also result in a diagnosis
Page 217
IMPORTANT WARNING
The normal inclination is to tend to
the sick tarantula first.
RESIST THIS TEMPTATION!
Treating a sick tarantula first conta-
minates you and anything that you
subsequently touch with the pathogen.
This in turn imperils any healthy taran-
tulas you may contact thereafter.
Always treat a sick tarantula
absolutely last!
of a fungal infection. Marshall (2001) also
says that a gray area on the tarantula’s
exoskeleton that cannot be washed off
should also be considered a fungal
infection. These authors would further
require that the gray area show signs of
growth or increased infection.
Fungus infections are most easily
treated by swabbing the infected area
with a 1 percent gentian violet solution.
Gentian violet is a relatively inexpensive,
common remedy sold over the counter at
most larger pharmacies. A solution of
methylene blue might also work as well,
but is often more difficult to obtain. Both
dyes are well known treatments for fungal
infections, as well as staining clothing and
skin. Both dyes are suspected or have
been demonstrated to be carcinogenic to
some degree as well. Wear rubber gloves
and old clothing when using them.
Nystatin is an antibiotic frequently
used to treat human fungal infections. It
is available in several different forms
over the counter in some countries, only
by prescription in others. See your doc-
tor or a veterinarian if this is the case.
Reportedly, it will work on tarantulas as
well as humans. However, as with most
tarantula medical problems, there is no
database to help form a treatment
method or gauge its efficacy. You’re on
your own, here. Use the same methods
217
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TIP
We recommend against directly han-
dling any of the Old World tarantulas
(e.g., genus Hysterocrates). Most will
not allow themselves to be handled
without a fight and constant strug-
gling with an attendant risk of injuring
them, and many of them have med-
ically significant bites (discussed on
page 192). Thus, either you or the
tarantula are likely to suffer injury.
Use the described candy tub method,
instead.
YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!
for application as outlined for gentian
violet. Although Nystatin may be more
difficult to obtain, it does have the
advantage of not staining everything
purple and there is some indication that
it works better than gentian violet.
These authors have heard of anecdo-
tal reports of common fungicidal med-
ications used for athlete’s foot being
used successfully as well.
Bacterial Infections. Bacterial infec-
tions are almost always moist and may
be recognized as an oily or mucilaginous
slime on the tarantula’s surface or by
the loss of bristles with a decidedly
moist appearance to the underlying
exoskeleton. Wetness signals a bacterial
infection.
Gentian violet may work on these as
well, but other medications are available
over the counter that work much better.
In a local pharmacy, look for topical
salves that are intended for treating
minor cuts and scrapes on humans.
These should contain one or more of the
antibiotics Neomycin, Bacitracin, and
Polymyxin B, and others. Preparations
containing more than one antibiotic may
be preferable because they are effective
against a broader spectrum of sensitive
218
organisms. If any preparation also con-
tains Nystatin, so much the better in
case a fungal component is present to
the infection.
Candy Tub. Treating any fungal or
bacterial infection almost always
requires dabbing or swabbing the med-
ication on the infected areas with a cot-
ton-tipped swab. There are several
problems with this. First, the enthusiast
must be able to pick up and control the
tarantula well enough to not injure the
spider and not be bitten in the process
(an important consideration with many
kinds). A second problem involves the
extremely irritating bristles of many New
World tarantulas (e.g., the goliaths—
Theraphosa blondi and T. apophysis). A
last problem is that if gentian violet or
methylene blue are used they irreversibly
stain everything they contact a deep,
intense purple or blue including, but not
limited to, the floor, the walls, the table-
top, the enthusiast’s clothing, the enthu-
siast . . . Well, you get the picture.
The average-sized tarantulas may be
manipulated and treated with the help of
a transparent, plastic delicatessen cup
similar to the ubiquitous “chip dip” con-
tainer. These are rather flat and wide and
tend to constrain the movements of the
tarantula. If you intend to keep one of
the “swamp dwellers” (see page 244), or
if you choose to keep any tarantula’s
substrate damp, you should seek out
such a container well in advance of actu-
ally requiring it. There is a high probabil-
ity that you will need it sooner or later.
Choose a container in which both the
cup and the lid are clear and colorless
so the enclosed tarantula can be clearly
seen from all directions. Delicatessens
are good sources for these.
A number of strategically placed holes
at least one-quarter inch (six millimeters)
in diameter should be melted in the con-
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
tainer with a hot nail or other piece of
metal, or punched with a hole punch or
similar device. These should perforate all
sides, the bottom, and the cover to allow
easy access to all surfaces of an
enclosed tarantula regardless of its orien-
tation. The tarantula is captured by
merely dropping the container over it
from the top and the lid is slid under to
trap the spider. All surfaces of the taran-
tula can be inspected through the clear
plastic, even with a low-power hand lens.
A cotton-tipped swab with any medica-
tions can be inserted through any conve-
nient hole and swabbed onto the
tarantula in the appropriate places.
The two goliaths and other gargan-
tuan tarantulas may be treated in the
same fashion if an appropriately sized
container can be found. Some plastic
candy tubs from a local convenience
store or transparent, plastic food con-
tainers from the kitchen might be useful.
Otherwise, the enthusiast must resort
to picking the tarantula up in hand and
applying the solution directly. This is not
an easy maneuver unless both the han-
dler and the handled are accustomed to
the procedure. Now the enthusiast may
begin to appreciate a little better the
section on handling on page 184.
If you are acquiring one of the really
huge tarantulas, we recommend that
you handle or manipulate it often once it
is large enough to span a coffee cup so
that both it and you will be comfortable
with the process when such an emer-
gency arises. (And, rest assured, these
emergencies will arise.) Among those
tarantulas living in steam baths, these
infections are common enough and the
giants expensive enough to warrant the
extra trouble.
As a safety measure, as soon as
treatment is started, the cage should be
thoroughly cleaned and disinfected fol-
Page 219
TIP
In contrast to skin infections among
humans, those on tarantulas do not
get better and slowly disappear over
a period of several days to weeks as
they heal. The disturbed parts of the
exoskeleton remain until the tarantula
molts again. (See “Ecdysis/Molting”
on page 32.) For particularly severe
infections the distressed area may
not disappear for several molts. The
presence of a disturbed area on the
tarantula’s exoskeleton is not a signal
of an active infection unless it is moist
or grows with time.
lowing the guidelines under “Cleaning”
on page 179.
How do you know if the treatment is
working? If the infected area continues
to grow or remains moist, you may
assume that the infectious organism is
still active. If the area ceases to grow
and moist infections dry up, you’ve
probably solved the problem.
In severe cases of fungal or bacterial
infections, particularly those that do not
respond to home treatment, the taran-
tula and all the paraphernalia required to
manipulate, control, and treat it should
be taken to a local, broad-minded veteri-
narian. Their major advantage is access
to medications that are more potent than
those available over the counter, and
their veterinary training will provide a
much better background from which to
approach the problem. Even then,
because of the unfamiliar anatomy and
physiology of the tarantula, they will
have little better idea of what they are
doing than you. With your background
experience and their medical armamen-
tarium, there is greater hope of success-
fully treating a valuable spider. In fact,
because of the probability of the swamp
219
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 220
dwellers developing serious infections
we would urge the keeper to develop a
working relationship with such a veteri-
narian well in advance of actually requir-
ing their services.
Bacterial and fungal infections on a
tarantula cause injury to its exoskeleton.
If severe enough, that injury may result in
scar tissue that may interfere with the
tarantula’s next molt. The enthusiast
should watch carefully during the next
molt for difficulty in casting off the old
exoskeleton. If this occurs consult
with members of the major societies or
Internet forums for instructions. (See
“Resources” on page 359.)
Parasites
In the broadest sense, a parasite is
one organism that gains nutrition or sus-
tenance from another without any com-
pensatory return. And, sad but true,
tarantulas are subject to some particu-
larly gruesome parasites.
Wild-caught tarantulas may have
parasites acquired through active para-
sitism (e.g., the acrocerid flies) and pas-
sive parasitism through their food (e.g.,
roundworm infections). In fact, wild-
caught tarantulas seldom display any
obvious signs of parasitism. In the forty
years of collecting, importing, and selling
pet tarantulas, these authors have had
only two develop a recognizable para-
site, although a small percentage die
from unknown causes.
A distinct advantage of captive-bred
tarantulas is that they are effectively free
of parasites. Most are produced in coun-
tries where tarantulas, and therefore their
parasites, do not exist in the wild. Thus,
the tarantulas are not at risk from that
quarter. In countries where tarantulas do
exist in the wild and may act as a source
of parasites, the breeders are kept in
cages with screen covers, or even micro-
220
screen covers, thus preventing their
exposure to parasitic wasps or flies.
Being fed on cage-raised crickets
with only an occasional wild moth or
beetle, cage bred tarantulas are effec-
tively isolated from food-borne parasites.
Because most cage-bred tarantulas will
never have the opportunity to come into
contact with other tarantulas, any infes-
tations caused by contact are effectively
eliminated. We expect that this parasite-
free status will improve the health of the
tarantula, increasing their ultimate size
and age over that of wild-caught individ-
uals. However, because tarantulas have
only been bred under parasite-free con-
ditions for only a very few decades (less
than a complete lifetime for many
species), there is no good data to con-
firm this supposition.
Hymenoptera, The Wasps. Tarantu-
las are subject to parasitism from a vari-
ety of insects. Perhaps the most famous
are several giant wasps, often called
tarantula hawk wasps by the news
media. Occasionally, enthusiasts who
live in areas where tarantulas occur will
find a tarantula that has just been stung
by one of these wasps. If the tarantula is
rescued and kept in a protected environ-
ment with adequate humidity, it will often
recover from the sting within two to six
months (Breene et al., 1996). See page
108 for more information.
Several other species of wasps in at
least one other family may lay eggs on or
in tarantulas.
Diptera, The Flies. At least one fam-
ily of flies uses this strategy in parasitiz-
ing tarantulas. These are of the family
Acroceridae (Baerg, 1958), and are char-
acterized by two horn like protuberances
on their thorax. These authors have had
two occasions when wild-caught taran-
tulas from the American Southwest have
died as parasitic insect larvae erupted
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
from their opisthosoma. Both individuals
had been in captivity for approximately a
year before their death. These were
almost certainly acrocerids.
If the tarantula doesn’t die from the
stress of being parasitized, all of these
insect parasites kill their weakened hosts
as they emerge, much in the same fash-
ion as the alien in the movies of the same
name (Carroll et al., 1979 and 1986
Swerdlow, 1992). Gruesome is not a
strong enough term for the phenomenon.
Nematomorpha, The Horsehair
Worms. From time to time hobbyists
report the presence of horsehair worms
(also called gordian worms) in tarantulas’
water dishes. These appear to be long,
wiry worms, reminiscent of horse hairs,
writhing slowly in the water. These
almost surely arise from feeder crickets
or other insects. Although enthusiasts
become very distraught upon finding a
horsehair worm in a water dish, there is
virtually no chance that they will pose a
threat to a collection of tarantulas
because of the characteristics of their
reproductive cycle. Experienced enthusi-
asts presume that these arise from the
crickets that were fed the tarantulas, but
thus far this has not been demonstrated.
Nematoda, The Roundworms. As
this book goes to press, the tarantula-
keeping hobby is trying to come to
terms with a “new, improved” infesta-
tion: nematode worms. Nematodes are
primitive nonsegmented worms that are
as prevalent as mites on planet Earth.
Nearly all are microscopic, and some
proportion of them are parasitic. They
include such creatures as heartworms in
dogs, pinworms in humans, and many
noxious plant pests.
For several decades one or more
species of these worms that are preda-
cious or parasitic on insects have been
used for pest control in greenhouses
Page 221
The pupa of an acrocerid fly that had
parasitized a tarantula from Texas.
and by the agriculture industry. These
nematodes pose no threat to humans or
other vertebrates, but they are extremely
infectious among arthropods. Apparently
either these or something like these have
managed to infiltrate the tarantula-keep-
ing hobby, and an increasing number of
enthusiasts are reporting them in their
tarantulas.
Tarantulas that are infected stop eat-
ing, become lethargic, and eventually
suffer a slow death. One characteristic
that nearly all display is a chalky or white
exudate around their mouths. This is a
mass of living nematodes and their eggs
being regurgitated by an extremely sick
tarantula.
As of this writing tarantula enthusiasts
are struggling to find a method for deal-
ing with nematode infections, and the
entire problem and its remedies are far
from being solved or even well defined.
So far there are no reliable cures for
nematode infections in tarantulas. The
novice is warned to examine a potential
pet tarantula carefully for the symptoms
of a nematode infection before purchas-
221
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 222
ing it. If a pet tarantula begins to exhibit
these symptoms, the enthusiast is urged
to contact one of the major tarantula
enthusiast societies or post a query on
one or more of the Internet forums, ask-
ing for the latest information and help.
See “Resources” page 359 for more
information about such organizations
and forums.
Under any circumstances, if a taran-
tula is suspected of carrying or being
infected with nematodes, the following
rules should be observed to prevent the
cross contamination or spread of the
infection to otherwise healthy tarantulas:
• If a tarantula or a cage is handled that
is suspected of being infected with
nematodes, do not touch any other
tarantulas or their cages until after you
can bathe and change clothes.
• Isolate the sick or suspect tarantula.
Place it in a completely different part
of the building from any other tarantu-
las you may have. Do not use the
same utensils or equipment for your
other tarantulas that you use for the
suspect one.
• Always inspect and care for the sus-
pect tarantula last, after dealing with
the healthy ones, never before.
Always wash your hands, even bathe
and change clothes, after dealing with
the sick or suspect tarantula. This is
generally most easily accomplished with
a little forethought and scheduling. For
instance, a good strategy might be to
care for the sick or suspect tarantula just
before an evening bath, or a morning
shower before going to work or school.
Doubtless, there are many other
species of animals that parasitize taran-
tulas. Potential candidates may include
protozoa, roundworms (Nematoda), flat-
worms (Platyhelminthes), and a host of
less-well-known groups. The parasitol-
ogy of tarantulas is very poorly known (is
222
this beginning to sound repetitive?), and
there is no exhaustive catalogue of the
species of tarantula parasites, much less
any knowledge of possible cures. For
the most part, if a tarantula has a para-
site, it has only two options. It must
either outlive it, or die with it.
Vermin
Acari: Mites. The mites are another
branch of the arachnids, the umbrella
group that also contains the scorpions
and harvestmen among others, as well
as spiders and tarantulas. In many ways
they resemble the spiders, and some
arachnologists even suspect they may be
the next evolutionary step beyond them.
There are literally thousands of different
kinds of mites. Some are parasites (e.g.,
chiggers on humans, sarcoptic mange
on dogs, and spider mites on house-
plants), and many are merely other crea-
tures with which we share this planet.
Mites of many different kinds are
living right in our homes without our
knowledge or consent. They also live
on and in our pets, the vegetables that
we eat, the grass and soil in our flower
beds and yards, on the birds that visit
the bird feeder in the backyard, and
even on us. Any breeze can carry mites
or mite eggs for several feet, miles, or
across continents.
Occasionally, enthusiasts report
infestations of tiny white or tan mites in
their tarantulas’ cages (Browning, 1981;
Marshall, 2001). Their similarity to spi-
Never Attempt to Eradicate
the Mites with a Pesticide!
Mites and spiders, including your
tarantula, are so closely related that
there are no pesticides that will kill
one without killing the other.
YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 223

ders causes enthusiasts many problems

TIP
because many common mites flourish in
Cricket farms are engaged in endless
the same conditions required by tarantu-
combat against mites. Fully half their
las. Furthermore, because they are so
payroll is spent in the name of mite
much like spiders, there are few differ-
suppression. But, the mites exist in
ences that can be exploited to control
the billions, reproduce in the trillions,
their propensity for geometric reproduc-
and are perpetually on the march. For
tion. And therein lies the rub, for we
every adult mite that is destroyed
must feed our tarantulas and they must
there are literally hundreds hatching
have other interactions with the rest of
to take its place. Eradicate them from
the world, and all of those interactions
a cage or even an entire building and
expose them to mite infestations. There
within hours, certainly days, they will
is no escaping it: It’s part of life on Earth.
have reinfested.
Three things are certain about the
Most important to this discussion,
mites that infest tarantula cages. They
each of the crickets that we feed our
are an unsightly nuisance, they irritate
tarantulas arrives with a small but
our pets, and they will eventually cause
definite complement of mites or mite
their deaths.
eggs on its body. Every time we feed
Exactly how they kill tarantulas has not
our pets we reintroduce another seed
been established, only that they do and
colony of mites.
that everyone who keeps tarantulas must
Our problem isn’t the mere pres-
do whatever is necessary to keep the
ence of mites—it’s a mite population
mites from enjoying the reproductive
explosion that distresses us. We
frenzy in which they excel. Possible
can’t eliminate them. All we can do is
modes for killing tarantulas include fouling
control their numbers by proper hus-
and plugging the tarantula’s book lungs
bandry and care practices.
and mouth with their cast exuvia and fae-
Once we understand these basic
ces, and irritating the soft membranes of
facts we can deal with mites effec-
the book lungs and the leg’s joints.
tively.
Most of these mites are normal com-
mensals with the crickets that we feed to
our pets (West, 1995), and we reseed
the tarantulas’ cages every time we feed fact is that nearly microscopic bits of
them. When conditions are correct in the food are almost as large as the mites
tarantula’s cage, the mites multiply themselves, and only a few such micro-
uncontrollably. They can be suppressed, scopic food particles are capable of sup-
though seldom eliminated, with a thor- plying a bonanza of food for a host of
ough cage cleaning, stricter sanitation, mites. As appendages fall off injured or
and better husbandry practices. dead crickets, as minute particles fall off
A common misconception by enthu- the tarantula’s food boluses, a nearly
siasts is that if the cage is kept clean, invisible pantry is stocked for the mites.
mites will have little or no food on which Most mites are very tiny, as men-
to live, and the tarantula keeper need tioned above, and difficult to see in the
never fear an infestation. This is blatantly tarantula’s cage. We do have a good
wrong, and will only serve to lull the method for detecting them however.
keeper into a sense of false security. The Merely make regular inspections once a
223
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 224
TIP
Mites and springtails are easily con-
fused by the enthusiast. They are
about the same size, both may appear
as tiny white specks in the beam of a
flashlight, and both may fall into the
water dish to form a raft of faintly col-
ored or colorless, clear granules.
Springtails seems to jump and dis-
appear in the beam of a flashlight.
Mites merely crawl. Springtails also
possess a distinct “tail” when viewed
under a magnifying lens; mites do
not.
Mites are a much greater threat
than springtails.
month. If we are keeping members of
the “swamp dwelling” tarantulas (e.g.,
Theraphosa blondi, the goliath birdeater
tarantula), we should perform the test
much more frequently, perhaps once a
week.
In the middle of the night, after the
lights have been out for several hours,
get up without turning on the room lights
(which would interfere with your night
vision) and shine a common flashlight
through the sides of the cage while you
look carefully through the front. Can
microscopic points of light be seen
slowly moving over the substrate, deco-
rations, or across the cage walls? If so,
you’ve just spotted your first mites. If
not, look closely around the water dish
or any food remains. Be patient and look
quite closely for any signs of movement.
If you see nothing, smile blissfully and go
back to bed.
Another strong indicator of a mite
infestation is a small raft of what appears
to be transparent granular dust floating
in the water dish. These are mites that
were seeking the water and fell in. The
appearance of such a raft should imme-
224
diately precipitate at least a midnight
inspection if not an immediate cleaning.
(But see first “Collembola, The Spring-
tails” on page 233.)
How does one exterminate the mites
without harming the tarantula? If you see
mites you must make an effort to clean
the cage as soon as possible. Although
it normally isn’t necessary to do so at
3:00 in the morning, the cage should be
cleaned at the earliest available opportu-
nity, no later than the very next week-
end. Read the section “This Means War”
on page 181 for specific instructions.
The swamp dwellers (see page 244)
pose a special problem because they
cannot survive for extended periods of
time in a lower humidity without acclima-
tization. For these, a spare cage should
be set up and kept dry until it is needed.
When mites are found with the tarantula,
the spare cage is dampened, the taran-
tula switched to it, and the contaminated
cage thoroughly cleaned for next time.
There are other ways of sanitizing
cages and decorations, but most of them
are either inconvenient, ineffective, or
even dangerous. For instance, these
authors have heard of people who baked
their cages and substrate in conventional
ovens. This can pose a serious fire haz-
ard, and damage plastic and glass cages.
It can also raise a powerful stench, an
issue about which your spouse or house-
mate might have a differing opinion.
Others have used some truly exotic
chemicals in trying to quell mite infesta-
tions. One such case involved a hospital
employee who sterilized her pet’s cage
and decorations with ethylene oxide
when her supervisor wasn’t looking!
Besides endangering her job, this was
largely an exercise in futility because she
reseeded another population of mites
the very next time she fed the tarantula.
A good cleaning and a change in care
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
practices would have accomplished
more.
Another strategy involves using a cot-
ton-tipped swab and either rubbing (iso-
propyl) alcohol or petroleum jelly.
Besides being dangerous to the tarantula
(the alcohol, for instance, could kill the
tarantula if you accidentally get it into its
book lungs), it’s also largely ineffective.
The few mites that might be removed
from the tarantula’s exterior are only a
minuscule percentage of those that are
either too small to be seen or hiding deep
in the book lungs or crevices in the taran-
tula’s exoskeleton. Don’t waste your time
and jeopardize your tarantula.
Some enthusiasts have reported some
success in giving their tarantulas a
shower! They hold the tarantula under a
gentle stream of room temperature tap
water, sometimes rubbing recalcitrant
mites off with their fingers or a soft artist’s
brush. This will work only with the most
gentle, easily handled hand pets (perhaps
neither with your goliath birdeater taran-
tula, Theraphosa blondi, nor Usumbura
baboon tarantula, Pterinochilus murinus!).
And, the stress of being subjected to
such abuse can kill the tarantula, espe-
cially if it is already near death. Most
important, it will remove only the few
mites that can be seen on the tarantula’s
exterior, leaving the majority of the hordes
to reproduce in the substrate and hidden
in the crevices of their host. We do not
recommend this treatment except under
extreme circumstances.
If you let things progress to the point
where the tarantula is literally crawling
with mites, you must work very fast to
save your pet. Here, tackling the prob-
lem at 3:00 in the morning is clearly justi-
fied. Read that to mean “Do it now!”
Set up a small cage with only a layer
of fresh substrate, escape-proof cover,
and the water dish, nothing else. Move
Page 225
the tarantula into this secondary cage
while cleaning the original cage. Do
nothing to retard ventilation or retard the
drying of the substrate.
Thoroughly clean the original cage
with bleach water (following the instruc-
tions on page 181), then set it up with
only a thin layer of substrate and a water
dish (exactly as in the secondary cage,
above). Don’t forget to clean the cover,
which will also likely be infested. Again,
do nothing to retard ventilation or retard
the drying of the substrate. After two
days move the tarantula from the sec-
ondary cage back to the cleaned, original
cage. Repeat this process as many times
as necessary to eliminate the mites.
The working principle here is that the
mites will move around somewhat every
night, and that in their travels a large
percentage of them will leave the taran-
tula and become lost in the substrate.
When you remove the tarantula and
clean the cage, you also remove and
discard those mites. After a string of
such changes the mite population in
both cages and on the tarantula will
eventually drop to nearly nothing. This
should happen especially quickly
because you are doing nothing to retard
ventilation or to increase the humidity in
the tarantula’s cage. The mites will des-
iccate and die in even larger numbers.
TIP
Like in-laws and the neighbor’s cat,
you can never really get rid of all
mites permanently. You should make
a practice of performing a middle-of-
the-night mite inspection once a
month. If you are keeping members
of the “swamp dwelling” tarantulas
(see page 244), you should perform
the test much more frequently, per-
haps once a week.
225
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 226
To verify this, you should make a
practice of checking for mites every sec-
ond evening that the tarantula is in one
cage or the other. As soon as no mites
are evident, you may consider it time to
set up the original cage as permanent
quarters again. Even then you should
make a practice of checking for mites in
the original cage about once a week for
the next several months, just to be sure
that their breeding frenzy has been
quelled.
Occasionally enthusiasts will try to
trap the infesting mites in droplets of oil.
One such method involves placing a
drop of mineral oil on the tarantula. The
hypothesis is that, as the mites move
around the tarantula’s body, they will
eventually contact the oil droplet and be
drowned. There are at least two prob-
lems with this treatment. First, we have
no idea what effect the mineral oil will
have on the tarantula as it cleans itself,
smearing the oil around, or if it ingests
the oil. Second, the oil droplet will
destroy only those mites that get onto
the tarantula and come into direct con-
tact with the oil. That will leave a poten-
tial population of thousands of mites
untouched in the cage and on the taran-
tula to continue the breeding frenzy.
Within the last several decades
another method of dealing with mite
infestations in arachnid cages has
emerged as an offshoot of the agricul-
tural industry: predatory mites. The good
news is that these actually work. The
bad news is that they commonly cost no
small amount of money, especially when
the courier fees are factored in, and
although they work, they are usually not
a permanent solution to the problem.
Their expense and bother might be justi-
fied for some of the “swamp dweller”
tarantulas like Theraphosa blondi, but it
is almost always cheaper, easier, and
226
more effective merely to clean up your
tarantula-keeping act in the first place.
The species that has the best reputa-
tion for controlling mites in a tarantula’s
cage is Hypoaspis miles. This mite preys
on a wide range of mites as well as fun-
gus gnats and other small arthropods
living in the tarantula’s cage (Elliott,
1996, West, 1995). Under optimal condi-
tions they will destroy all infesting mites
within a very few days. They will live for
some time thereafter by preying on
whatever other small creatures they can
find, even eating algae, plant debris, and
each other. Although they have been
observed crawling on tarantulas, they
apparently do not harm them (West,
1995).
These mites or their close relatives
probably exist in the wild over much of
North America, perhaps the entire
planet. Thus, it is possible that some
hobbyists, especially those with larger
collections, may already have a few of
these mites resident. This poses the
question “How would the enthusiast be
able to distinguish the predatory mites
from the nuisance species?”
There is probably no certain way of
distinguishing them without sending pre-
served specimens to a professional
acarologist for an identification. These
may be found at major universities, gov-
ernment-operated agricultural research
facilities, and local, governmental agri-
culture offices. Look in the government
pages of your local telephone book.
Contact these institutions and facilities
for names and locations of researchers
with this expertise.
Next, note if the mites that are found
in the cage are slow-moving, white or
cream-colored, round creatures that
tend to congregate around food
sources, or if they’re teardrop shaped
with the pointed end being the front end,
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
rust or orange colored, and very fast
moving. The former are the “bad” mites
that enthusiasts soon learn to hate. The
latter could be the predatory ones that
are desirable.
If round, slow-moving mites are
found, samples may be sent to an
acarologist for identification, but the
cage should be cleaned and sanitized
immediately (see above). If the other
mites are seen, do not clean the cage.
Send samples to an expert with a note
of urgency and clean the cage only if the
mites appear to be irritating the taran-
tula. If in doubt, temporarily move the
tarantula into another cage, leaving the
original cage alone until a response is
received from the acarologist. If the
response indicates that the mites are a
predatory kind, there is a strong argu-
ment in favor of introducing them to
other cages as a preventive measure,
especially if they seem not to bother the
tarantula.
Before ordering commercially pro-
duced predatory mites from out of state,
province, or country, contact local and
national agriculture authorities about the
necessity of permits. Such permits often
require many weeks to be issued. If your
tarantulas are at high risk of developing
a mite infestation (e.g., you are keeping
Theraphosa blondi or Hysterocrates
gigas in a very moist cage), you should
consider applying for a permit that is
valid for a year or more, well in advance.
In a crisis this will allow you to order a
culture of the predatory mites without a
lengthy delay.
For an enthusiast with one or two
tarantulas and several hundred infesting
mites, predatory mites may not be an
economical solution. For the aficionado
with several hundred tarantulas, or sev-
eral tarantulas that are each worth sev-
eral hundred dollars, and a rampant mite
Page 227
epidemic, predatory mites might be the
treatment of choice.
Where does one get predatory mites?
The pioneering company is Applied Bio-
nomics in Sidney, British Columbia,
Canada. As of this writing, they still mar-
ket H. miles as well as other species
intended for the agricultural industry.
Predatory mites are now also sold by
other companies, and enthusiasts who
are interested in using them should con-
tact local or international enthusiast
organizations (listed on page 360) for
local sources that do not require time-
consuming, expensive permits.
But how does one avoid getting mites
in the first place? The most obvious dif-
ference between mites and tarantulas,
from the enthusiast’s perspective at
least, is that mites are minute and (by
comparison) tarantulas are enormous!
And, it turns out that this provides
almost the only means of controlling the
mites’ numbers.
Tarantulas are massive creatures with
thick exoskeletons that are nearly imper-
vious to water loss, and the tarantulas
contain comparatively large amounts of
water in their tissues. Thus, not only do
they not lose a lot of precious water
through their exoskeletons, but they
have large reserves to help carry them
through relatively long, dry periods.
Most mites, on the other hand, are
minute. In many cases the size of the
entire mite is comparable to the thick-
ness of a tarantula’s exoskeleton alone.
Therefore, a mite’s exoskeleton is
extremely thin and loses water with reck-
less abandon, and because they are so
small they have very little reserve water
stored in their bodies. They can mum-
mify in minutes if exposed to dry air, and
a mummified mite doesn’t reproduce.
This should immediately suggest a
way to promote the survival of your
227
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TIP
Several enthusiasts have reported
that moist terrariums used for the
swamp dwellers (see page 244) sel-
dom, if ever, suffer mite infestations if
isopods (see page 182) are allowed
to cohabit with the tarantula.
tarantula and suppress the reproduction
of mites, and it is the foundation for our
basic technique for caring for tarantulas:
Keep the cage as dry as possible to
retard mite population explosions. But,
because tarantulas must have some
source of water to drink sooner or later
or they’ll die, too, supply the tarantula
with a water dish. Virtually all tarantulas
will soon learn where the water dish is
and what it’s good for. Being orders of
magnitude smaller and much more liable
to dessication, mites aren’t anywhere
near so lucky. The overwhelming major-
ity of mites will dry and die long before
they can find the water dish.
The fact that your tarantula cage
developed a mite infestation strongly
suggests that you’re doing something
wrong. In the vast majority of instances
that would be keeping the substrate
damp. Stop doing whatever it is that
keeps the substrate damp, stop misting,
open the cage top a little to allow more
ventilation, get rid of the live plants.
Whatever it takes!
Lastly, be forewarned! As spring
approaches, the daylight hours get
longer each day. After a long, cold winter
there is an indication that temperatures
outside will begin to moderate soon. Be
forewarned that this is the time of the
year when we are at greatest peril of mite
plagues. The lengthening daylight hours
and rising temperatures can trigger a
case of rampant mite reproductivity that
puts rabbits and houseflies to shame.
228
All year long a fresh supply of these
varmints have been introduced every
time crickets were fed to our tarantulas.
And, although almost all die quickly in a
dry cage, a very few manage to survive
either on the tarantula or in some pro-
tected micro-habitat in the cage (another
good reason not to use live plants).
Thus, they’re already present, just lying
in wait. Because many of us aren’t as
conscientious about keeping our pet’s
cages as spotless as we might be,
there’s usually lots of food ready for
them as well.
During late winter or very early spring
it’s time to consider cleaning out your
pets’ cages. As spring approaches,
most tarantulas enter the molting sea-
son. Cleaning the cages then will provide
a much more desirable place in which to
molt, with fewer vermin to reinfest a
tarantula right after the molt. That’s also
our best chance to head off a mere nui-
sance before it develops into a whole-
sale plague. If you have any question
about whether or not you should clean
the cage, you’ve probably already
reached the point where you should. Do
it now and avoid the rush.
Diptera: Phoridae, Humpbacked
Flies (also called Scuttle Flies). There
are one or more species of small fly,
belonging to the family Phoridae, that
occasionally infest tarantulas and their
cages.
On one occasion, these authors had
three broods of tarantulas, totaling
almost a thousand, in plastic vials. In
keeping with the practice of the day, the
vials were loosely filled with sphagnum
moss, and were kept very moist.
Coincidentally, a shipment of adult
tarantulas was received from a dealer.
When they arrived, a number of small
brown flies, resembling pomace flies
(Drosophila melanogaster, colloquially
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
also called fruit flies), arrived in the ship-
ping containers with them. The adult
tarantulas were unpacked and placed in
their respective cages. No particular
attention was given the flies.
A week later, in the course of feeding
the spiderlings, an abundance of fly lar-
vae were noticed in the vials, and an
inordinate number of spiderlings had
disappeared. Within another two days,
before clean empty vials could be set up
and the spiderlings moved, all but about
one hundred spiderlings had been killed
by the fly larvae. Those spiderlings that
were kept in drier vials survived. The
more moist vials allowed the fly larvae to
thrive and kill the spiderlings.
The flies and their larvae were also
seen to infest dead and dying crickets,
both in the crickets’ holding cage and in
the tarantulas’ cages.
Now we are much wiser. Spiderlings
are kept on moist peat or shredded
coconut husk, not wet moss. Although
not absolutely dry, their bottles are kept
only slightly moist, and checked often,
both for moisture and fly larvae. For the
last several years no such flies have
been seen in the authors’ collection.
Subsequently, these flies were identi-
fied as belonging to the family Phoridae,
the humpbacked flies, and have been
reported by other enthusiasts as well
(Marshall, 2001). These flies are some-
times confused with other flies that also
infest tarantulas’ cages from time to
time.
It may be argued that this was a
peculiar, even unique event, hardly worth
mentioning. However, these authors
have received several additional ship-
ments of tarantulas from different dealers
over the years that were infested with the
same flies. In fact, in some dealers’ ware-
houses, adult tarantulas were found that
were being eaten alive by the flies’ mag-
Page 229
gots. Furthermore, it has been reported
that virtually every wild-caught Thera-
phosa blondi is infested with phorid flies
and must be picked over very carefully to
remove the maggots. Clearly, this is a
problem of gravity, especially when the
tarantulas in question are as expensive
as T. blondi.
Because dealers often trade stock
and sometimes order cooperatively to
gain a price advantage, the probability is
high that they will, sooner or later, also
inadvertently trade starter cultures of
these flies. Thus, phorid flies represent a
distinct, continuing threat to the taran-
tula-breeding hobby and business.
Unpack all newly acquired tarantulas
in a building that is separate from your
main collection of tarantulas. If the con-
tainers are transparent, inspect the con-
tainers, any included substrate or cotton
balls, and the tarantulas themselves
before opening them. Look for small flies
or signs of eggs or maggots among the
bristles near the pedicel, median fovea,
or leg bases. Only after the tarantulas
are certified free of them should they be
brought into the same building as the
main collection.
If at any time small brown flies resem-
bling fruit flies are noticed around the
collection, and especially if small fly
maggots are seen in the vials or bottles
with the spiderlings, or on dead or dying
crickets, immediate action is required.
Clean each cage, bottle, and vial to
remove all traces of dead crickets and
other detritus. Immediately move all
tarantulas, especially the spiderlings,
into cleaner, drier quarters.
Thereafter, daily inspect all tarantulas
in the collection for eggs or maggots.
Remove them carefully with a fine-tipped
artist’s brush dipped in mild soapy
water, or gently scrape them off with the
blade of a small knife. (Need we say “Be
229
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careful not to cut the tarantula”?) The
tarantula will not appreciate such abuse,
and may lose patience with your minis-
trations. Do not be alarmed by this. The
family dog will bite if teased too much,
as well. Phorid flies are discussed again
on page 355.
Diptera: Sciaridae, Fungus Gnats.
These are frequent pests in tarantula
cages in which the substrate is kept
damp. They are commonly only about
one-eighth inch (three millimeters) long.
Compared with the other two types of
flies commonly found in tarantula cages
these are rather thin and dainty. Their
maggots normally eat decaying vegeta-
tion, but in our cages they are suspected
of also eating spent food boluses and
the occasional dead cricket that doesn’t
dry immediately. Their principal breeding
ground is the soil in household potted
plants. They are generally considered
harmless to the tarantulas and merely an
aesthetic pest by humans.
Diptera: Drosophilidae, Pomace
Flies, (also called Fruit Flies, Vinegar
Gnats). These are an exceedingly numer-
ous group of flies. The species that arach-
noculturists normally find in their cages is
Drosophila melanogaster, the pomace
fly or common fruit fly. It is attracted to
overripe fruit primarily, and to overripe,
dead crickets and spent food boluses
secondarily. Although having these flying
around one’s cages is a bit disconcerting,
they pose no threat to tarantulas.
Psocoptera, The Booklice. On sev-
eral occasions, the authors’ tarantulas
experienced a plague of booklice.
“Books get lice?” you ask incredu-
lously. Yes, booklice. Technically these
are called psocids (pronounced soak-
ids) and belong to the insect order Pso-
coptera. They are minute, cream- or
tan-colored insects that are most
famous for living in very old books in
230
libraries where the principal food is
bookbinder’s paste and the odd crumb
left by the library’s patrons. Psocids do
not require liquid water. They will thrive
quite nicely on minuscule amounts of
water contained in their food, and the
water that their bodies produce as they
metabolize the carbohydrates in the
book’s paste. They also require a rela-
tively high humidity.
In the tarantulas’ cages, these little
varmints find a nearly infinite cornucopia
of incredibly rich food. The psocids
thrive by eating the remains of dead
crickets, the discarded food boluses left
over after the tarantula’s meal, and per-
haps even the tarantula’s feces. In even
a spotlessly clean cage there is a ban-
quet, compared with some dry tome on
a library shelf.
They became evident when many
tarantulas stood up on the tips of their
toes, so to speak, with their opistho-
soma held high in the air. It was an odd
stance for a tarantula at rest in its cage.
Close inspection revealed the psocids
hiding in the substrate and even crawling
on the tarantulas.
Fortunately, the psocids were easy to
eradicate because they have lost all tol-
erance for liquid water. They drown
extremely easily. Merely washing every-
thing in the cage exterminated them.
Formicidae, Ants. The interaction
between tarantulas and ants has always
been a turbulent one at best. In nature,
tarantulas almost never have anything to
do with ants, generally avoiding contact
with them. On only a very few instances
have tarantulas been reported to eat
ants, and tarantula burrows are seldom
found near ant colonies.
Some ants are strictly vegetarians,
seldom posing a significant threat to
captive tarantulas. Those ants that are
omnivorous or carnivorous pose a dan-
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
An anti-ant shelf. A serviceable solution
to an ant infestation: A secondary shelf
suspended away from all other objects
and standing in bottle caps of oil.
gerous menace, however, forming
marauding armies bent on dismantling
anything edible, including a pet tarantula,
and carrying it back to their colony piece-
meal. Although marauding ants are more
often a problem in the tropics than in
more temperate areas, it is possible for
them to be serious pests as far north as
southern Canada during warm weather.
The problem is that tarantulas have
no defense against marauding ants
except to abandon the burrow to escape
them. In the confines of a cage, there is
no escape, and once the tarantula is
found by ants, neither is there any relief
but death.
All is not lost, however, if the ant inva-
sion is recognized soon enough. Many
ants cannot pass through common win-
dow screening. If this is true of your par-
ticular infestation, you must merely
enclose the tarantula cages in ant-proof
screen enclosures or fit the cages with
ant proof lids. Unfortunately, this is
much easier said than done. All cracks
and holes must be closed or sealed. In
the home, there can be no gaps around
windows, doors, side walls, or vents.
If window screening is no barrier, a
similar product often called microscreen
in the hobby may be the answer. Micro-
screen is simply screen with mesh sizes
much smaller than common window
screen, and usually made of brass or
stainless steel, occasionally of nylon,
polypropylene, and similar fibers. Unfor-
tunately, microscreen is not easily
acquired and when found can be quite
expensive. Small pieces of it are used in
funnels intended for decanting gasoline,
and it is used by industry as a relatively
Page 231
fine filtering or sifting medium in a variety
of manufacturing processes. Some
larger hardware stores and farm-supply
stores stock it.
Warning: Although microscreen
might be a barrier for ants there is no
guarantee that it will be a barrier for
tarantulas.
It turns out that microscreen is only
one name for this product, and not well
known at that. As a result, when inquir-
ing about it, a lengthy description should
also be given to make certain that the
listener will understand what is wanted.
Such a description might include such
phrases as “extra fine window screen,”
“filter screening,” and “number 60 or 80
mesh.” Additionally, the fact that it is
made of brass or stainless steel might
also be included.
Major problems with sealing tarantu-
las in ant-proof cages are that they are
then much more difficult to clean, feed,
and maintain; and the general appear-
ance of the collection is degraded by the
appearance of the ant proofing.
There are other recourses as well.
Very few ants actually live in our homes.
Most live out of doors in the vicinity. If
the location of the home colony of the
231
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 232
marauding ants can be located, it can be
destroyed, thus cutting off the invasion
at the source.
Ants seldom wander about haphaz-
ardly. Only the first scout wanders freely.
All succeeding ants follow the scout’s
and each other’s scent trails. Therefore,
if every effort is made to wash away the
trails, the invasion can be halted. Hot,
soapy water with a touch of ammonia
added often works as a deterrent when
used liberally on the exterior surfaces of
buildings, on interior walls and floors,
and especially on the surfaces of the fur-
niture supporting the tarantula cages
and on the exteriors of the cages them-
selves. In cases of really persistent or
severe infestations, some enthusiasts
have resorted to moving the tarantula
cages to another building.
There are stories of eighteenth- and
nineteenth-century explorers who were
so fearful of army and driver ants (e.g.,
genera Eciton and Dorylus) that they
slept in beds whose legs were set in
buckets of kerosene. The buckets of
kerosene served as moats around the
bed frame’s legs to protect the sleeper.
The veracity of this story has yet to be
confirmed, but the principle is the impor-
tant point.
A detail of one of the feet of the anti-ant
shelf. The suspended shelf stands on
long screws in caps nearly filled with oil.
232
Setting the tarantula cage on a shelf
that stands on long screws partly
screwed into the shelf, and standing in
large bottle caps of oil, works well for iso-
lating tarantula cages from an ant inva-
sion. Use either mineral oil or vegetable
oil rather than kerosene or soapy water,
because these latter liquids either smell
bad or dry up quickly. Of course no part
of the cages and associated parapherna-
lia can come within an ant’s reach of any
neighboring appurtenances. Such would
create a bridge and foil the purpose of
the entire project. The major problem
with this plan is the potential for acciden-
tally creating a really distressing mess in
the instance of a spill.
One hobbyist who was plagued by
ants used a common brand of insect
repellent on the vermin. The product
contains a chemical called DEET (di-
ethyl toluamide). Spraying it on the ants
themselves produced instantaneous
convulsions. Spraying it on their trails
immediately halted the invasion. It
should be sprayed generously wherever
the ants are known to have active path-
ways, or on areas that they are sus-
pected of having used in the past. Pay
particular attention to spraying the exte-
rior of buildings from ground level to a
height of eighteen inches (forty-five cen-
timeters) or more.
Two important shortcomings are that
these preparations evaporate quickly,
having useful lifetimes measured in
hours, and they are quickly rinsed away
by rain. They must therefore be applied
frequently to be effective.
It is also important to stress that
DEET is probably as repellent to tarantu-
las as it is to insects. Do not use any
insect repellents near your pet tarantu-
las. Be very careful to thoroughly wash
or bathe after using insect repellents and
before working near your pet tarantulas.
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
It also turns out that most ants
despise cinnamon. At least one enthusi-
ast acquired a giant, economy-sized jar
of cinnamon from a wholesale grocery
and powdered down the areas around
the home that were suspected of being
the ants’ port of entry. It worked at least
until the next rain. The same has been
reported of borax and powdered laundry
detergent.
As a last-ditch stand, calling a profes-
sional exterminator might also be neces-
sary. However, in this case the tarantulas
must be entirely removed from the build-
ing for at least a week after the ant infes-
tation has been terminated to avoid being
poisoned, too. There have been anecdo-
tal reports of tarantulas dying from the
exterminator’s insecticides as long as two
months after his visit. To be forewarned is
to be forearmed.
Collembola, The Springtails. These
are strange little insectlike creatures that
are found worldwide in moist places.
Occasionally enthusiasts find them in
their tarantulas’ cages if these are kept
damp. Most of the springtails in tarantula
cages are much less than one-sixteenth
inch (one-and-a-half millimeter) long and
are either tan, white, or transparent.
Although they resemble mites, and
indeed have been seen to be floating in
water dishes like mites, springtails have
a peculiar appendage arising from their
rear ends that folds under their opistho-
soma. When this is extended forcefully,
it launches the insect into the air, hence
their common name.
The hypothesis has been presented
that if springtails are present, mites will
not be found because they compete for
food and living space. This has yet to be
demonstrated, however, and we note
that springtails and mites routinely
inhabit the same habitats in nature.
There have been several cases reported
Page 233
where tarantulas living in cages with
springtails have adopted the peculiar
stance of standing on their “tiptoes” with
their opisthosoma held high in the air as
though to protect their book lungs or
lower body surface from something.
Again, there is no proof, just a peculiar
correlation in only one or two instances.
Until much more experience is gained
with springtails in tarantula cages we
recommend dealing with them as though
they were mites. But, it is entirely possi-
ble that the next edition of this Guide will
reverse this recommendation.
Entourage of Your Favorite Night-
mares. In a humid cage used for a rain
or moist forest tarantula all manner of
organisms are likely to materialize. When
these are noticed, they may be taken to
a biology teacher at a local school or
college for identification, or the enthusi-
ast could invest in several good, college-
level, invertebrate zoology textbooks
(e.g., Rupert et al., 2003 or Meglitsch,
1972). A ten-power hand lens or a binoc-
ular microscope would also be a good
investment. Most of these organisms are
harmless to pet tarantulas. A few are
harmful. All are exceedingly bizarre.
When in doubt clean the cage. Under
any circumstances, report your findings
in an enthusiast publication like the
American Tarantula Society’s Forum
Magazine or the British Tarantula Soci-
ety’s Journal.
Welcome to the wild, weird, wonder-
ful world of creepy crawlies!
Pesticides
Tarantulas are reputed to be more
sensitive to pesticides than the pests the
pesticides are intended to kill. However,
these authors are unaware of any defini-
tive studies that reported the LD50s of
the common pesticides for tarantulas.
(See the sidebar on page 234 for a defin-
233
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 234
ition of LD50.) Regardless, the basic
principle still is valid, and the following
warnings are offered in an effort to help
save a valuable pet’s life.
• Do not powder or spray the dog or cat
for fleas in the same building as the
tarantula.
• Shower or bathe thoroughly after
using any pesticides, especially dog
and cat flea powders.
• DO NOT use any of the common,
plastic insecticide strips in the same
building as your tarantulas!
• Remove the tarantula before spraying
or fumigating for household pests,
and keep it out of the building for at
least a full week. Many enthusiasts
would say a full month!
• Identify all government agencies that
are likely to spray the neighborhood
for mosquitoes, flies, or other insect
pests. Ask them for their spraying
schedule and evacuate the tarantula
at least one day in advance and keep
it away for at least two days there-
after. In an emergency, seal it in its
cage as described below.
• Don’t feed a tarantula any animals that
may have been exposed to pesticides.
There have been instances where
tarantulas have been exposed to pre-
sumably lethal doses of insecticides in
homes and survived. For instance,
Breene et al. (1996) reports that in
DEFINITION
LD50: That quantity of a toxic sub-
stance that will kill 50 percent of a
collection of laboratory mice. (Seldom
are other animals used.) Usually
reported as milligrams or micrograms
per kilogram. Also, the method of
exposure is usually given (e.g., sub-
cutaneous, intramuscular, oral).
234
Cameron County, Texas, the largest
aggregations of Aphonopelma anax, the
Texas tan tarantula, are found in golf
courses and residential yards where they
are presumably exposed to frequent,
high doses of the pesticides used for
maintaining such lawns. We may
hypothesize that either these animals did
not get a fatal dose, or they had an
inherent resistance to the pesticides
used, but we have no way of knowing if
we are correct. If they did receive a sub-
lethal dose, we are unsure what the
long-term effects would be. In any case,
don’t take chances with a valuable pet. It
is far better to be safe than sorry.
In a crisis, a tarantula can be sealed,
cage and all, in a double thickness of
plastic trash bags to protect it from poi-
soning. Tarantulas easily can survive a
day or two sealed like this because of
their low oxygen demands. Do not blow
into the bags to inflate them. Exhaled
human breath contains 4 to 5 percent
carbon dioxide, a powerful poison. The
goal is not to kill the pet!
Making a Break for It
What can be done if a pet tarantula
escapes? The very first thing is to usher
both the cat and the dog out of doors.
Both are likely to try to eat the tarantula if
they find it, and that crisis is best
avoided.
Next, tarantula psychology must be
examined carefully. The terrestrial
species of tarantulas seldom climb, and if
they perceive themselves to be “up,”
they almost invariably try to get “down.”
The key word here is perceive. Tarantulas
have such limited powers of long-range
perception that they instinctively assume
that any horizontal surface under them is
down, even if it is the top shelf of a book-
case in the attic. An exception is the tree-
dwelling rain-forest species. These will
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
almost invariably attempt to climb to the
highest level attainable, and must be
dealt with accordingly.
Next, tarantulas are the archetypal
recluses. Even wandering males will hide
during the light of day, and females and
immatures will hide in a dark place
almost indefinitely, moving to a new loca-
tion only when they become thirsty or
hungry, and then only after dark.
Because of their limited long-range
senses, they are not attracted by what
they may see, smell, or taste. Therefore,
they cannot be baited. Neither will they
return to their cage, for they simply have
no way of finding it except by blind
chance.
To find a lost tarantula, a good flash-
light and a mechanic’s mirror will be
required. A mechanic’s mirror is a small
mirror attached to a long handle with a
swivel, and is used by mechanics for
seeing into difficult places. Other tools
may be necessary, depending on cir-
cumstances. (Are you taking notes of
things to include in your kit? See page
205.)
The chances are excellent that the
tarantula is within twelve inches (thirty
centimeters) of the floor, hiding in some
dark recess, in the same room where it
escaped. Choose some convenient land-
mark, a doorway, for instance, and sys-
tematically search the room, always
going in the same direction (e.g., to the
right). The key to finding a lost pet is the
thoroughness of the search.
Be extremely cautious about shifting
furniture and other appointments until
spaces behind or next to them have
been investigated to ensure that the
tarantula won’t be innocently crushed.
Don’t slide books into a shelf without
searching behind them first. (In fact, first
remove all books from the shelves, then
replace them.) Don’t open reclining
Page 235
chairs and sleeper sofas until their mech-
anisms have been thoroughly inspected.
Be very careful to look into every nook
and cranny into which a tarantula may
squeeze. Keep in mind that tarantulas are
amazingly adept at concealing them-
selves. Check inside the cheesecloth
bottoms of sofas and easy chairs.
Remember the spaces inside the arms of
these as well. Check behind all drawers in
bureaus, dressers, and cabinets. Look
into any hot- or cold-air vents or any other
spaces into which something the size of a
finger might be squeezed. Thoroughly
search all boots and shoes. Inspect the
full length of floor-length drapes, as the
tarantula might have assumed it was in an
extra-long burrow when it found a fold.
Don’t miss the false bottoms that many
items of furniture conceal.
Look into stereo cabinets and speaker
housings, and into the insides of radios
and televisions, if they are near the floor
or on the same surface as the cage. Be
very certain to unplug these from the
electric mains before opening their
cases. Be very cautious about touching
any of the circuitry. Electronic appliances
possess capacitors that are capable of
storing a dangerous electric charge for
long periods of time. They may still be
dangerous for hours after the unit was
unplugged.
If the tarantula can’t be found the first
time, take a break, then search the same
room again, even more thoroughly,
extending the search limits to waist level
or higher. If the second search doesn’t
reveal the errant pet, move to the next
room and do it all again, twice. Tarantu-
las will go down stairs, but seldom up. If
it can’t be found on the floor where it was
lost, search on the next lower level.
Search once a day until it is found. After
retrieving your pet, don’t put it back into
its old cage!
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It has already amply demonstrated its
ability to escape from it. Either recon-
struct the old cage to prevent further
escapes or get a new, escape proof one.
Having to crawl all through the house on
your belly to find a pet tarantula is
uproariously funny but forgivable the first
time. Having to do it twice is inexcusable
stupidity.
The Size of the Matter
One recurring topic of discussion con-
cerning tarantulas is the matter of size.
How big is the world’s largest tarantula?
It turns out that this is an unexpectedly
difficult question to answer. (But then
most aspects of spiders in general and
tarantulas in particular are unexpected
and often difficult.) Complicating factors
include such things as differences in
obesity and hydration, sexual dimor-
phism, and interspecific differences in
body habitus (relative stature and propor-
tions). Although an extensive discussion
of the topic is inappropriate here, we will
cover a few of the high points.
Probably the most commonly used
measure of a tarantula’s size is its leg
span, which is generally defined as the
distance from the tip of leg I on one side
to the tip of leg IV on the other side.
There are some major problems with
using leg span, however. The most obvi-
ous is that the males of most kinds have
longer legs than their corresponding
females. Is the male goliath with a
twelve-inch (thirty-centimeter) leg span
really larger than the female with only a
ten-inch (twenty-five centimeter) leg span
in spite of the fact that she may outweigh
him two to one?
The other problem with leg span is the
very practical problem of actually mea-
suring it. What exactly do you mean by
“leg span?” Does one measure the
absolute maximum leg span or the leg
236
span as the tarantula rests in its normal
posture? The two values are likely to be
quite different and the resting posture leg
span will be highly variable, depending
on the varying posture of the tarantula.
This would invalidate any comparisons
between different individuals or even with
the same individual over time.
The absolute maximum measurement
also is fraught with difficulties. First,
because it requires handling or manipu-
lating the tarantula, something many of
us are hesitant to do, especially with a
tarantula that’s the size of our face and
with a severe attitude problem! Secondly,
to get the maximum leg span one must
at least flatten out the tarantula. This is
bound to require two handlers (or more!)
if for no other reason than that the taran-
tula will not suffer this abuse gladly.
Thirdly, one must decide how much ten-
sion to put on the legs while measuring.
The leg span of a really big tarantula may
be increased by as much as a quarter of
an inch (half-centimeter) or more with just
mild tension. Great care must be exer-
cised not to pull the leg off, however! Is
stretching the tarantula’s leg fair and
honest?
Occasionally enthusiasts will report
the leg spans of dead tarantulas. This
may also be unfair because with death,
the tarantula loses muscle tone, allowing
the leg to stretch an amount not possible
in life.
Another common measure is weight,
but this is also fraught with difficulties. In
a given kind, the female almost always
outweighs the mature male, even though
he may have a longer leg span. Is the
male or the female the larger?
Also, a tarantula’s weight, strongly
dependent on feeding and hydration,
may vary widely. It is possible for a newly
imported tarantula to be only half the
weight of a well-fed, arguably obese one
7_3885_Tarantulas_07 12/17/08 12:42 PM
that has been in captivity for years, even
if both have identical leg spans.
Dr. Samuel D. Marshall (Marshall,
2001) has suggested using the length of
the femur of the front legs as a good
measure by which to compare tarantulas’
sizes. This is probably a much better
measure for scientific purposes than any
other because this dimension would not
vary appreciably depending on the taran-
tula’s state of obesity or hydration. How-
ever, it still carries major problems when
comparing animals of different sex or
species. Also, from the enthusiast’s point
of view, stating that one’s tarantula has a
two-inch (five-centimeter) femur length
just doesn’t have the same impact as
saying that it has a twelve-inch (thirty-
centimeter) leg span!
Ultimately there is no perfect ruler to
use and the enthusiast is warned to
Page 237
always state whether leg span, body
weight, or some other measure is being
used. And, when another enthusiast
states a size without making that distinc-
tion, it should not be considered bad
manners to ask for a clarification.
So now you know that caring for a
tarantula is not a very complicated task.
Their requirements are simple; they’re
quite resilient, adaptable, and unde-
manding. After the initial briefing and
setup, their care merely becomes a mat-
ter of not doing anything that might harm
them. The danger is that, because they
are so different, it is sometimes hard to
perceive their Achilles’ heels, and we
may do something imprudent and lose a
valuable pet out of benign ignorance.
If, after reading this, you decide to
keep a pet tarantula, you will be most
welcome to the club!
237
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7_3885_Tarantulas_08 12/17/08 12:42 PM
Chapter Eight
Five Paths to Nirvana
T arantulas are native to a truly wide
range of living conditions, and each
species has adapted to fit its native
habitat. This implies that each species
will have its own minimal, basic require-
ments at least slightly different from all
other species. And that would imply that
each species must be cared for differ-
ently from all the others. Experience has
shown, however, that with virtually no
exceptions, this is not the case. Tarantu-
las have proven to be extremely resilient,
adaptable organisms, capable of surviv-
ing and even thriving in a wide range of
conditions. This forms the basis for the
following discussion.
In our current state of understanding
there seem to be only a very few basic
lifestyles that tarantulas lead, and there-
fore only five generic caging and care
regimens are required to keep virtu-
ally all of them happily for years. This
precept forms the core of our philosophy
for caring for tarantulas in captivity. We
itemize and discuss them below.
There are several possible exceptions
where this dictum doesn’t hold. For
instance, it is always possible that a
tarantula new to the hobby will be found
that follows another completely different
lifestyle and requires a completely differ-
ent set of care conditions. One that we
already know about but that is not yet
kept by enthusiasts is Hemirrhagus
redelli (Gertsch, 1973), the blind cave
Page 239
tarantula from the Rio San Antonio cave
system of southern Mexico.
A further possibility involves breeding
tarantulas. Some of the tarantulas that
have been bred in captivity are relatively
undemanding and will breed using one
or more of our five regimens. Others
have more stringent requirements and
demand special circumstances or care
to bring them into breeding condition.
Lastly, these five strategies are not
intended for caring for tarantulas being
used for any of the specialty purposes
outlined on page 126.
The Arid Species
Representative Species
Aphonopelma spp., the “brown” tarantu-
las from Central and North America
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens,
Venezuelan greenbottle blue tarantula
Grammostola rosea, Chilean rose taran-
tula
Pterinochilus spp., some of the “baboon”
tarantulas of southern Africa
Caging and Substrate
Cage Type. Follow the generic
instructions in “Caging” on page 127.
Substrate. Follow the generic instruc-
tions in “Substrates” on page 135. Use
enough peat or shredded coconut husk
to produce a layer at least one inch (three
centimeters) thick when well compacted.
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7_3885_Tarantulas_08 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 240
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, adult female.
Setup. These are almost universally
terrestrial tarantulas. They should be
given horizontally oriented cages, as
opposed to the vertical ones used for
240
the arboreal tarantulas. An escape-proof
cover is an absolute necessity, as these
show no hesitation about climbing. Be
sure to include a water dish with the
obligatory escape rock for the crickets.
Burrowing, Retreats, and Decora-
tions. Most of this group do not require
burrows and the discussion in “Interior
Decor” on page 148 is applicable.
If you think your tarantula might be
one of the few that requires a burrow, or if
you really want to allow your tarantula to
burrow, you should refer to “The Obligate
Burrowers” on page 241.
Decorations and a retreat are
optional. See “Interior Decor,” also on
page 148, for more information.
Environment
Light. All of the instructions and sug-
gestions discussed under “A Ray Of
Light” (page 158) are appropriate.
Temperature. All of the instructions
and suggestions discussed under “Tem-
perature, By Degrees” (page 151) are
appropriate.
Water/Humidity. All of the instruc-
tions and suggestions discussed under
“H 2 O: The Importance of Wetness”
(page 159) are appropriate. Virtually all
members of this group are more or less
sensitive to excessive humidity or wet-
ness in their cages. For none of these
should the substrate be kept damp, and
misting or spraying is definitely to be
avoided. The only two sources of water
that these tarantulas require are their
food and the water dish.
Care Regimen
Food and Feeding. All of the instruc-
tions and suggestions discussed under
“Food And Feeding” (page 166) are
appropriate.
A baby Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens.
Contrast this photo with that of the adult.
7_3885_Tarantulas_08 12/17/08 12:42 PM
Citharischius crawshayi, arguably the
largest tarantula from Africa.
Cleaning. All of the instructions and
suggestions discussed under “Cleaning”
(page 179) are appropriate.
Additional Considerations
This group is among the easiest to
keep in captivity and, strangely, many
are also the most difficult to breed.
From both the novice’s and the afi-
cionado’s perspectives these are the
stereotypical tarantulas. The recom-
mended care for nearly all tarantulas is
modeled after this group with only more
or less specific exceptions being item-
ized where appropriate. Thus, for this
group there are few departures from the
general instructions given in “And So We
Begin” on page 127.
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens,
the greenbottle blue tarantula, was once
thought to be an extremely difficult
tarantula to keep. Because these come
from Venezuela, enthusiasts automati-
cally assumed that they were native to a
rain forest, and they were kept like the
swamp dwellers (page 244). However, a
few aficionados were quite successful
with them and when care regimens were
compared, it was found that the suc-
cessful enthusiasts were keeping them
as arid tarantulas. When collection data
finally became available, it was found
that these arise from a small area of
Venezuela in the rain shadow of the
Andes Mountains that is semi-desert to
desert, thus explaining the mystery.
Another species of this group also
deserves special treatment, the Chilean
rose tarantula (Grammostola rosea). The
enthusiast is referred to the section
“Grammostola rosea, the Chilean Rose
Tarantula” on page 336 for a specific
discussion.
Page 241
The Obligate Burrowers
Representative Species
Citharischius crawshayi, king baboon
tarantula
Haplopelma lividum, cobalt blue taran-
tula
At the time of this writing the authors
know of no other kinds that require bur-
rows, and some enthusiasts question
whether there are any tarantulas that
truly require this care regimen. Having
said that, the majority of enthusiasts who
are successful at keeping these two
species allow them to burrow; and in the
future it is entirely likely that other kinds
of tarantulas requiring the ability to bur-
row, will find their way into enthusiasts’
hands. In addition, these two species are
so remarkable of themselves as to fairly
beg attention.
Caging and Substrate
Cage Types. Follow the generic
instructions in “Caging” on page 127.
Because these require a thicker-than-
normal layer of substrate for their bur-
rows, you may want to use a taller cage.
Also read “Burrowing” on page 143.
Even though these seldom climb, care
should still be taken to follow the recom-
mended height rule. See “Sizing It Up”
on page 130 for a discussion of this.
241
7_3885_Tarantulas_08 12/17/08 12:42 PM Page 242
Haplopelma lividum in the classic threatening posture.
Substrates. To allow for a burrow one
cannot merely add more substrate to the
cage. Vermiculite burrows will collapse
with only the disturbance of the tarantula
moving in them, and even peat and
shredded coconut husk are generally too
loose and friable to support a stable bur-
row. To permit a burrow, something with
significant “staying power” must be
used. A full discussion of this topic
appears under “Burrowing” on page 143.
Setup. These are universally terres-
trial tarantulas and should be given hori-
zontally oriented cages, as opposed to
the vertical ones used for the arboreal
tarantulas. Even though these tarantulas
characteristically spend 99 percent of
their time in their burrows, that other 1
percent demands that an escape-proof
cover be an absolute necessity.
Burrowing, Retreats, and Decora-
tions. Functionally, there may be no real
difference between a formal burrow in
substrate and a secure retreat. (Refer to
“Retreats” on page 150.) Following that
line of logic, some enthusiasts have
experimented with supplying their oblig-
242
ate burrowers a retreat that allows the
tarantula to hide completely, but without
deep substrate, and have met with some
success. Be forewarned, however, that
such an arrangement merely affords
psychological relief (assuming the term
is applicable to a tarantula) from expo-
sure but does not necessarily supply the
increased humidity that some say may
be the underlying reason for requiring a
burrow. If in doubt, supply a secure
retreat, then research what is known by
other enthusiasts about your particular
kind of tarantula. See “Resources” on
page 359 for suggestions.
Decorations in these tarantula’s cages
are largely useless because they will
almost surely soon be completely buried.
One enthusiast buried short pieces of
plastic plumbing in a king baboon’s
cage. The pieces of plumbing were sec-
tions of straight pipe approximately four
inches by one-and-a-half inches (ten
centimeters long and three-and-three-
quarters centimeters) in diameter. The
tarantula quickly found them and made
good use of them, producing stable,
long-lasting burrows.
Environment
Light. All of the instructions and sug-
gestions discussed under “A Ray of
Light” (page 158) are appropriate.
Temperature. All of the instructions
and suggestions discussed under “Tem-
perature, By Degrees” (page 151) are
appropriate.
Water/Humidity. These tarantulas
pose a special problem with supplying
water because many of them seem to
take great delight in burying their water
dishes. Thus, drinking water is almost
always unavailable.
Neither of the two tarantulas men-
tioned here seems to require excessive
humidity or a damp cage because quite
7_3885_Tarantulas_08 12/17/08 12:42 PM
a number of enthusiasts have kept them
successfully in effectively arid setups. As
a result these authors have resorted to
merely dumping one-fourth to one-third
cup of room temperature tap water into
their burrows every two weeks (less
often, perhaps in particularly humid cli-
mates). For a few minutes, until the
water is absorbed by the substrate, they
have an opportunity to drink. For a few
days thereafter the damp substrate
maintains a higher-than-ambient humid-
ity in the burrow, serving to retard water
loss from the tarantula. Using this
method, great care must be taken to
watch for mite infestations, however.
See “Acari: Mites” on page 222 for a dis-
cussion of this problem.
Care Regimen
Food and Feeding. All of the instruc-
tions and suggestions discussed under
“Food And Feeding” (page 166) are
appropriate with the following additional
comments.
Citharischius crawshayi seems to rel-
ish pinky mice. However, these must
usually be dropped into the burrow
before the tarantula will eat them. This
immediately presents the problem of
how to get them back out again if the
tarantula refuses them. One method is to
use extra-long forceps, available from
some auto parts suppliers, to fish them
out. Another hobbyist adopted the prac-
tice of tying a cotton string to the pinky’s
rear foot so that it could be retrieved
without destroying the burrow. If the
tarantula ate the pinky, the string was
discarded by the tarantula along with the
spent food bolus.
By comparison, Haplopelma lividum
is generally too small to eat pinky mice
and must be fed crickets as a mainstay.
In fact, both kinds of tarantulas will thrive
on a diet of crickets alone.
Page 243
Cleaning. These tarantula’s cages
should not be cleaned unless absolutely
necessary. Many enthusiasts will not
clean theirs for years unless a mite infes-
tation is discovered. When cleaning is
deemed necessary, be sure to do a
complete and thorough job, replacing
everything possible with new. The basic
philosophy is to do the best job possi-
ble, once, with the idea of not having to
do it again for a long time. As a prophy-
lactic measure, this might be one of the
rare times when a thorough cleaning
with a bleach water solution would be
justified even without the presence of
mites. See “Cleaning” on page 179 and
“Acari: Mites” on page 222 for additional
Information.
Additional Considerations
On the one hand, one could make the
argument that it’s largely futile to keep
this group because they’re so seldom
seen, and then usually for such fleeting
glimpses. One might as easily keep an
empty cage and merely tell one’s friends
that there was a tarantula in the burrow!
There are those enthusiasts, however,
who delight in keeping these animals
even if they don’t see them often. The
spiders are generally so remarkable that
they are a treat well worth the wait.
One word of warning: Citharischius
crawshayi can be a very fast-moving
species when it wishes, and a wet bite is
a medically significant bite that one
TIP
We do not recommend the “Swamp
Dwellers” to novices because of the
difficulty in maintaining them and the
high potential for complications and
failure.
YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!
243